Walmart’s New Fee Upsets Shoppers — What You Need To Know
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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Walmart is one of the go-to retailers for Americans with low incomes for its consistently low prices and ways of supporting those who are economically challenged. For instance, during the early days of the pandemic, Walmart dropped a variety of fees on services and minimum orders to help struggling consumers.
Now, Walmart has appeared to adopt a new fee that’s upsetting shoppers. Here’s what you need to know if you’re using the Walmart+ Assist program.
Minimum Basket Fee
Walmart+ Assist is a membership program that provides shoppers who rely upon government assistance with a 50% discount on the standard Walmart+ membership, dropping the annual $98 fee to just $49.
Now, Walmart is asking its Walmart+ Assist program to either reach a minimum of $35 in their baskets when they order online or pay a $6.99 fee. This fee pays for the costs of picking and packing an order from a store and does not include delivery charges.
For consumers who are already living on limited income and receiving government assistance in the form of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, even an additional $6.99 can be a huge ask.
Reinstating a Fee
USA Today reported that an internal guidance memo sent to customer service staff read, “We’re reinstating minimum basket fees for customers with EBT cards saved to their Walmart account.”
However consumers didn’t all see that explanation, and many took to Reddit to place blame on President Donald Trump’s tariffs. A Walmart spokesperson explained that it’s not a new fee, and it’s not tariff-related. It is simply reinstating a fee that was waived during the pandemic “due to social distancing restrictions.”
The Impact of the Fee
Upset shoppers aren’t just angry at the additional fee. They’re saying that it trickles down to other costs, because the point of ordering online with delivery was to save consumers on public transportation and gas costs. Many are also frustrated that Walmart would reinstate this fee in a time where tariffs are driving up costs already.
One poster on Reddit, BlckWntr, wrote, “I have to budget my money strictly to pay rent and bills … I only have $18 right now in food stamps, I don’t get more until the 8th. While I have extra food $ budgeted I am just deeply frustrated.”
Individuals who live alone also professed the difficulty in meeting the $35 minimum when they only need a couple of items.
This new fee may not seem like much to those with more than enough, but it could put some people in the position to go without until they can build up the minimum, or face financial hardship just to get what they need now.
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