Walmart Employee Discount: A Store Manager Helps Me Break It ALL Down
If you’re considering working for Wally World, or maybe you’ve been hired recently, you’ll want to know how the Walmart employee discount works. It has some MAJOR nuisances to it, and can be very confusing to many new employees. So with the help of a friend, who’s also a 10-year Walmart employee and current assistant manager, I figured out exactly what items the discount works on so you can start saving some money when you become eligible. Here’s what you need to know.
What Employee Discount Does Walmart Offer?
Walmart offers a 10% employee discount, good for both in-store and online purchases.
From their website comes this VERY murky statement, “Our associate discount card offers a 10% discount on fresh fruits, vegetables and regularly priced general merchandise at Walmart stores.”
What the heck constitutes general merchandise?
So with the help of my friend, who’s been working in management positions at Walmart for over 10 years, I got some answers to the following questions…
What Items Are Eligible for the Discount?
According to my friend, the following items are the most frequently purchased with the employee discount card in her particular store.
NOTE: She also said to think of the discount as good for most things in an “old Walmart” store before Super Walmart stores existed.
They include the following:
– Fresh Fruit and Produce – Stay healthy my friends and get a 10% discount.
– General Merchandise – Fairly ambiguous term but includes most things that you can’t eat. I was told to think about the stuff that you don’t buy on a regular basis and there’s a good chance it’s eligible.
– Clothing and Shoes – Stock up your wardrobe and get it all for 10% off.
– Code 82 Items – I was told most employees know “Code 82” items as the snacks, candy, and soda sold in the checkout lane. These items are all eligible for your 10% discount.
– Electronics – Not all electronics are eligible, but most are. Employee tip: When trying to buy video games or consoles and your discount isn’t working in-store, DON’T give up, instead try buying them online and you stand a great chance of getting the 10% discount.
See Also: The Walmart Dress Code: Here’s What You Can and Can’t Wear
Are Any Items Excluded From the Discount?
Yes, quite a few actually and this has many employees disappointed in the discount.
More specifically, my friend cleared up some confusion and pointed out the items that are NOT eligible:
Meat and Dairy – This includes frozen meats and frozen dairy products like ice cream.
Most Food Items (including Frozen) – This exclusion is often lifted during the month of December, as it was in 2023.
Alcohol and Tobacco – Gonna have to pay full price for your booze and smokes.
Clearance Items – All clearance products that are already marked down are ineligible.
Rollback Items – I was told that Rollback items typically go back to their original price within 90 days, so you’ll have to wait until then to get your discount, unless the sale price offers greater savings than your 10% discount, in which case you should just buy it.
Price Matches – Fortunately, Walmart only price matches some online retailers so this won’t be much of an issue.
Photo Orders – This includes photo gifts.
Gift Cards – This one makes sense otherwise employees would abuse it.
Travel Purchases – I wasn’t aware until now that Walmart even sold travel packages.
Shipping Charges – Not an issue as Walmart.com offers free shipping on $25 or more.
Marketplace Items – Marketplace stuff is sold by 3rd parties on the Walmart platform.
How Long Do I Need to Be Employed?
You have to work at Walmart for 90 days before you’re eligible for the employee discount.
What is the Walmart Associate Discount Card?
After you’re hired and have worked for 90 days, you’ll get your own Walmart Associate Discount Card.
This card can be used in-store and online to get your discount.
For in-store purchases you’ll simply present it at checkout to score your discount.
See Also: Walmart Clearance Hacks: Ways to Score a BIG Deal
PRO TIP
Always swipe your discount card. My friend said she always tell new Walmart employees to swipe their Associate Discount card whenever they buy something as you NEVER know what items might be eligible. She said the system can by wonky and sometimes products that you don’t think are eligible, will be.
Can My Family & Friends Use the Discount?
No.
Only you and your spouse can get the discount.
Other family members and friends CANNOT get the employee discount on their own.
But…you can certainly use your discount on their behalf.
This can be done in-store as well as in the online “Discount Center” (see Below).
See Also: The Smart and Dumb Buys at Walmart According to Employees
What About Christmas-Time Discounts?
While I couldn’t find anything specific on the Walmart website, I’ve heard on several occasions that you’ll get a better employee discount around the holidays.
