Can i return something to walmart that i ordered online

In this day and age, it is increasingly popular to order things like groceries and other household necessities from the comfort of your home.

Many big-name companies are creating platforms and services that allow you to simply order what you need from the comfort of your home. Walmart is no different. However, there is some confusion when it comes to returning online orders, so we’ve put together this article to help you understand how to do just that! 

Walmart’s Return Policies 

As you may know, most big retailers have some sort of standard return policy when it comes to purchases. These policies vary from retailer to retailer and are customer care-friendly or have a lot of nuances involved. For instance, one retailer may provide you with a very long window to return your items, maybe even up to a year. On the other hand, another place might give you an incredibly short window, perhaps between a week and a month. 

Usually, it doesn’t make a big difference with these big retailers if you bought the item in-store or online. As long as you have some sort of receipt or other proof of purchase, you can return the item. Even if you don’t have something like that it’s likely that the item can at least be returned for store credit. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be looking solely at Walmart’s return policies.

Walmart’s return policies are fairly simple. You need to make your return within 90 days after your purchase. However, it should be noted that some items may have exceptions. Examples of items that come with exceptions are expensive electronics such as cell phones, camcorders, and other smart devices but not things like air conditioners. These items sometimes have a 30-day or even just a 14-day return window! Some items also cannot be returned such as personal vehicles like mopeds and ATVs. 

As for methods of returning your purchase, you can do a couple of things. Your item can be returned in-store, for free by mail, or you can even schedule a pickup from your home. We’ll go over each of these methods so you can decide what’s best for you.

Returning Items at the Store

Bringing your return items from walmart.com to a local Walmart is probably the easiest way you can go about doing this. All you need to do is bring in your item with its original packaging and the receipt. Once you’re at the store you can head to a customer service counter and start the process. 

Something else that you should bring with you for store returns is the debit or credit card you used to purchase the item in the first place. When returning your item, the amount of money that it cost will be returned to the card you used. In the case that you used cash, you will be given the amount of money you spent on the item. 

You should be certain that the item you’re bringing in is in good condition as well. Not only is it courteous, but the store won’t be able to give you a refund if you return the item after you’ve damaged it. Returning it because it was already damaged is another story. 

Also, if you’re worried that you won’t be able to do a free return of your item because you don’t have the receipt for you, the store has protocols for that. If you bring your photo ID with you and your return can be processed. However, there is a catch. You can’t be given a refund and will instead receive store credit. On top of that, store credit is only given on returns for items that cost over $25. 

If you’re a frequent shopper, then it’s also possible that you have an account on Walmart’s website or have the app. You can make the store returning process easier for yourself by going to your Walmart account, find your purchase history, select the item you’re returning, select the reason for the return, and then click “return to store” where you will be given a return barcode.

Shortly after you submit your return, you’ll get an email confirmation that you can bring it to the store. If you use the app, you’ll have a QR code that can be scanned once you reach the front of the line. 

Return Via Mail

Another option, if you don’t have the time to drive out to the nearest Walmart, is to return the item via mail. Just like when we talked about the in-store option that can be accessed online, Walmart customers may want to go to your purchase history and locate your item. Once you’ve done that, you simply select it and then click “return by mail.”

It should be noted that not every item that Walmart sells can actually be returned by mail. Once you’ve selected the item, you’ll need to print out a return label that the website will give you. With the shipping label printed out, you’ll then need to affix it somehow to your item’s packaging.

Make sure it’s the original packaging of the item, though. After that, you have two options depending on the size of the item. Smaller items can simply be brought to any USPS or FedEx with free return shipping! Larger items need a scheduled pickup, which is also free. You also have the ability to track orders so you’ll know when to expect a refund. 

Stipulations With Gift Returns and Baby Registry Items

Returning gifts is a little bit more difficult than the standard return process. This is because you need more than the item itself and the accompanying receipt. The other two things that you must bring with you for a successful gift exchange are the order number and the packaging slip.

Another way to help speed along the process is by giving the sales representative the email of the gift recipient. Without a receipt, the process is still similar to how you’d return a normal item without one. The similarity here is that you’ll need to bring a photo ID along with you. Assuming you have everything else, the refund process should proceed smoothly for your gifts. 

If you’re someone with a baby at home and perhaps bought the wrong item or received a defective version, the return process is a little different. Like normal items, you can return baby registry ones via mail or by going to the store yourself. You can do this one of two ways: By simply going to the store yourself or going through the process online. 

If you absolutely cannot access your baby registry, you can simply bring the item, or items, the gift receipt, and the item in its original packaging to the store. From there, the process for returning it is simple as what we’ve explained earlier when returning normal items. This process is actually made faster if you start online. 

