We all love saving money at Walmart, but to save even more at this megastore, it’s all about knowing the top-secret Walmart shopping hacks that are key to saving big. To tap into the key tips and tricks you need to know, we talked to shopping experts Trae Bodge and Andrea Woroch, plus top money-saving websites to get the scoop on saving money at Walmart.
Here are 16 Walmart shopping hacks to save more money on your next online or in-store shopping spree.
Rollback deals are Walmart’s version of limited-time sales. The retailer uses this term to imply that it’s reverting, or rolling back, the price to an earlier time when the price was lower. And that’s the catch. What goes down can also go back up in price. Since these aren’t clearance sales, you need to act fast because the lower price is only temporary.
“These are [typically] current savings on seasonal and other popular goods at Walmart,” Woroch says.
You can’t always anticipate when these deals will happen, so you must always be on the lookout for deals.
When you shop at Walmart, make sure you use a credit card that allows you to earn cashback on your purchase, says Bodge.
“If you don’t have a cashback card, consider switching to a card like the Bread Cashback American Express from Bread Financial, where you can earn unlimited 2% cashback on everything you purchase,” Bodge says.
Also, check those promotional emails from your credit card carrier—your carrier will partner with retailers to offer you discounts when you shop with that card, she adds. You might be able to find a Walmart promotion this way.
You want to be aware of sales every week, not just on Black Friday. The best way to stay on top of upcoming sales is by visiting Walmart’s website or the app to see what’s on sale for the week. And buying on the first day of the sale makes a difference. Stores want to get the highest return on the first day of a sale, so the first day often offers the best deals and allows shoppers to save more, according to Go Banking Rates.
Walmart is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week—so the shelves get restocked multiple times daily. According to Eat This, Not That, Walmart’s stock usually gets turned over in the morning, meaning the a.m. presents the best time to stock up on fresh meat and other perishables that had gone on sale from the previous day.
It’s a good idea to buy Walmart brands when you can. This allows you to save 30% to 50% off compared to name brands, Woroch says. “Walmart has the best prices on their own brand of clothing (specifically for kids), shoes, toiletries, and cleaning supplies,” she notes. “Walmart will typically offer sales on their own brands, helping you save even more.”
Walmart has a good selection of affordable foods—especially from their Great Value brand—but sometimes you can save even more by browsing Walmart’s deal page for food that has been recently reduced in price, Bodge notes.
Stocking up on paper coupons is a good idea when you head to the physical store. Walmart accepts manufacturer coupons, and while you can only use one per item, there is no limit on how many coupons can be used in a single transaction, Woroch says.
And let’s face it, coupon stacking is a good practice, whether you’re shopping online or in-store.
Prescriptions get expensive fast. That’s why smart shoppers have long flocked to Walmart to take advantage of their $4 pricing on generic prescriptions. The experts agree that shopping for generic drugs at Walmart is just good medicine.
“If your medicine is on the list, your prescription will be $4, no insurance required,” Bodge says.
The Walmart Rewards Mastercard offers 5% cash back on purchases made at Walmart.com and 2% for in-store purchases, which could help you rake in extra rewards, Woroch says.
“Otherwise, opt for a flat-rate cash-back card like the Bread Cashback American Express card that gives you 2% unlimited cash back no matter where you shop or what you buy and there's no spending cap. That means you can earn 2% back at Walmart as well as Target and other retailers,” she adds.
To save on future shopping trips, just snap a picture of your receipt using a free cash back app like Fetch to earn points you can redeem for free Walmart gift cards, Woroch says.
“Check the Special Offers section to see which purchases at Walmart will get you more points. For example, you can currently earn 5,000 points (that's like getting $5 back) when you buy Seventh Generation laundry, cleaning, and dish soap at Walmart and 1,000 points when you spend $10 on Jimmy Dean products at Walmart,” she says.
If you’re a regular Walmart shopper, a Walmart+ membership might make sense, Bodge says, because you’ll get free same-day delivery, discounts on gas, early access to deals, easier returns, a free Paramount+ subscription, and more.
Walmart offers a free 30-day trial to check it out. And she adds you can save and get free shipping instead by spending a minimum of $35 for online orders or choose curbside pickup for orders when you’re a Walmart+ customer.
It’s hard to keep track of all the promo codes floating around the internet. Luckily, you don’t have to. With coupon browser extensions like SimplyCodes, you can make sure you always have the latest codes at your fingertips when you’re checking out at Walmart or anywhere else. Independent research shows this extension has more working codes than any other, with up to three times more accurate promo codes than competitors.
Depending on where you live in the country, gas can be outrageously expensive to astronomically expensive. So, look for Walmart locations that offer gas stations, which can be from 10 to 30 cents per gallon cheaper than leading name-brand gas stations, Woroch says.
Bonus tip: “Always use the GasBuddy app to compare current fuel prices to see which Walmart locations or other gas stations have the cheapest gas near you,” she adds.
Walmart still offers a limited price-match guarantee, according to Money Crashers. And, when it comes to in-store purchases, Walmart says that it’ll match Walmart.com base prices for identical items purchased in a Walmart store.
To use the price-match guarantee, inform a Walmart associate that you’d like to price-match. But first, make sure the product is in stock on Walmart.com and identical to the in-store purchase.
Similarly, the retailer will also match prices from other online sellers. Per Walmart’s policy, if you find a cheaper price from “an online retailer on an identical, in-stock product,” it will match the price.
If you happen to have an Acorns account – Bodge’s favorite way to save money long-term – and have their browser plugin installed, you can earn up to 3% cashback when you shop online at Walmart.com and those funds will be invested in your Acorns account.
Walmart’s tagline from the 1990s used to be, “Watch Our For Falling Prices.” Turns out, that’s still good advice. Even if you’ve already made a purchase, you may still be able to take advantage of a markdown post-purchase.
Woroch says you can get a price adjustment if something you buy goes on sale right afterward. “Walmart will give you a credit for the difference in price as long as you bring your item with the receipt (digital receipt in the Walmart will suffice) and verify the newly reduced price on Walmart.com or a Walmart store within seven days of the original date of purchase,” she says.
Amber Katz is a content creator for brands and publications. Her editorial work has appeared in RetailMeNot’s Real Deal Blog, Time Magazine’s e-commerce site Time Stamped, Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire, Popsugar, Real Simple, Vogue and more.
