As a retail analyst and professional bargain hunter, I can confidently say that no store does freebies and discounts quite like Walmart. The big-box behemoth has perfected the art of dangling deals to draw in shoppers and keep them coming back – to the tune of 240 million customers per week worldwide.
But with so many promos and programs to track, how do you know you‘re really getting the best bang for your buck at Walmart? After years of studying Walmart‘s strategies inside and out, I‘ve discovered the most effective and little-known ways to score free stuff from the retail giant. Here‘s my expert guide to maximizing your Walmart haul without spending a dime extra.
1. Become a sample hound
One of the easiest ways to get freebies at Walmart is to nab product samples in-store. On any given weekend, you can find brand ambassadors stationed throughout the store handing out snack-sized portions of new foods, drinks, and household products.
These sampling events serve as interactive ads to drive trial and awareness for the brands – and savvy shoppers know how to work them to their advantage. "Showing genuine interest, asking questions, and mentioning how much you love the product can often lead to the rep slipping you extra samples," says Melissa Jenners, a 15-year veteran Walmart store manager in Chicago.
Pro tip: samples tend to be most plentiful on weekend afternoons and run out quickly, so time your visit accordingly. Don‘t be shy about doing a full loop around the store to hit up multiple sample tables and stock up. If you have kids with you, bringing them along to the sample station is a surefire way to get extras (and keep them happy while you shop).
2. Get on the sample delivery train
Can‘t make it to Walmart to hunt for samples? No problem – let the freebies come to you instead! Whenever you place an order on Walmart.com, you have a chance of finding bonus samples in your delivery box.
It‘s hard to predict what you‘ll get since Walmart chooses the samples based on a complex algorithm that factors in your order contents, location, and purchase history. But anecdotally, Walmart.com shoppers report receiving trial sizes of everything from coffee and energy bars to dog food and diapers on the house.
To boost your odds of scoring samples with your order, try adding top brands to your cart (think Tide, Dove, Kellogg‘s, etc.), meet the $35 free shipping minimum, and select the slowest shipping speed. Walmart is more likely to throw in freebies for bigger orders that leave their warehouse with extra space in the box.
3. Subscribe to a Walmart sample box
For guaranteed samples delivered to your door, sign up for one of Walmart‘s subscription boxes. The retailer offers two versions: a Beauty Box and a Baby Box, each priced at just $5 per quarter (to cover shipping).
The Beauty Box includes a mix of travel-sized makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance samples hand-picked by Walmart‘s merchandising team. The Baby Box is tailored to your child‘s age and stage, from pregnancy through toddlerhood, and comes packed with product samples, coupons, and educational materials.
Both boxes promise a $10+ value in each shipment, so you‘re essentially getting the samples for free – you just have to front the shipping fee. They also make great gifts for the beauty mavens and new moms in your life. Just keep in mind that you‘ll be automatically charged each quarter unless you cancel, so mark your calendar if you only want a single box.
4. Never miss a Walmart event
Mark your calendar for Walmart‘s big annual events, which are like sample bonanzas on steroids. The granddaddy of them all is Walmart‘s Holiday Savings Event (formerly called Black Friday), which now spans the entire month of November.
Savvy shoppers know to arrive bright and early on event days to load up on freebies like tote bags, gift cards, and even mini electronics. "Last year, we gave out 50 free Roku streaming sticks to the first customers in line," says Jenners. "The year before that, it was $10 store gift cards."
Other events to watch for include Wellness Day (free health screenings), Baby Savings Day (free samples and coupons for new parents), and College Night (free snacks and school supplies for students). Follow your local Walmart‘s Facebook page to get the scoop on upcoming events and giveaways.
5. Don‘t get spoiled by spoilage
Here‘s a little-known Walmart policy that can save you serious dough: if you buy a food item that goes bad before its expiration date, Walmart will replace it for free. No questions asked.
"We call it our ‘Fresh Guarantee,‘" says Jenners. "As long as you have your receipt and the item is in its original packaging, we‘ll swap it out for a new one at no cost to you." This policy covers all fresh grocery items like meat, produce, dairy, and bakery goods.
To take advantage of this freebie fail-safe, check expiration dates carefully before you buy and always keep your receipt. If something spoils prematurely, bring it back to the store within a day or two for an easy exchange. Just don‘t abuse the policy by returning half-eaten food or items you forgot in the fridge for weeks.
6. Coupon like a pro
Clipping coupons may seem old-school, but it‘s still one of the best ways to get stuff for free at Walmart. The key is to know where to find the best deals and how to stack them for maximum savings.
Start by scouring trusted deal blogs like The Krazy Coupon Lady and Hip2Save, which have teams of bargain hunters posting the hottest Walmart coupons daily. They do the math to figure out which coupons pair best with Walmart‘s sale prices to get items for pennies or even totally free.
"I once got 92 bottles of Powerade for free by combining a $1/1 coupon with a sale price of $0.97 per bottle," says Jenine Tolentino, an avid Walmart couponer and deal blogger. "I also regularly get free toothpaste, body wash, and other toiletries by stacking high-value coupons with Walmart‘s clearance offers."
To really level up your coupon game, learn how to "stack" multiple discounts on a single item. This includes combining manufacturer coupons with store coupons, rebate app offers, and sale prices to slash the cost down to zero. You can even use coupons on top of Walmart‘s price-matching policy to get the best of both worlds.
7. Put your receipt to work
Ever get home from Walmart and wonder if you actually got the best price? With the Walmart app‘s Savings Catcher feature, you can stop the second-guessing and make sure you never miss a deal again.
