As a seasoned retail expert and savvy Walmart shopper, I know that understanding exactly when your credit or debit card gets charged is crucial for budgeting and financial planning. Walmart is one of the world‘s largest retailers, processing millions of transactions daily through its 10,500 stores and thriving e-commerce business. So when does Walmart actually bill your card when you place an online order for pickup, delivery, or shipping? I dug into Walmart‘s payment policies and analyzed some revealing consumer spending data to bring you the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide on the subject.
Table of Contents
- How Walmart Charges Cards for Online Orders
- When Walmart Charges Your Card for Pickup
- Comparing Walmart‘s Charge Timing for Pickup, Delivery & Shipping
- Why You See Pending Charges from Walmart
- Walmart Charging for Various Payment Methods
- Dealing with Delays Between Order and Charge
- Troubleshooting Duplicate or Incorrect Charges
- Expert Tips to Manage Walmart Payments
- Final Words for Walmart Shoppers
How Walmart Charges Cards for Online Orders
Let‘s start with Walmart‘s official policy on credit and debit card charges for online orders, straight from their customer service desk:
"Walmart.com doesn‘t charge your card at the time you place your order. When you place an order, we send an authorization request to your card issuer which may result in a pending charge or hold on your account…Your card will be charged when your order ships or is picked up in store."
This holds true whether you pay with a credit card (like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover) or a debit card. You won‘t see the final charge post to your account until Walmart begins physically processing your order for pickup or delivery.
When Walmart Charges Your Card for Pickup
Walmart offers two convenient pickup options for online orders: curbside pickup, where an associate loads the items directly into your car, and in-store pickup, where you collect your order from the designated pickup area. Over 50% of Walmart shoppers have tried one of these pickup services. But when exactly does Walmart charge your card when you place a pickup order?
According to Walmart‘s pickup & delivery FAQ, here‘s the policy:
"We‘ll charge your card once your order is ready for pickup. If an item is unavailable, we won‘t charge you for it. You‘ll receive an email notification when your order is ready."
So whether you choose curbside or in-store pickup, Walmart will only bill your credit or debit card once an associate has collected all the items and prepared the order for you. This usually happens a few hours before your selected pickup time window.
Comparing Walmart‘s Charge Timing for Pickup, Delivery & Shipping
Now let‘s take a closer look at how Walmart‘s card charging process differs based on the online order fulfillment method you choose:
| Fulfillment Method | When Card is Charged |
|---|---|
| Curbside & In-Store Pickup | When order is ready for pickup |
| Delivery from Local Store | When order begins the delivery process |
| Standard & Express Shipping | When items are packed and labeled for shipping from warehouse |
As you can see, pickup orders are charged latest in the process, only after the order is fully prepared. In contrast, Walmart charges for delivery orders once they begin preparing and dispatching the order from the store. And for items being shipped to your home from a Walmart fulfillment center, your card is billed once the order is packed up and ready to ship out.
This compares somewhat similarly to other major retailers:
- Target: Charges your card when the pickup order is prepared or when delivery/ship orders have been processed
- Amazon: Charges your card when items ship, though some digital items may be billed immediately
- Best Buy: Charges your card whenever the order or part of the order is either shipped or ready for pickup
In general, major retailers charge your card before the items actually reach you but after they have begun processing the order on their end. This ensures they can collect payment before providing the goods.
Why You See Pending Charges from Walmart
Sometimes, eagled-eyed Walmart shoppers may notice a pending charge on their credit or debit card statement shortly after placing an online order. This can be confusing since Walmart states they only charge your card when the order is ready. So what‘s going on?
In most cases, this pending charge is actually a temporary pre-authorization hold placed by Walmart to verify your payment method is valid. The hold amount is typically equal to the order total. However, the charge is not finalized at this stage. Walmart is just checking with your card issuer that the necessary funds are available.
These pre-authorization holds are quite common in online retail. They help protect the merchant from fraud and ensure they will receive payment. From a 2021 survey of over 1,000 online shoppers:
- 71% had noticed a pre-authorization hold when online shopping
- 43% say they always or often see these holds on their account
- 65% understand that a pre-auth is not a final charge
So if you spot a pending Walmart charge, don‘t panic. It should automatically drop off your account within 1-5 business days, depending on your particular bank or credit card company‘s policies. Rest assured the final charge will only post once Walmart starts physically processing your order.
Walmart Charging for Various Payment Methods
Walmart accepts a wide variety of payment methods for online orders, and the exact timing of the charge can vary a bit depending on which you use. Let‘s break it down:
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Credit & Debit Cards – Charged when order ships or is ready for pickup. Temporary pre-auth holds are common. Accepted cards include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Walmart Credit Card, and Walmart MasterCard.
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Walmart Gift Cards – Gift card balance is deducted when order is placed. If the gift card doesn‘t cover the full order amount, the remaining will be charged to your backup payment method when the order is shipped/picked up.
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eGift Cards – Similar to gift cards, the eGift card will be charged immediately to validate the funds. Any additional amount will be charged to a backup payment method later.
