What is Walmart ShippingPass? 10 Things You Should Know

By on June 29, 2016

walmart-shippingpass

Heard all the hub-bub about Walmart’s Amazon Prime competitor called ShippingPass? Attempting to do to what Amazon did in terms of recruiting loyal consumers, Walmart is trying to lure in consumers with a 2-day shipping service on Walmart.com.

Here’s everything you need to know:

How much does ShippingPass cost?

At the moment, Walmart is offering a 30-day free trial of the service. At the end of the trial period, you will be charged $49 per year to remain a member. This membership has an automatic renewal function, thus you will be required to sign into your Walmart.com account and cancel prior to the renewal date.

What benefits does ShippingPass offer?

You get free 2-day shipping on all eligible items, which are mainly focused on bestselling items in the Baby, Clothing, Electronics and Health & Beauty categories. On all other items that Walmart specifically sells, you will receive free value shipping with a delivery date that’s usually in 4 to 6 business days. Be aware that items sold by third parties (Walmart Marketplace) or items with freight charges will not qualify at all.

How do I know if an item qualifies for free 2-Day shipping?

shippingpass-arrow-exampleWalmart is adding a green ShippingPass logo on those product pages. You can find it underneath the price on a product page. For instance, look at the example on the right. If the logo is not present on the page and is sold by Walmart, expect to get free shipping.

How many items on Walmart.com qualify for 2-day shipping?

Walmart estimates about 1 million items are eligible for the 2-day shipping perk with ShippingPass (in addition to free value shipping on all other items that Walmart sells). Alternatively, Amazon offers Prime 2-day shipping service on roughly 30 million items.

Do I have to order by a certain time to get 2-day shipping?

Yes. You have to order by 11 a.m. Pacific Time in order to secure processing on the same day as the order. Otherwise, processing will likely occur the following day and you will receive the item in three days instead of two. Walmart is also specific on those being business days, thus holidays and weekends may push the order back even more. (Walmart specifically mentions they don’t deliver on Sundays.)

Did ShippingPass used to be different?

Yes. When Walmart started the beta for ShippingPass, the retailer offered 3-day shipping at a cost of $50 per year. Since then, they upgraded that offer to 2-day shipping and shaved $1 off the yearly subscription price.

Can I share my membership with family members?

No. Unlike Amazon Prime, you cannot share your ShippingPass membership with family members. Members of your immediate family would have to log onto your Walmart.com account in order to place an eligible ShippingPass order.

Do I need an invitation to join ShoppingPass?

Not anymore. With the wide launch of the free trial this week, Walmart is opening up ShippingPass to the public. You can sign up through the retail site as well as within the Walmart mobile application on iOS and Android.

Will Walmart prorate a refund of ShippingPass if I cancel?

According to the FAQ page, it doesn’t appear so. Amazon will do this for customers that cancel Prime, basically offering a prorated refund of the months that you won’t be using Prime. However, Walmart appears to keep your full yearly fee if you use the ShippingPass shipping perk on just one order (and simply allow the one-year subscription period to run out the clock). If you haven’t used it on any orders, Walmart will refund your subscription fee.

How does Walmart’s ShippingPass compare to Amazon Prime?

While ShippingPass is half the price of Amazon Prime, Walmart is still trailing Amazon significantly in terms of benefits. Focusing solely on the shipping benefit, the catalog of eligible items is less than 4% of what Amazon offers. In addition, Amazon finds ways to deliver on the weekend in many areas as well as offer same-day delivery in some areas or two-hour delivery in some large cities.

Outside of shipping, Amazon offers a vast array of additional benefits with a Prime subscription including access to Amazon Instant Video for a Netflix-like service, Prime Music streaming, unlimited photo storage, discounts on game preorders, early access to Lightning sales, access to the Kindle Lending Library and membership sharing within a household.

Bonus tip! Be sure to check the deal feed for ShippingPass products that our Ben’s team has found on Walmart.com. Signing up for the free trial could save you some money on a single order (assuming you cancel the auto-renewal).

About Mike Flacy

Editor-in-Chief for The CheckOut. During my free time, I love to write about pop culture, home theater, digital photography, social media, mobile technology and cool gadgets!

41 Comments

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  2. ivan weman

    January 10, 2017 at 9:36 pm

    I just cancelled my shipping pass before the free trial ended. It’s horrible, most of my orders did not come in the time they were supposed to, one took over a week WITH shipping pass and 1 never came, got replacement sent and that never came so had to get my refund for it.

    Right now im currently waiting on an order that is past due. They are no where near as good as amazon prime.

  3. DeAnna P.

    December 6, 2016 at 7:46 am

    Shipping pass was a total waste of money. I’m still waiting on a package that was ordered on 11/30 with shipping pass. My confirmation email said I would have it 12/2 and it’s still not here.
    I guess you get what you pay for and that’s why Amazon prime is so much better. At least if you contact Amazon due to late package they will add another month to your subscription at no charge for the inconvenience.

