Regular Walmart consumers have spoken out on social media about the company’s apparent new return policy. According to various testimonials, an unexpected change has occurred that could affect thousands of shoppers, especially during the holiday shopping season. Reports indicate that immediate refunds will only be issued for cash purchases.
If payment is made by card (credit or debit), the refund will be processed to the same card used for the purchase and will take between three and 14 days to appear in the account. For this reason, customers advise making holiday purchases in cash to avoid delays and waiting. So far, Walmart has not made any official announcement regarding a change in the refund policy, but shoppers confirm that since last October, the refund policies for card payments have changed.
Changes and refunds at Walmart
With Christmas just around the corner, and preceded by campaigns like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, sales during this period skyrocket, and Walmart is usually one of the most chosen options by consumers for their shopping. However, social media has been filled with comments from users sharing their experiences with an unexpected change in Walmart’s returns process. According to users’ experiences on social media, such as Facebook, immediate refunds are only being given in cash when the original purchase was also made in cash.
This leaves buyers who paid by credit or debit card facing a waiting period of 13 to 14 days until the refund is processed and visible in their account. If payment is made by card, the refund must be issued to the same card used at the time of purchase. According to a customer’s testimony, “Public service announcement: if you’re going to buy Christmas gifts at Walmart this year, make sure to pay in cash. Returns, even if you used your debit card, go back to your card, there are no immediate exchanges”.
Why is it a problem for consumers who pay with a card?
The testimony of this same woman was completed with the explanation that, after returning sportswear that her husband had given her as a gift, she could not do so because the refund had to be made to the same card that had been used for the purchase, that is, her husband’s card. “I had to wait for the $36 and change to return to my husband’s account,” she explained.
In light of this situation, buyers have wanted to warn other users about this change. Another user did the same on social media, “If you shop at Walmart, the new policy is that if you pay with debit, they won’t give you cash back if you need to return something. You will only get cash if you paid with cash and have your receipt. Pay with cash to avoid this problem”.
Walmart refund policy
To date, Walmart has not made any official announcement confirming changes to its return policy, although in practice, there have been changes: cash refunds will only be issued when the purchase was made in cash. Additionally, for the holiday season, the return window has been extended: while the usual return and exchange limit is 90 days, items purchased between October 1 and December 31 can be returned until January 31, 2026, giving more than three months to make exchanges or refunds.
However, there are exceptions for certain items, whose return windows are shorter, such as Dyson products, food, beverages, or large appliances, among others. These measures are taken to offset the percentage of returns that occur during this period, which can increase by up to 20%, according to the National Retail Federation.