Specifically, according to ex-Walmart employee Julie, the discount in December “opens to all items in the store including discounted food and rollback items while excluding milk, gift cards, alcohol and cigarettes. That starts after black Friday and runs until January 1st.”
She also told me that “employees who work the day before, the day of, and the day after Thanksgiving will get a certificate of a one time use of an extra 15% discount on top of the their 10% but the coupon does expire.”
Thanks Julie, great info.
Can Employees Use Their Discount on Tires?
Yes.
Thanks to Walmart employee, Ryan, who dropped the knowledge on buying tires from Walmart and even included a screenshot to prove it.
What Other Employee Discounts Does Walmart Offer?
Walmart offers a very cool online portal called the Walmart Associate Discount Center.
Once you login, you’ll find a bunch of exclusive discounts on vacation packages, cell phone plans, along with deals on countless products and services.
The cool thing about this website is that many of the deals are negotiated exclusively by Walmart for their associates.
The deals change all the time so it’s worth bookmarking and checking back often for new bargains.
See Also: Amazon Employee Discount: Here Are the Nuts & Bolts
What Are Some Other Employee Perks?
Here are a few of the most popular perks that come with employment at Walmart.
1. They offer an associate stock purchase plan with company match.
2. Ability to contribute to a 401(k) starting on your first day. Walmart offers a 6% match after 1-year on the job.
3. Medical plans starting at around $26 per pay period.
4. A generous 10 weeks of paid maternity leave where you’ll get 100% of your pay.
5. You’ll also get $5,000 to go towards the expenses of adopting a child.
Ask the Reader: Do you work for Walmart? If so, what specifics of their employee discount can you share?
By Kyle James
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
Thanks for the info! Just what I was looking for!
Walmart employees do not get a bigger discount in December. The employee discount opens to all items in the store including discounted food and rollback items while excluding milk, gift cards, alcohol and cigarettes. That starts after black Friday and runs until January 1st
Employees who works the day before, the day and the day after Thanksgiving will get a certificate of a one time use of an extra 15% discount on top of the their 10% but the coupon does expire….
Thanks Julie, great info. I’ll update the article.
Current employee of 15 years service desk and csm. The same restrictions apply on the extra 15% day on the rollback\clearance\sale pricing. You do get a 10% on all regular prices food from the 22nd Nov 2019 to the 2nd of January 2020…your extra 15% will apply to food on the day Walmart chose as the thanksgiving voucher.
It is 1 day this year rather then 2 and not on payday week either this year. Tires gets 10% discount year-round unless the sale\rollback\clearance part applies, I’ve bought tires many times including on 15% extra days. NEVER use your discount for friends and family that give you money for said purchase, discount is only for you to use and if you buy for a friend you gave them a gift.
Missuse of discount is grounds for instant termination. You need some better walmart sources that have to deal with such fun day in day out. As for working there, unless desperate apply elsewhere company has really gone bad the last several years.
They changed attendance policy changes how our vacation aka pto accrues. They street when great work place rolls out to cut 8500 assistant managers.nationwide plus department managers will also be gone from the same program. With the front end roll out this year we lost 7 csm with nowhere in the stores to keep them as employees as no job read were open.
Stores that Still have overnight hours will have 1 cashier for sc o and one csm…. We dropped from 2 csm with 3 second coded csm outta 5 overnight cashiers(whom also do dept 1 candy, 82 and Mclaines, sort and deal with apparel, and final shopping cart round up in the parking lot)
We did the same except I am the only DM left for I’m overtop Automotive and TLE. They need to bring back the DMs.
You can to get 10% online purchases, not just the store. The employee’s spouse can also use the card, not just the employee. All food is 10% off from the day after Black Friday through the end of the year. For doing your research, you sure got a lot wrong in this article. Try harder.
Thanks for the info. How do you get the discount on online purchases? Do you enter your employee number at checkout or shop thru a special online portal?
You just link your discount card to your account on the walmart app, it saves it and automatically applies the discount to your online purchases.
Definitely a lot wrong. I would not trust an ex employees input as a credible source.
Do employees get a discount on licensed goods?