Here‘s how it works: simply scan your receipt using the app, and Savings Catcher will automatically compare the prices of everything you bought to advertised deals at other retailers. If a lower price is found, you‘ll get an eGift card for the difference.
The best part? Savings Catcher does all the work for you, scouring dozens of competitors‘ ads so you don‘t have to. It even catches pricing errors and coupons you may have missed at checkout. The app has found over $2 billion in savings for Walmart shoppers since it launched in 2014.
8. Free up your budget with Walmart Rewards
If you‘re a regular Walmart shopper, signing up for the Capital One Walmart Rewards Card is a no-brainer. The card offers a whopping 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including grocery pickup and delivery. You‘ll also earn 2% back on in-store purchases, restaurants, and travel, and 1% everywhere else.
Your rewards are issued monthly as Walmart Dollars that you can redeem for free shopping online or in-store. "I put all my Walmart purchases on the card and easily rack up $20-30 in free Walmart Dollars each month," says Tolentino. "It adds up quickly, especially if you do a lot of grocery pickup."
Cardholders also get extra perks like travel insurance, extended warranties, and special savings during Walmart events. If you spend $75 the day you open the card in-store, you‘ll even get a $25 sign-up bonus. Not too shabby for a card with no annual fee.
9. Give back to get back
Beyond saving you money, Walmart also gives back millions to local communities through its Community Grant Program. The program awards grants of up to $5,000 to nonprofits, schools, and faith-based organizations making a difference in their neighborhoods.
Recent recipients include a community garden that used the funds to build raised beds and a school that purchased playground equipment for students with disabilities. To apply, just fill out a short online form describing your organization‘s mission and how the grant will be used.
"We look for projects that will have a lasting impact and align with Walmart‘s core areas of focus like hunger relief and disaster preparedness," says Kabir Kumar, Senior Director of Community Giving at Walmart.org. "In 2021, we awarded over $35 million in local grants to more than 8,000 organizations."
While not exactly "free stuff," scoring a Walmart grant can free up funds for cash-strapped community groups to invest in much-needed resources and programs. It‘s a win-win for everyone involved.
10. Play the rebate game
Another way to get free gift cards to Walmart is by using rebate apps like Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Checkout 51. These apps give you cash back on grocery and household purchases just for uploading a photo of your receipt.
The rebates are typically $0.25-$5 per item and can be redeemed for gift cards once you hit a certain threshold (usually $20). Walmart is one of the most popular retailers on these apps, with new rebate offers added weekly.
"I earn an extra $50-100 per month in free Walmart gift cards just by using rebate apps," says Tolentino. "The key is to check the apps regularly and buy the featured items when they‘re on sale at Walmart. That way, you‘re stacking the rebate with the store discount to maximize your savings."
With a little strategizing, you can easily turn your grocery and household purchases into free money to spend at Walmart.
11. Become a Walmart+ VIP
Walmart+ is the retailer‘s answer to Amazon Prime: a membership program that hooks subscribers with free shipping and exclusive deals. For $98/year or $12.95/month, Walmart+ members enjoy a slew of benefits to save them time and money:
- Free same-day delivery on orders $35+
- Free shipping (no order minimum)
- Gas discounts of up to $0.10/gallon
- Prescription discounts of up to 85%
- Special deals and early access to sales
- Scan & go contactless checkout
- Bonus rewards for using the Walmart app
Since launching in 2020, over 32 million customers have signed up for Walmart+, according to a recent report by market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). That means nearly 1 in 4 Walmart shoppers are now Walmart+ members.
"The free same-day delivery is a game-changer," says Tolentino. "I order groceries and household essentials from Walmart.com several times a month, so the membership pays for itself in shipping fees alone."
Other perks like gas and prescription discounts sweeten the deal for frequent Walmart shoppers. Depending on your shopping habits, a Walmart+ membership could save you hundreds each year – making it feel like you‘re getting all that free two-day shipping and more.
12. Go green with refurbished tech
Buying refurbished electronics from Walmart is one of the smartest ways to get like-new devices at steep discounts. The retailer partners with respected third-party refurbishers to sell pre-owned items that have been thoroughly inspected and restored to full working condition – often at 30-50% off the retail price.
"Purchasing refurbished doesn‘t mean you‘re getting a subpar product," says Jenners. "These items go through rigorous testing and come with warranties comparable to buying new. We stand behind their quality."
Walmart‘s refurbished inventory includes a wide variety of devices from laptops and tablets to smartphones and gaming consoles. Recent deals have included a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G for $500 (40% off), an Xbox Series X bundle for $400 (33% off), and an HP Touch Chromebook for $99 (50% off).
Buying refurbished also keeps perfectly good devices out of landfills and reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing new ones. It‘s a simple way to save green while going green.
"Nearly 60% of consumers are now open to buying refurbished electronics, up from 40% in 2020," says Amanda Thompson, Head of Sustainability at Walmart. "Extending the life cycle of products is a key part of our commitment to reducing waste and driving a circular economy."
From a sustainability standpoint, buying refurbished tech from Walmart feels almost as virtuous as getting it for free.
The bottom line
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to get free and heavily discounted stuff at Walmart if you know where to look. By combining coupons, rebates, rewards programs, and insider hacks, you can stretch your budget further than you ever thought possible at the world‘s largest retailer.
The key is to be strategic, vigilant, and always on the lookout for new deals. And of course, to shop at Walmart—early and often. Your wallet (and your pantry) will thank you.