    • ivan weman

      January 10, 2017 at 9:34 pm

      Shipping pass is horrible. Needs tons of work and Fedex is just as horrible.

  4. James Brown

    November 14, 2016 at 9:37 am

    I’ve used Amazon Prime and Prime Pantry for many of my own purchases over the years as well as placing large grocery orders every month for an elderly, out of state, relative. I also placed two or more Walmart orders a month for items which were not needed as quickly or when they were much less expensive than Amazon. I signed up for Shipping Pass thinking it would be a no brainer….. lower prices and two day shipping. Well after two months every order I placed on Walmart.com would get cancelled. I would have to call in to customer service who would clear the order and I would have to place it again. All in all a huge waste of time and considering I have placed more than 100 orders in the past 2 years with Walmart.com and have not changed my billing address or payment methods it is completely unwarranted. After multiple calls to Walmart.com and Walmart Corporate failed to resolve the issue I have cancelled my shipping Pass membership and am back to Amazon.

  5. Donna Doss

    November 3, 2016 at 2:43 pm

    I bought Shipping Pass after the trial offer. I have been very impressed and pleased, and and my expectations were low w/starting the period. All orders have either arrived early or on time, and so far everything has been well-packaged and in great shape. I wonder if it makes any difference where we live and where our distribution centers are located. Not sure; we live in the Louisville, KY area. Do any other posters? With Walmart’s return policy on most ANYthing, it’s very surprising it’s difficult to get a prorated refund for Shipping Pass; I just assumed it would be their same policy. If this isn’t changed soon, I’d think there would be few who renew. If my service goes down to that of so many others, I’ll update my review. So far, so good.

  6. Speechless

    October 29, 2016 at 9:21 am

    I loved it during the free trial. Some items even arrived the next day, and all the others arrived in 2 days, right to my front door. After I paid for it, many items took weeks to arrive, and some even took a month! and the worst part is that they deliver to my local post office, and then I get yelled at because my PO box isn’t on the package! I want my money back, but they refuse! WHAT A WASTE!!!!!

    • Billy

      October 30, 2016 at 9:11 pm

      You realize your not getting what you paid for therefore you can call your credit card provider that you paid the $49 through and have them
      Reverse the fee! Don’t let Walmart walk on you because they will every chance they can!

  7. Melissa

    October 21, 2016 at 5:55 am

    I wouldn’t pay a dollar for this service. I tried the 30 day trial, and placed two different orders. Neither order arrived in the promised two days. Total scam and a big waste of money if you actually pay for it.

  8. Olga

    September 17, 2016 at 10:24 am

    I will be cancelling Walmart Shipping Pass after the free trial. I have Amazon Prime and I’m totally pleased by the quality of their service. I used Walmart Shipping Pass to place a large order of groceries. The groceries arrived all in disarray in a box not well packed, and the package of one of the products (corn meal) was broken and al the corn meal was all over the place. Very disappointed!!

  9. James Drey

    September 16, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    I find Shipping Pass to be total scam. I signed up for it thinking the items on the website that CLEARLY stated it was a shipping pass item would indeed ship in 2 days. I placed the order and lo and behold, the items would arrive in 4 – 6 days. When I called to find out what happened, they tried to tell me that none of the items qualified even though I was not charged for shipping and the total order was under $30. It’s a total bait and switch so I cancelled immediately. At least I think I did. When I hit the cancel Shipping Pass box, it says I have it until the end of the month WHETHER I FRIGGING want it or not. And there’s no notification that it was cancelled. Even trying to unsubscribe from mailings is impossible. You can check and uncheck all you want, your name and address remains. Talk about shady! Walmart.com may have cheaper items than Amazon, but it seems like you sell your soul to save those pennies.

  10. Phillip Dampier

    August 30, 2016 at 10:04 am

    There is a hidden limit of four orders per day, after which each subsequent order is automatically cancelled. For most people this is not an issue, but it might in families with members ordering individually on your account or if you are an impulsive shopper.

    Despite all the claims Walmart makes about ShippingPass, they are almost entirely withdrawn/subject to change at Walmart’s sole discretion in the terms and conditions with no possibility of refund.

    • David Gridley

      August 30, 2016 at 11:20 am

      Never realized that was the case. You wouldn’t think it matter seeing as things generally come from multiple locations anyway.

    • Linda Evans

      August 31, 2016 at 3:41 am

      I wondered why an order I placed kept getting cancelled by Walmart when I had already placed an order for other items that day. I thought my credit card was suddenly no good. I even called customer service and he told me to make sure my credit card information was correct, so he had no idea about the limits either. But then he couldn’t even speak English, so how would he?