The first thing you’ll need to do, of course, is to log onto your account and go to your baby registry page. From there you will click the “see all registry items” button. Click that and then click the “purchased” option. Scroll down until you can find the item that you’d like to return.

From there you can choose either “return to store” or “return by mail.” If you choose the “return to store” option then the website can help set you up with a mobile express return. Like the process we explained earlier when returning normal items, the website will give you a barcode that you can use when returning the item.

This barcode will be required for use when you bring your returnable in to be returned. The “return to mail” option is almost identical to returning a normal item by mail. The only difference here is that you cannot receive a full refund for the item. Instead, you will be issued an e-gift card that can be used at Walmart with the amount the item costs. 

Walmart Marketplace Returns 

Another part of Walmart’s online shopping is something known as the Walmart Marketplace. Simply put, this is an area where you can sell your own items. This is similar to something like Facebook Marketplace or even eBay. This particular part of Walmart also has specific policies and minimum standards in place to ensure their customers have a pleasant experience. 

The return window for most items within the Walmart Marketplace is a little smaller than most items bought through normal means. Most items have a 30-day return window before you’re not eligible for a refund. Electronic and luxury items have an even shorter return window, at just 14 days.

But what falls under electronic and luxury items? Electronic items mostly consist of more expensive items we find in today’s society. Things like computers, video games, printers, digital cameras, smart devices, and other things in that same vein. Luxury items do not include anything from the electronics category and instead consist of art, jewelry and gemstones, collectibles, and other sorts of memorabilia.

Precious metals are also included on this list. However, they actually have a return window of fewer than 14 days. The good news is, you don’t have to ask for a refund from the person you bought your item from. Instead, the process of returning items from the marketplace sellers is almost identical to returning a normal item.

You will need to get a barcode online as well as have a receipt handy, but once you have those things, it’s just like returning a normal item. You can even return Marketplace items through the mail! 

FAQ’s About Walmart Online Orders

1. Can I exchange or replace online orders at a store? 

Unfortunately, most online orders cannot actually be exchanged at a store. Stores can only refund you for your online purchase. If you’re looking to get your order replaced, you’ll actually need to send the item in by mail to get a new one. 

2. Can I get a refund without the debit or credit card I used to make the purchase? 

Thankfully, if something happened to the card you used to make the purchase initially, you can still get a refund. It doesn’t matter if it was stolen, destroyed, or lost. Walmart has a few ways they can compensate you and make sure you get your money back. Without your original credit card, you can instead receive a Walmart shopping card or a gift card.

With debit cards, this option is available but there is some stipulation as well. It depends if your receipt shows “debit tend” on it. With this present, you can be given a refund without your debit card via cash. Without the “debit tend” on your receipt and without a scannable TC number, you’ll receive a refund in the form of a shopping card or gift card. 

3. Can I get a refund if I used a Walmart gift card? 

Actually, you can! The process for this is actually quite simple, especially if you use Walmart’s website or the Walmart app. Using either of these, you can start the return process like you would with any other item. Then you can just mail it in or return it to the store. Once the item has been received, your gift card will immediately receive the appropriate amount for the refund.

If you don’t use Walmart’s website or their app, the process is a little different. If you just take the item to the store, you will most likely just receive a whole new gift card instead. Sometimes, you will just have the original amount placed back onto your gift card. 

4. What if I bought an item online, but paid for it in cash at a store? 

This is a bit of a special case that doesn’t happen too often. But fear not, even with a special case like this it is very easy to get a refund. The only stipulation with this is that you have to get your refund at a Walmart store location as if it was a store purchase. Make sure to bring all the necessary items for a refund, such as your receipt, and go to the nearest customer service desk for assistance. 

5. When does my refund show up on my credit card? 

If you purchased an item with a debit card, then you will first have to wait until the return has been processed. This doesn’t take long and is usually instant. Then, you should receive a refund within 5-7 business days. This refund will appear as a credit back on your debit card. 

If you used a credit card, then the waiting period is a little longer. Again, once the order has been processed you will then receive the credit back on your card within 7-10 business days. 

5. Can I return a damaged item that I purchased online?

If you’ve received a damaged item from an online purchase, you can absolutely make a return. However, you cannot go to a store to get a new item, you must mail the damaged item back to get it. This process is pretty much identical to sending in an item for a refund. Simply use the Walmart app or the website to request a refund or replacement.

6. I just found out that my item has been recalled, can I get a refund? 

Thankfully, Walmart has a recall guarantee for any eligible items. Regardless of the purchase condition of the item, all recalled items are guaranteed to receive a cash refund.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Walmart’s return policies have a lot of little different nuances and stipulations. We hope that this article has given you all the necessary information and answered most of your questions. If you’d like to learn more about the Walmart Marketplace that we mentioned during the article and how to sell your items, check out this blog post.