Walmart was one of the first companies to offer its customers a price-match guarantee. While, price-matching sounds great, the effort required to get what usually amounts to pennies back is rarely worth it. This is why Walmart came up with the Savings Catcher.
What is Walmart Savings Catcher?
Yes, even Walmart has an app. However, the Walmart Savings Catcher app is different from the regular Walmart shopping app. The Walmart Savings Catcher helps Walmart customers get money that is owed to them through the company’s price-match guarantee. Savings Catcher will refund you for items you purchased at Walmart stores that are lower-priced at a competitor store in your area. The program compares every item on your receipt to that identical item in dozens of other stores in your area. Even if a store sells that item for one cent less than Walmart, you will be refunded that money. In this way, Walmart maintains their low-price priority while ensuring customers will continue shopping at their stores.
How Does Walmart Savings Catcher Work?
That all sounds great but how does the app actually work?
Well, first thing you’ll want to do is head to the App Store or Google Play to download Walmart Savings Catcher for free. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll be prompted to sign up for an account. This usually takes less than five minutes.
After you’ve created an account, the savings can begin! You’ll be prompted to add a receipt to the app’s database. Simply scan the QR code at the bottom of your WalMart receipt and the app does the rest. Each receipt can be viewed individually within the Savings Catcher portion of your app. When all your items are scanned and compared to competitors’ online prices, Savings Catcher tells you how much money you can get back. All these refunds accumulate until you cash them in, either via a Walmart eGift Card or a Bluebird by American Express card.
Savings Catcher will refund you the difference between the price at Walmart and the competitor’s price before coupons as well. This means that if you purchase an item with a coupon, the original Walmart price is still used in the comparison stage. Savings Catcher only scans competing stores in your area, and it will show you which store had the lowest price for each item on your receipt. Receipts must be scanned into the app within one week of purchase, and Walmart limits receipts to seven a week.
Check out this helpful video detailing how to use the Savings Catcher:
Frequently Asked Questions: Walmart Savings Catcher
You probably still have a few questions about Walmart Savings Catcher. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers about the savings app:
- Is there a minimum purchase required to use Savings Catcher? No. No minimum purchase necessary.
- Are any promotions included in the Savings Catcher savings? Walmart’s app will honor any BOGO deals in your area, given that the price is listed in the local store’s advertisement. Additionally, the company will also match any other top retail stores in the area.
- What isn’t included? You won’t be able to cash in on sales like, “buy a pack of hot dogs to get package of buns free.” Customers also won’t get any additional savings on purchases that allow for a free gift card. Walmart also won’t honor closeout sales, BOGO sales with no price listed, percentage off entire sections (ex. 60% off all hats) or any other competitor-specific deals.
- Is Walmart Savings Catcher available for on-line purchases? No, your Walmart Savings Catcher app will only allow additional savings for in-store purchases.
- Are items on layaway eligible for Walmart Savings Catcher discount? Like items you buy online, layaway items are also excluded from the Walmart Savings Catcher deal.
- Can you use coupons with the Walmart Savings Catcher? Yes! In fact, if you use coupons you’re likely to save even more money than the typical Walmart shopper. The Walmart Savings Catcher, as mentioned above, will compare your price before the coupon is applied so you’ll be able to maximize your savings.
Walmart Savings Catcher Drawbacks
Walmart has a long list of items excluded from the Savings Catcher service, including closeout prices, percentage-off sales and layaway items. The Savings Catcher service also only applies to receipts from brick-and-mortar transactions, meaning it will not accept receipts from online purchases within the United States and Puerto Rico.
Another potential drawback is the way Walmart’s app pays you back. Walmart will only refund your money in Walmart eGift Cards, Walmart Pay, or Bluebird, so you’ll likely end up spending all that money at Walmart anyway.
Lastly, there have been reports of Walmart Savings Catcher accounts being hacked and having their savings stolen. This pulls a sense of security away from the app, however, Walmart has insured customers that the app remains safe.
Walmart Savings Catcher Customer Service
The Walmart Savings Catcher app seems like it is the perfect way to save. As you know, technology doesn’t always work the way we want it to though. There have been a number of reviews on the internet about the Walmart Savings Catcher app being difficult to work with. If you’re having issues with the app, there are a number of things you can try:
- Having trouble with the app or receiving a message that the app is being repaired? You can always access your Savings Catcher dashboard through the website. If you choose to access your Savings Catcher this way, you will have to enter the TC code manually to log your receipt details.
- Still having trouble? Delete the app and re-download. Many users found this to be helpful when the app was experiencing issues.
- Wait a while. If your app is still down, give it a little time. Remember, you have seven days to upload your Walmart receipt to the Savings Catcher. If the server is too crowded, wait until tomorrow. The app will probably work perfectly!
- Finally, if you’re still having trouble with the Walmart Savings Catcher app, you can also call the customer service line at 1 (800) 925-6278 or chat online with a customer service rep.
Is Walmart Savings Catcher Worth It?
For me, and many other Walmart shoppers, it certainly is. This goes especially for individuals who are not able to stray away from name-brand products. Walmart vows to guarantee you the lowest price and the Savings Catcher makes sure you get it. Any refunded money can be stacked up, too! You can keep it saved for those tighter financial times or just use it for a special treat every once in a while.
It is a simple and straightforward process that can only benefit you in the long run. So if you are looking for the lowest grocery prices out there, look no further than Walmart Savings Catcher.
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Photo: WalMart