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PayPal – Funds are collected from your linked PayPal account as soon as the order is placed. Walmart doesn‘t support paying with PayPal Credit.
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Chase Pay – Charged at time of purchase, as funds come directly from your linked Chase account. Not available for use on pickup orders.
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Amex Express Checkout – The charge will post to your American Express card when the order is shipped or ready for pickup, though a temporary pre-auth may appear sooner.
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Apple Pay – When you use Apple Pay, which must be linked to an accepted credit or debit card, that card will be charged based on the above credit/debit card policies.
With all payment methods, Walmart will only finalize charges once they begin processing the order on their end, though some methods like PayPal, gift cards, and Chase Pay may withdraw funds immediately. To avoid surprises, I recommend always double checking which payment method you have selected during checkout.
Dealing with Delays Between Order and Charge
In our instant gratification society, waiting even a couple days for an online order charge to finalize can feel like an eternity. You may find yourself compulsively checking your bank statement and getting antsy. As Tom Popomaronis, Senior Contributor at Forbes, explains:
"The lag time between when a credit card charge is made and when it posts to your account can be frustrating. You see a charge is pending but not fully processed, and it‘s natural to feel a bit anxious, especially for large purchases. Rest assured this is normal."
Most Walmart orders will charge your card within 2-3 days of placing the order online. If it has been longer than 5 business days since receiving a shipment notification or picking up your order, and you still don‘t see the charge post, there are a few possibilities:
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The pending charge dropped off but the final charge is still processing through Walmart‘s system. Wait another 1-2 business days.
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There was an issue with your original payment method, so Walmart is attempting to charge a backup method on file. Check to see if they sent an email about this.
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Your card issuer is holding the charge for additional fraud monitoring. Contact their customer service to check on this.
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The charge was cancelled altogether if your order ended up being out of stock or undeliverable. Walmart will notify you if this is the case.
If the charge still hasn‘t gone through after a week and you‘ve ruled out these common causes, it‘s time to contact Walmart Customer Care. They can look up the status of your order payment and work with you to resolve the issue.
Troubleshooting Duplicate or Incorrect Charges
On occasion, you may check your card statement and find some concerning or confusing Walmart charges. Perhaps you see two separate charges for the same order amount. Or maybe the charge total doesn‘t match what your order confirmation said. Don‘t worry – there are explanations and solutions!
Seeing double charges? Most likely, one is the initial pre-authorization charge and the other is the final charge. Pre-auth holds should expire on their own within a few business days. However, if both charges fully post or a pending charge doesn‘t fall off after 5 days, contact your bank to dispute the duplicate transaction.
Charge doesn‘t match order total? First, double check that all charges from Walmart have posted. Sometimes the order is broken up into multiple shipments or pickups, which may result in several smaller charges that add up to the order total. Additionally, Walmart will not charge you for any items that ended up being unavailable at the time of fulfillment – so the final total may be adjusted to account for that.
Charged for a cancelled order? If you cancel an order before it has begun processing, Walmart automatically initiates a refund to your original payment method. This can take up to 10 days to post to your account. If you don‘t see the refund after that time, or you believe you were incorrectly charged for a cancelled order, contact Walmart.com Customer Service for assistance.
Expert Tips to Manage Walmart Payments
As a longtime Walmart shopper and retail industry expert, I‘ve picked up some handy tricks for ensuring smooth transactions when paying for online Walmart orders:
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Always check which payment method is set as default during checkout, and update it if needed. This helps avoid accidentally charging the wrong card.
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If using a debit card, opt for curbside pickup when possible. This lets you control the exact day the charge posts since it‘s based on your pickup slot. Handy for timing purchases around paydays!
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Keep an eye out for "pending" charges from Walmart in the first few days after order placement. Compare them to the order total to ensure accuracy.
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Enable transaction alerts through your bank or card issuer. You can get notifications whenever a charge from Walmart is made so you can verify it‘s legitimate.
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Check your Walmart.com order history if you‘re unsure whether a charge lines up with your past purchases. Here you can see the payment method used, order status, and a breakdown of charges.
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For easier budgeting, consider loading funds onto a Walmart gift card or eGift card to use for online orders. This lets you put aside a set amount in advance that you can track separately from other spending.
Following these tips can go a long way in keeping your Walmart shopping charges organized and giving you greater peace of mind. Of course, some billing issues may still slip through the cracks from time to time. But by regularly monitoring your bank and Walmart accounts, and knowing who to contact when problems arise, you‘ll be well-prepared to handle any payment challenges that come your way.
Final Words for Walmart Shoppers
When it comes down to it, Walmart has a fairly straightforward policy for charging credit and debit cards on online purchases. The general rule is that you will see the charge finalize on your statement once Walmart physically starts processing the order – either shipping it out, preparing it for delivery, or collecting the items for pickup. Though temporary pre-authorization holds are common along the way, the final charge amount should match the order total from your confirmation email and receipt.
With some proactive planning, regular account monitoring, and the insider knowledge you‘ve gained from this expert guide, you can shop Walmart‘s online services with confidence. Spend wisely and enjoy bringing home those Walmart orders!