Like a fishing & hunting license? I don’t think so.
is there a way to use discount for upcoming concerts
My son’s gf works at Walmart & recently became eligible for employee discount. I asked her about it the other day. She said she tried to use it, they deducted $8 and change from her order, but then on her next paycheck they deducted what she saved on that purchase ($8 and change). That certainly is not an employee discount, it’s more like a short term loan!!! She said it’s not worth using the discount – yep, Walmart won!!!
Your son is dating a putz.
Thats not true, Walmart does not deduct what you save from your paycheck.
Yeah that’s a load of BS because that’s not gonna happen ever to anyone’s Walmart paycheck. OGP!!!!
Yes they do. I work for Walmart
You are a liar and a fatmouth.
Tell your son’s GF to further investigate that deduction. She was probably confused and thought that happened. Walmart discount is a big help and you never pay back the discount via a paycheck deduction.
You are wrong! I’ve worked for Walmart for 27 years and they have Never taken the discount from my pay check! I’ve saved a lot over the years! You better check again!
Yes it’s for tires too
While I read that the employee can purchase items on behalf of their family and use the discount. Why does Walmart in Niagara Falls ontario Canada, freak out on employees who live at home and buy groceries for their household? Every time I engage with customers that I know, my supervisors are told to keep an eye on me in case I give my discount. I am the only brown person they do this to. Am I allowed to shop for groceries ,household items for the home in which I reside as the article states that I can? ??????. I am tired of racism at Walmart in Niagara Falls Ontario Canada. All the caucasian can take as long as they want for breaks, NO ONE PAGES THEM, if I a brown woman go on a 15 min break, I am being paged as I am walking through the store making my way back to my position.
Employee discount does not applied to 3rd party sellers on walmart online but only on items sold by walmart! For example, if an employee purchased a Samsung TV sold by Beach Camera through Walmart dot com, the employee discount does not apply and won’t give discount but if purchased the same TV actually sold by walmart then the discount works!
I work for Walmart and I’m NOT white. It sounds like it’s your management. Me and many other people of color have NO issue with racism.
You can not give your discount for others to use. Like even if they live in your household and are buying things for you, it is against company policy to let others use your card. If they are pushing the shopping cart and paying for the purchase, and you swipe your discount, that is a violation of policy unless it is your minor child or spouse.
Sounds like you are using it while on the clock. You cannot give a household member your card to use while you are working. You can, however, use it on your break or off the clock while with your household member. You aren’t even supposed to ring your own family members up.
You have a mental disease. Seek help for your racism.
You’re an idiot…
How are refunds processed at Walmart?
can a retired associate get discounts around Thanksgiving?
I don’t think so.
Yes, retired associate are included in the after thanksgiving discount. I have been retired since 2008 and still get the added discount.
I recently purchased a steam mop and was surprised that I did not receive my 10% discount. I stopped by customer service to inquire about this and the associate stated that she had purchased a TV and did not receive the discount either. Have the associate discount changed?
I would have to say yes. Associates seem to be getting less and less in discountable items. A year ago I could preorder items online and get the discount now it no longer applies. 2 months ago ordered a digital PlayStation gift card and got a discount. Tried today won’t let you. Walmart is once more ripping its associates off with their “benefits”.
You get your discount tires and tire services.
WHEN DOES THE 15% EXTRA DISCOUNT EXPIRE
december 23rd
How do u tell when the 20% day is dated? #Canada
Your manager will tell you. Our walmart also posts notices around the lunch and sign-in areas.
I have worked at Walmart for 5 years and am 72 years old, when I leave do I keep my discount because of my age?
I don’t think you get to keep your discount unfortunately, regardless of age.
Your age doesn’t matter. It’s about how long you have worked there. I believe it’s around 20 years or something that you get a lifetime discount even when you retire. But knowing Walmart that might change as well. This company has been going down hill for years. Unhappy associate, horrible hours, loss of associate privileges, skeleton crews being told to get everything done when they have no one and no time to do it. In the store I work at after 2pm you will find no one in half the store because the newest store manger thinks customers are worthless, don’t need help and wants all associates in grocery to zone. Which usually takes 2 hours. Nothing like a disgruntled costumer walking to the OTHER SIDE of the store to get help.
I agree, you can never find help in any of the stores. Especially cashiers!! Why can’t Walmart understand that. If you want Happy customers, have a full staff to help with all problems. Self-checkout should be for less than 10 items. Not because Walmart doesn’t have cashiers.