Shopping at Walmart is an activity that can cause mixed feelings. One minute, you can be excited about the deals you are finding and the next can be filled with a bit of frustration. However, in general, shopping at Walmart is a very straightforward process.
Coupon Policy
The first thing I suggest is that you print out the Walmart corporate coupon policy. Keep this with you every time you shop at Walmart.
Walmart accepts the following types of coupons:
- Printable Coupons
- Must be legible
- Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- Buy one, get one FREE coupons with a specified price
- Are acceptable in black and white or color
- May not be duplicated
- Manufacturer’s Coupons
- For dollars/cents off
- For FREE items (except those printed off the Internet)
- Buy one, get one FREE
- Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- May not be duplicated
- Competitor’s Coupons
- A specific item for a specified price
- Buy one, get one FREE coupons for items with a specified price
- Have a valid expiration date
- Are acceptable in black and white
- Soft drink container caps
- Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)
- Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item
- Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” with specific item requirements printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- Are acceptable in black and white
- May not be duplicated
Walmart does NOT accept the following types of coupons:
- Checkout coupons
- Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase
- Percentage off the entire basket purchase
- Printable coupons that require no purchase
- Competitor’s Coupons
- Dollars/cents off at a specific retailer
- Percentage off
- Buy one, get one FREE coupons without a specified price
- Double or triple value coupons
Coupon Limitations
- Walmart only accepts coupons for merchandise that they sell.
- Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase.
- Only one coupon per item.
- Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc).
- There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.
- Coupons must have an expiration date and be redeemed prior to expiration.
- If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.
- WIC or SNAP items purchased in a WIC or SNAP transaction are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
- Great Value, Marketside, Equate, Parents Choice, and World Table coupons have no cash value and are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
- The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:
- 40 coupons per transaction.
- A coupon of $20 or greater on one item
- $50 or more in coupons in one transaction
In my opinion, the best part of their policy is that they state that you CAN get overage from coupons, and you also can use Catalina coupons from other stores!
Price Match Policy
Walmart does price match right at the register! You don’t even need to bring in the ad. However, I still recommend bringing the Walmart price match policy with you when you have a price match. Usually, you can get items very cheap or possibly FREE!
Other Walmart Tidbits
Prices may vary from store to store because each store is required to manage its own inventory. Therefore, a manager may lower a price to clear out an overstock item, to reward customers with an in-store sale, or to compete with local merchants. It is not Walmart’s policy to price match our own stores or our online service since we are not in competition with ourselves.
Before you leave the store, make sure to check your receipt to verify that coupon discounts you expected were applied. It is easier to correct situations right after you complete the transaction than later.
If you have an issue with Walmart, call customer service at 1-800-WAL-MART while you’re still in the store and explain what happened. Often, customer service will call your local store and have a manager meet you to discuss your issues. Your call may be followed up with a call from a local management.