      Thank you for this information, I had no idea.

  11. Sonny Burnett

    August 25, 2016 at 7:29 pm

    It is NOT easy to cancel the membership. They send you in a loop on the website and it’s confusing. I’ve clicked CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP several times, yet I still am not 100% sure I canceled it because it keeps taking me to other forms.

    • David Gridley

      August 30, 2016 at 11:24 am

      I had no trouble canceling. I had trouble renewing! I cancelled before renewal due to low funds, then when I went back to purchase the yearly I found the site was offering me a free trial with no option to purchase the yearly. I contacted Support and it took them 3 weeks to get it fixed (kind of). It still offers the free trial but when you apply for it, it then attempts to bill you for the yearly. They did send me a $20 GC for my trouble.

    • carol

      September 13, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      Can’t cancel.

  12. Ashley

    August 24, 2016 at 8:34 am

    I was wondering if I sign up for the shipping pass trial and cancel before the renewal fee will I get charged?

    • Linda Evans

      August 24, 2016 at 1:29 pm

      Hard to say. Some people have cancelled their memberships, but are still charged the yearly fee.

    • William

      August 25, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      You shouldn’t, but if you are nervous, delete your debit/credit card (or alter its information) that’s connected to the potential charge before canceling. That way they can’t charge it. You can always add it back later.

      That’s what I did, just in case.

    • David Gridley

      August 30, 2016 at 11:25 am

      I had no trouble cancelling.

  13. Linda Evans

    August 24, 2016 at 3:41 am

    Well I came in search of Shipping Pass reviews to see what other customers thought of the service and discovered I’m not the only one who has noticed that you do NOT get 2-day shipping. They mean 2 days from the time it leaves the warehouse; not 2 days from the time you place the order. Amazon, totally different story… if I order something TODAY (Wednesday) from Amazon using Amazon Prime, I know for a fact I’ll get it Friday. With Walmart Shipping Pass, I ordered something 3 days ago, using Shipping Pass, and I’m just now receiving the ship notification. I should have it by Friday now that it’s shipped, but they’re certainly in no rush whatsoever to get customers’ orders out, whether they (the customers) use Shipping Pass or not.

    However, I order a LOT from Walmart and regardless of how long the packages are taking to get to me, the Shipping Pass membership has already paid for itself just in the free shipping alone. So I have no plans to cancel it. I just wish they’d ‘upgrade’ it a little and speed things up. However, Shipping Pass is a fairly new thing and perhaps they just need time to work out the kinks. I’ll bet, within a year or less, we’ll all get emails sporting Walmart’s “new and improved” Shipping Pass service. So give it some time.

    • Linda Evans

      August 26, 2016 at 3:27 am

      And just to clarify, I am NOT an employee/associate of any kind for Walmart.

  14. Heather

    August 22, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    2 day shipping pass could be so awesome- if only they could actually deliver. 9 days ago I ordered on my 2 day shipping pass (all items were marked shipping pass and should have come in two days)….box was damaged and sent back to the facility before it got to me. Apparently they tried a second time but it is still not here. Customer service is unable to do anything….and they won’t refund my $49. Walmart can’t deliver and they don’t hold themselves to their 2 day shipping promise. Disappointed. Extremely poor customer service.

    • William

      August 25, 2016 at 2:01 pm

      I’m not having the exact same problem, but something similar. I ordered stuff 5 days ago and it’s still listed on the FEDEX tracking page as ” Shipment information sent to FedEx.” As well as “No scheduled delivery date available at this time.” So much for 2 day shipping.

      On a side note concerning Walmart orders, though, I’ve had numerous FEDEX problems over the years, but oddly only when ordering from Walmart. Boxes being damaged or late to extremely late to out and out never showed up. I don’t get it.

      • Linda Evans

        August 26, 2016 at 3:32 am

        I’ve noticed that too, the damaged boxes. I got one last week from Walmart (and strangely, it’s ONLY been the Walmart boxex) that looked like it had made its way into a soccer game.

  15. mary

    August 20, 2016 at 8:24 am

    I cancelled my shipping pass. Guess what they renewed it without my permission to use my card

  16. David Gridley

    August 18, 2016 at 10:46 am

    I did cancel my Shipping Pass trial a few days before it was due to renew then later tried to purchase the yearly subscription but apparently they are having a problem and if you cancelled early, there is no option to purchase the subscription or renew. Walmart says they are working on a fix but it has been over 2 weeks since I first contacted them. As someone who knows something about programming, it seems it should be as easy as selecting or deselecting an option in the user account.

  17. KATHLEEN BRINK

    August 12, 2016 at 11:27 am

    this is terrible it does NOT COME ON TIME. and your packages are a no sign so if you live in a apartment complex, they will deliver while you are home with out knocking and leave your package out so its free game to anyone who wants it. WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!

