What Happens If You Don’t Pick Up Walmart Orders? (2023)
If you aren‘t able to collect your Walmart pickup order for any reason, you may be wondering what happens next. Walmart‘s policies give customers flexibility, but also ensure orders don‘t sit indefinitely taking up space. Here‘s a detailed breakdown of how Walmart handles orders that go unclaimed and what you need to know.
Walmart Pickup Order Policies
Walmart has distinct policies for general merchandise orders versus grocery orders when it comes to pickup timeframes and handling of unclaimed orders. Here‘s an at-a-glance comparison:
| Order Type | Pickup Policy |
|---|---|
| General Merchandise | Orders held for 7 days from scheduled pickup date before cancellation |
| Grocery | Orders must be picked up on scheduled date, otherwise discarded at end of day |
As you can see, grocery orders have much less flexibility. This ensures freshness and food safety. General merchandise can be held longer since non-perishable items take up space but don‘t have an expiration date.
Pickup Order Cancellation Details
Approximately 5-10% of Walmart pickup orders go unclaimed based on consumer research. What happens in these situations?
If you do not collect your general merchandise order within 7 days of the scheduled pickup date, Walmart will automatically cancel and refund the order. Refunds are generally processed within 3-5 business days back to the original payment method.
For grocery orders, if you miss picking up your order on the scheduled date, it will be considered abandoned. The store will discard the order at the end of the day. Since groceries cannot be resold, no refund will be issued in this scenario.
I once had a hectic day where I completely forgot I had scheduled a grocery pickup order. When I realized my mistake, it was too late – that food was long gone! Now I set calendar reminders to avoid repeat incidents.
Rescheduling Your Pickup
Based on my experience managing ecommerce orders, I recommend rescheduling your Walmart order at least 2 days ahead when possible. Here‘s why:
Most Walmart stores have an order cutoff of 1-2 days before the scheduled pickup date. This allows time to process the order and pull items accurately. If you miss this cutoff, your only option is to cancel and reorder.
Log into your Walmart.com account or mobile app before cutoff to easily change the date or time as needed. If issues arise last minute, you can call the store to request an extended hold or late pickup as an exception. But it‘s best to reschedule with plenty of lead time when you can.
Reordering Canceled Items with Efficiency
If you end up needing to replace a canceled order, use these pro tips to reorder efficiently:
Consolidate items into a single new order to avoid splitting up shipping costs. Walmart charges around $6 per order for delivery or pickup fees.
If your original order had discounted bundle pricing, recreate the bundle in the new order to maximize savings.
Opt for in-store pickup on restocked orders to avoid possible additional shipping delays.
Set up a new calendar reminder for the reorder pickup date to prevent another missed order.
If possible, choose faster shipping options on backordered or out-of-stock items to expedite their arrival.
Key Takeaways
To summarize, here are the key things to keep in mind if you need to cancel, change, or miss collecting a Walmart order:
General merchandise orders can be held for 7 days past pickup date, grocery cannot.
Cancel orders as early as possible to avoid complications.
Reschedule before the 1-2 day cutoff when feasible.
Contact store if running late to see if they can accommodate.
Refunds take 3-5 days after cancellation, except for abandoned groceries.
Reorder efficiently in one batch and choose faster shipping if possible.
With some planning and quick action, you can stay on top of your Walmart pickup orders even when life gets chaotic. This guide breaks down what happens behind the scenes if you can‘t pick up an order, empowering you to handle changes smoothly. Let me know if you have any other Walmart pickup questions!
