Update: This is my mistake – you can actually toggle between shipping and delivery in cart. You won’t see the option to change at checkout, but earlier in cart you’ll see an option to switch to shipping. This will save the shipping cost and tip.
Original Post:
I found it quite useful when Walmart+ added a benefit for free shipping with no minimum on walmart.com. However, looking now at the Walmart site, it appears that any item which is shippable from Walmart stores now has a $35 minimum to get free shipping. The Walmart+ ‘free shipping, no minimum’ benefit now only works, as I’m seeing it, on items that don’t show the store delivery option. Even if you don’t specifically care for it to be delivered from the store, there’s no option to opt for shipping and get back the ‘free shipping, no minimum’ benefit.
This negative change affects most of the everyday items that I was using my Walmart+ free shipping benefit on. Things like Bounty paper towels, tissues, soap, etc.
Many of us got the benefit for free due to a Swagbucks deal, but still disheartening to see.
Another thing they added is by default they include a $7 tip to the delivery person (though you can reduce that to $0 if you’d like). Again, what’s so strange here is that this item shows as available for both ‘shipping’ or ‘deliver from store’. Even without specifically requesting the store delivery, they automatically only offer the store delivery option, and then they hit you with a $7 tip for a service you may have no need for.
The game now is to find items that specifically do not come with a delivery option, e.g. some Kleenex tissues come only as shipping while others come with either shipping or delivery; you need to choose the former to avoid the $35 minimum fee and the tip.
Awful, awful stuff. I’m done with Walmart+. I just cancelled mine at this link (scroll down for cancel option). You’ll see clearly on the final screen that you’ll retain Walmart+ membership until the end of your membership year. Mine was set to renew in December.
