Walmart offers an employee discount to all team members (and their spouses or domestic partners), along with some additional benefits like a free Walmart Plus membership (worth $98 per year).
While the discount is small — just 10% — Walmart employees can use the discount year-round, and there’s no limit to the number of purchases you can make.
But there is a pretty long list of items the Walmart employee discount can’t be applied to — like hidden Walmart clearance items, most grocery purchases, and even Walmart Rollbacks (I confirmed this by speaking to a customer service rep). And you'll need to wait until your 90-day probation period ends to become eligible.
Even if you've already studied our hacks for how to save at Walmart, the employee discount can save you some additional money, especially if you're employed there during the holidays. And if you want additional insider info, we can fill you in on a few more Walmart secrets, too — like how to decipher Walmart price tags.
For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.
What is the Walmart Employee Discount?
The Walmart employee discount is pretty straightforward. Current Walmart employees can get 10% off regularly priced general merchandise and fresh produce in-store and online by using their Walmart Associate Discount Card at checkout.
Here's what the official policy for the Walmart Associate Discount Card says:
"As a Walmart associate, you get a 10% discount on regularly priced general merchandise and fresh produce when you use your Walmart Associate Discount Card at any Walmart store in the United States. You can also get the same discount on select merchandise on Walmart.com."
You do need to be a Walmart employee for 90 days before you can qualify for the discount. After 90 days of employment, they'll automatically send you (and your spouse) a Walmart Associate Discount Card. You'll use this card to claim the discount.
If you’re shopping in the store, just swipe your discount card before swiping your payment method. Make sure the screen says, "thank you Walmart associate," to confirm that your employee card was scanned properly.
Walmart employees can also be reimbursed for the cost of a Walmart Plus membership, which is regularly $98 per year.
How do you use the Walmart employee discount online?
If you’re shopping online, it’s easy to link the card to your account. Log in to the Walmart app or your Walmart account online and add your discount card details to your profile (under "Wallet").
To register your card, you'll need to enter your associate card number and your WIN (Walmart Identification Number), which can be found in the Me@Walmart app. (The Walmart website lists a few additional ways to locate your WIN if you need help finding it.)
Once your discount card is linked, you’ll automatically see the discounts offered for each purchase online or through the app.
Can you use the Walmart employee discount on electronics?
As long as you're buying electronics that are currently at regular price, you should be able to use the Walmart employee discount at checkout.
But this means that you can't claim the employee discount on any electronics that are on sale, marked-down (like with Walmart Rollbacks), on clearance, or otherwise discounted. This means a lot of the electronics that get discounted during Walmart Black Friday and other big sales will be excluded, too.
Some employees on Reddit have reported that new release movies, some music CDs, and prepaid phone cards aren't eligible for the employee discount, so your mileage may vary on this one.
Does the Walmart employee discount apply to family members, too?
Kinda. According to the Walmart Associate Discount Card fine print, after 90 days of employment, the Walmart employee and their legal spouse or domestic partner are eligible for an associate discount card.
If you have unmarried children, they can borrow your employee discount card if any of the following are true:
Your dependent child is 19 years of age or younger
Your dependent child is a full-time college student and 22 years of age or younger
KCL TIP: If you have a domestic partner who is not a legal spouse, you can request a discount card for them on One.Walmart.com.
Do part-time Walmart employees get the same discount?
The 10% discount applies to all Walmart employees, regardless of how many hours you work per week. Some of the additional employee perks (more on that later) only apply to full-time employees.
When you’re hired, you should get an employee contract that outlines which additional benefits (if any) apply to you.
Is there a Walmart discount for retired employees?
Walmart offers the employee discount to retired team members, too, and there's no action needed from you if you qualify.
If you’ve been an associate for 20 years or more (continuously), you can keep your Associate Discount Card when you retire from Walmart, regardless of your age.
Team members who are ages 55 or older and have worked for at least 15 consecutive years can also keep their Associate Discount Card after ending employment.
What's Excluded From the Walmart Employee Discount
There are quite a few things you can't use the Walmart employee discount on.
One major thing to know is that the discount doesn’t apply to anything sold by a third party. So be warned that anything on Walmart.com that’s not marked as "sold by Walmart" is NOT eligible for the discount. (You don’t have to worry about this if you’re shopping in the store.)
Here are a few of the items excluded from the employee discount:
Digital downloads (albums or tracks)
Eye exams at the vision center
Gasoline
Marketplace items
Most food and grocery items (except for fresh produce)
Online gift cards
Sale, clearance, or Rollback items
Shipping charges
Shopping cards (aka gift cards)
What is Walmart's Black Friday employee discount?
According to leaked employee documents on Reddit, the Walmart employee discount gets a little better during the busy holiday season.
In 2023, associates got an expanded 10% discount that applied to most grocery items (besides just produce) during the holiday season. Last year, this was offered from Friday, Nov. 10 - Friday, Jan. 5.
Additionally, there's a 15% one-time discount that arrives in December, with a validity period for the weeks leading up to Christmas. This discount comes in the form of a mailed, single-use barcode that you can stack on top of your normal 10% discount.
More Perks and Benefits for Walmart Employees
In addition to the 10% employee discount, there are ways for Walmart employees to save even more money just by being a team member. Employees can get discounts on non-Walmart brand things, too, like travel, movie tickets, and cell phone plans via the Walmart Associate Discount Center portal.
Employees can open a 401K as soon as they're hired, and Walmart will match up to 6% after they’ve worked at the retailer for one year. Associates may purchase company stock through payroll deductions, and Walmart will match $0.15 for every dollar you contribute (up to a certain limit per year).
Walmart employees thinking about starting a family should know that Walmart offers up to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave and six week of parental leave for hourly associates. Employees can also withdraw up to $5,000 from their 401(k) to put toward the cost of birth or adoption of a child.
You can find information about all of these (and even more employee perks) on the OneWalmart benefits website.
Sources:
Walmart: "Walmart Associate Discount Card" [PDF]
Walmart Associate Discount Center: Walmart Employee Portal
Walmart: 2024 Benefits Guide
Walmart Discount Card: When Your Benefit Ends
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