Walmart has quietly ended a key perk for low-income shoppers.
Since 2020, customers using food stamps were exempt from the $6.99 fee on grocery pickup and delivery orders under $35 — a benefit introduced during the pandemic.
That exemption has now ended.
The fee will once again apply to smaller orders placed by Walmart+ Assist members, the retailer’s discounted subscription for those enrolled in programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
These members, who pay $6.47 a month or $49 a year, had previously enjoyed the same perks as full-price subscribers — including waived basket fees.
The $6.99 charge covers the cost of selecting and packing orders and is on top of delivery fees.
Walmart says the rollback is part of broader cost-cutting efforts, citing financial uncertainty caused by new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Walmart has also asked suppliers to absorb some of the tariff-driven price increases and has made staffing changes to cut expenses.
Walmart reinstated its $6.99 basket fee for select customers who purchase groceries for less than $35 on April 30
Walmart+ Assist program members receive a 50 percent discount on memberships. A membership costs $6.47 a month or $49 a year
Walmart president & CEO Doug McMillon
Still, the retail giant remains optimistic.
Walmart ended its most recent quarter with $180.6 billion in revenue and reported $681 billion in sales for 2024.
Walmart bosses say uncertainty from President Donald Trump’s tariffs means they can’t give Wall Street the usual forecast on sales and profits — something they haven’t done since the pandemic.
The company insisted it was confident in making sure they could navigate tariffs along with the fears of a recession.
‘We see opportunities to accelerate share gains while maintaining flexibility to invest in price as tariffs are applied to incoming goods,’ said chief finance officer John David Rainey.
CEO Doug McMillon added that Walmart is closely monitoring costs: ‘There are so many variables playing out in terms of what costs are going to be, where people source from. We’re going to have to manage this as we always do — daily.’
Executives were also happy after recently participating in a ‘productive’ closed-door meeting with Trump.
