Walmart Plus members in select locations got hit with an unwelcome surprise back in February 2023 — a new $35 order minimum for same-day grocery deliveries. This came as a shock to members who didn’t receive a letter, email, or any sort of notification from Walmart in advance of the change to how Walmart delivery works.
Previously, Walmart Plus members could get free grocery deliveries without having to spend a certain amount. Now, members in certain areas have to place a Walmart minimum order of $35 to avoid a fee of $6.99 per order. While some Walmart Plus shoppers haven’t noticed the fee on grocery deliveries under $35, the Walmart fine print states otherwise.
If you’re wondering what the order minimum means for your Walmart Plus membership, here’s everything you need to know. We can also help you decide if a Walmart Plus membership is worth it (and how to get a Walmart Plus student discount if you qualify).
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Walmart Plus used to give every member free grocery delivery with no order minimum.
The whole “no order minimums” concept was a huge perk for the Walmart Plus program when it first launched. At the time, Plus members didn’t have to worry about spending a certain amount of money on Walmart grocery deliveries in order to get free delivery.
It was always free, regardless of your order total. So if you forgot to pick up a few smaller items at the store, you could get them delivered without any extra fees.
But now, members will pay a $6.99 fee for grocery orders under $35.
With the new $35 order minimum, Walmart Plus grocery deliveries under $35 are technically subject to a fee. According to the Frequently Asked Questions page for Walmart Plus, if your grocery order doesn’t total at least $35, you’ll get hit with a $6.99 “below order minimum” fee. Even as a Walmart Plus member.
While some Walmart Plus shoppers have noticed the new fee on grocery deliveries, other shoppers (including some at KCL) haven’t been charged a fee for deliveries under $35. This begs the question — who qualifies for free delivery with no minimums, and who doesn’t?
All we can say is the $35 minimum doesn’t seem apply to everyone, and it may depend on your location (and how far you are from your nearest Walmart store).
People started noticing this change in early February 2023.
Honestly, no one really knows an exact date for when this new Walmart Plus rule went into effect. But Walmart Plus members started asking questions in early February 2023. Before then, they weren’t paying extra for grocery deliveries under $35.
But after noticing the added fee, many members were shocked and left wondering why things changed without them knowing about it.
The Walmart Plus fine print now includes the new order minimum, but without proper notification, some Plus members are still finding out the hard way. The lack of communication from Walmart has members feeling duped and wondering if Walmart purposely kept this change on the DL.
Can you get the $6.99 below order minimum fee refunded?
If you accidentally placed an order below the $35 minimum without knowing the new policy, you technically will still be on the hook for the $6.99 delivery fee — even if you return your order. Since the item already got delivered to you, you already received the value of the delivery service fee.
But I chatted with a customer service rep about how this part of the Walmart return policy works in July 2024, and he seemed to suggest there was some wiggle room for unhappy customers:
"The $6.99 minimum order fees can not be refunded, sadly, as per the policy," he said. "However, I will check for you right now if I can do something to make it work."
So you may have luck chatting with one of their agents on their Help site and explaining your situation.