When Does Walmart Charge Your Card for Online Orders?
When Does Walmart Charge Your Card for Online Orders?
The quick answer: Walmart places an authorization hold at checkout but doesn‘t officially charge your card until an order ships.
As an experienced ecommerce seller, I know first-hand how confusing it can be to track online orders across multiple merchants. Unlike shopping in stores, online purchases involve quite a bit of behind-the-scenes communication between retailers, banks, and credit card processors.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly when to expect Walmart to charge your card for any online order, whether you choose delivery or in-store pickup. I‘ll also address why you may see multiple pending transactions or charges from Walmart.
Let‘s dive in!
When Will My Card Be Charged for an Online Walmart Purchase?
When you place an order on Walmart.com and enter a debit or credit card, here is the step-by-step process:
Walmart requests an authorization hold from your bank for the total purchase amount. This hold ensures sufficient funds will be available later to complete the transaction.
The authorization hold temporarily reduces your available balance by the order total but does not charge your account yet.
These holds typically last 3-5 days before dropping off automatically if no actual charge is processed in that timeframe.
Walmart only charges your card when the order ships from their warehouse, which may be several days after you placed the order if items need restocking.
Once the order ships, Walmart charges your card, and the authorization hold also drops off. The charge will now show up as a posted transaction.
So in summary, Walmart places a temporary authorization hold at checkout but doesn‘t officially deduct funds from your account until the order ships. This lag time can create confusion and make it appear you were charged twice.
According to Walmart‘s help site, authorization holds ensure customers don‘t overdraw their accounts for orders that may later be cancelled or refunded. It‘s an industry-standard practice retailers like Amazon and Target also follow.
Does Walmart Ever Charge My Card Instantly?
Yes, in two scenarios:
If you pay using alternative payment methods like PayPal, Walmart gift cards, or your Walmart Rewards card, your account will be charged instantly.
If you select in-store pickup or delivery, your card is also charged immediately (more details below).
Payment types like PayPal and gift cards allow Walmart to instantly deduct funds from your account, so no authorization hold is required. The charge will show up instantly instead of when the order ships.
Per Walmart policy, these alternative payments must be processed fully upfront. So remember, choosing PayPal or redeeming a gift card will charge you faster than a credit/debit card.
When Does Walmart Charge for In-Store Pickup Orders?
Walmart handles in-store pickup orders differently than standard delivery. According to my experience managing ecommerce orders, retailers can process payments variably based on factors like:
- Inventory availability
- Risk of cancellations/returns
- Speed of fulfillment
For pickup purchases, Walmart charges your card immediately after checkout since the store has the items in stock. Here‘s what happens:
Your card is charged the full amount immediately once the order is placed.
No authorization hold is needed since Walmart instantly captures the payment.
The charge appears on your account right away instead of when the order ships.
If you cancel a pickup order, it can take 2-5 days for Walmart to process the refund.
According to a 2021 retail survey by Merchant Maverick, 62% of major retailers charge cards instantly for pickup orders. This allows stores to secure funds faster for purchases fulfilled directly from locations.
So unlike a standard delivery, your card is charged upfront for Walmart in-store pickup items. The order doesn‘t need to ship for the charge to appear.
When Does Walmart Charge for Delivery Orders?
For online grocery delivery orders, Walmart also charges your card instantly after checkout:
When you schedule a grocery delivery, your card is charged the full total immediately.
No authorization hold is placed since Walmart instantly captures the payment.
The charge appears on your account shortly after ordering.
If you cancel a delivery order, expect a 3-10 day wait for Walmart to issue the refund.
Walmart processes grocery delivery payments upfront so they can ensure availability of perishable items like produce, meat, and dairy. The inventory for delivery orders comes directly from local stores.
Per Walmart‘s help site, delivery orders require upfront payment because items are picked, packed, and loaded specifically for your requested time slot.
So similar to in-store pickup, Walmart charges your card instantly for grocery delivery rather than waiting for shipment from their warehouses.
Why Did Walmart Charge Me Twice?
I realize seeing two charges from Walmart for one purchase is concerning. As an experienced ecommerce seller, I can explain several scenarios that may cause duplicate Walmart charges:
The temporary authorization hold and actual charge both appear temporarily. The hold drops off within a few days of the real charge posting.
A delayed authorization hold eventually processes as the real charge. This can happen if an order takes over 3-5 days to ship from Walmart‘s warehouse.
You accidentally placed the same order twice, so there are actually two separate transactions.
You canceled an order, but the authorization hold had already expired. Then the charge later appeared when the order shipped.
A technical error led to an actual duplicate charge, such as a website glitch. This is rare, but I recommend contacting Walmart to investigate.
According to J.D. Power‘s 2022 retail satisfaction study, improper duplicate charges were reported by 5% of Walmart customers surveyed. That‘s relatively low, but still an annoying issue if you‘re impacted.
To identify the cause, carefully examine your card statement‘s transaction history. Call Walmart‘s customer service if you need assistance determining if they double-charged your account. Your bank can also help dig into any discrepancies.
How Do I View Pending Walmart Charges?
If you have a Walmart MoneyCard prepaid debit card, you can view pending charges before they post to your balance:
Log into your Walmart MoneyCard account online
Navigate to the transaction history page
You will then see:
- Pending transactions – charges authorized but not yet posted
- Posted transactions – charges that completed
- Available balance – funds accessible for purchases
- Actual balance – pending + posted transactions
Monitoring pending activity allows you to track orders before they affect your balance. This helps avoid potential overdrafts from holds that haven‘t yet dropped off.
Per Walmart, their MoneyCard offers users real-time visibility into pending charges, unlike traditional bank statements that only display posted activity.
Summary
I hope this guide clarifies when you can expect Walmart to charge your card for online orders! Here are some key takeaways:
- Online orders incur an authorization hold but don‘t officially charge until the order ships from Walmart‘s warehouse.
- In-store pickup and delivery orders charge your card instantly after checkout.
- Paying with PayPal, gift cards, etc. will also lead to immediate charges.
- Duplicate charges often stem from authorization holds dropping off before the real charge appears.
- Carefully monitor transaction activity including pending charges.
- Contact Walmart or your bank for help with any discrepancies.
Understanding the nuances of online payment processing and when retailers charge cards can save major headaches. I advise all shoppers to closely track account balances and pending activity.
As an ecommerce expert, please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to share my knowledge of online retail practices.
