Walmart does major policy U-turn by reinstating minimum $7 purchase fee for some shoppers ahead of price hikes

WALMART has officially made a huge policy change, reinstating a minimum $6.99 basket fee for orders that do not meet certain requirements.

The retail giant is rolling out the change ahead of impending price hikes stemming from the trade war, impacting a specific demographic of shoppers.

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Walmart is bringing back its $6.99 basket fee for SNAP recipients using EBT cards as well as those subscribed to its Walmart+ Assist program.

These customers are now required to pay the charge on pick up and delivery orders under $35.

While Walmart has a $35 order minimum for free delivery, the basket fee was waived during the COVID-19 pandemic for shoppers relying on food stamps due to social distancing restrictions.

The $6.99 fee is officially being reinstated in order to help cover the costs tied to picking up and packing customer orders from the store.

“We’re reinstating minimum basket fees for customers with EBT cards saved to their Walmart account,” read an internal guidance memo sent to Walmart customer service staff on Monday read, per Reuters.

“If an EBT customer asks why we charged them a minimum basket fee, explain this is the correct fee for orders under $35,” the memo said.

Millions of SNAP recipients rely on Walmart for groceries, with the retailer accounting for roughly 26% of food stamps spending, per research from data analytics firm Numerator.

Americans who buy food via the federal government program are given EBT, or Electronic Benefit Transfer, cards that work similarly to prepaid debit cards.

These SNAP beneficiaries will be impacted by the change alongside members of the Walmart+ Assist plan that provides customers on government assistance a 50% discount on the standard Walmart+ membership.

SHOPPING STRUGGLES

Walmart is bringing back its minimum order fee for shoppers on food stamps and those under the Walmart+ Assist plan as it tightens its belt amidst economic uncertainty fueled by the trade war.

The current administration is in a back-and-forth tariff battle with nations around the world, with the levies significantly hiking the cost of imported goods.

Tariffs are paid by the importer of the products – often the American businesses buying the products, such as Walmart.

The retailer has already been working to reduce its costs, shutting down offices and asking employees to relocate to its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Walmart has also requested that some of its suppliers absorb the price hikes resulting from Trump’s tariffs.

Despite the retailer’s efforts to reduce the impact of inflation and the tariffs on shoppers, consumers often end up being the ones to shoulder the additional costs.

Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, has already warned shoppers that prices are likely to rise.

“We never want to raise prices,” John David Rainey, Walmart’s chief financial officer, previously told CNBC.

“Our model is everyday low prices, but there probably will be cases where prices will go up for consumers.”

Americans are being told to rush for certain items quickly before Trump’s tariffs kick in.

Plus, shoppers can expect to see empty shelves due to the trade war as a retail expert revealed the exact date to expect shortages.

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