    • David Gridley

      August 12, 2016 at 11:45 am

      The fact they leave the carton at the door in an apartment complex is my concern as well. If you happen to work during delivery times that leaves your packages as fair game to any passer-by.

    • carol

      September 13, 2016 at 9:47 pm

      Same problem, leaving [packages outside. i had to train FED Ex. The Fed Ex express does a good job, siad the other sub contractors are lazy .

  18. Doug Dingle

    July 19, 2016 at 4:41 pm

    About time Amazon Prime got some competition. Their “2 day shipping” is now 3-5 days for MANY items.

    It’s remarkably annoying to see “Prime 2 Day Shipping” next to a product with a little question mark icon, and when you click on it, it opens a little window that says “Usually takes 3-5 days to arrive”.

    $100/yr for Amazon Prime ain’t what it used to be when I first signed up a few years ago.

    • David Gridley

      July 19, 2016 at 5:07 pm

      Now that I’ve tried the Walmart Shipping Pass for a full month, I have to say that depending on what warehouse it ships from, Walmart has also taken as long as 3-5 days on some orders. Also annoying is the orders have often been split and arriving at different times in different packages. Walmart does seem to pack more securely on average than Amazon tho. I do have Amazon Prime as well, but pay $10.99 a month for the service. That way, I can cancel whenever I find I’m not using it that much (only 4 items ordered from Amazon this month).

      I actually cancelled my Walmart Shipping Pass for now even tho I’ve ordered several times this month. Getting one item one day, three the next, one the day after when they were all one order is not what I envisioned.

      • Njie

        August 17, 2016 at 5:24 pm

        Can I cancel the 30 day speed shipping pass after the 30 days is over and not get charged?

    • Heather

      August 30, 2016 at 11:18 am

      I’ve noticed that they “create a shipping label” and it says when it should arrive….in two days. But when you click on “tracking” it can take days until the shipment actually leaves the warehouse. #disappointing #cantdeliver

      • William

        August 30, 2016 at 11:30 am

        I literally canceled Walmart shipping pass two days ago because of this. I ordered a total of 2 times. Each order was split so they became 4 shipments.

        Two of them arrived on time; one was 3 days late. The last one, which is what made me pretty angry, never showed up. In fact tracking stayed on “label created” and never changed a single time.

        I contacted Walmart via their chat and the person claimed they had contacted FedEx and they assured me the package would be delivered either the next day or the day following. I said that’s fine (nothing super important in the box). But I took the time to also contact FedEx and they told me a completely different story….they had NO clue where the box was and couldn’t locate it!

        I waited the two days the Walmart person suggested just to make sure, but it was never delivered and tracking NEVER changed from “Label created.”

        I canceled with Walmart the next day and got a full refund for the missing shipment.

        What upsets me is the person in the chat out and out lied to me (this was confirmed with the call to get a refund). I understand things happen, but to lie is unforgivable.

        • David Gridley

          August 30, 2016 at 11:34 am

          My biggest complaint was the split shipments and constant out of stock, then you’d order when it was in stock only to have it come 12 days later because it was actually on back order.

      • Linda Evans

        August 31, 2016 at 3:47 am

        Heather, that is correct. It’s 2 days from the time it leaves the warehouse; not 2 days since you placed the order.

      • Kim

        September 28, 2016 at 4:08 pm

        Agree. Have had the same issue. When I first joined, I received my items in 2 days. Sometimes 1. My past few orders have been taking longer. Running 4-5 days. It’s not that I need the order pronto, but the principal that I paid $49.00 for faster service.

    • Joh Mannino

      December 6, 2016 at 7:05 pm

      I agree. I’ve been an Amazon Prime member since they started. It used to be awesome, Real 2 day shipping and delivery, easy returns, free shipping on returns, some items were refunded when asked to return and you were able to keep the items while getting still getting the refunds. Plus the prices were the lowest anywhere. Now they’re prices are way more for Prime items than other shippers so your your paying for shipping and Prime membership. Returns are a hassle and you have to pay for shipping returns. Customer service sucks. 2 day delivery is a thing of the past. Get real, 2 days now depends on when it ships which could be a couple of weeks. Prices are sky high. I’m canceling Prime in Dec. I’ve never seen something so good turn so bad. Jeff Bezos shame on you for chasing the almighty buck with switch and bait! It was awesome the first 5 or 6 years and has been slowly been going down hill. Now it’s sinking like the Titanic. Get out while you can.

  19. David Gridley

    June 30, 2016 at 3:09 pm

    Actually, this may prove to be a boon for me (and many other Seniors or those without a vehicle) as you can buy grocery items and dry goods, saving a taxi trip to Walmart.

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