walmart email gift card

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1

I ordered a $100 walmart card for a relative who had no money for food. She said she can’t use it without using her debit card. Is this true. I will NEVER order another walmart card it this is correct.

2

Dear Georgia,

It is incredibly frustrating to try and do a good deed for a relative in need, only for them to run into a technical roadblock like this.

To answer your question: Yes, what she is telling you is true, but it strictly depends on how she is trying to shop.

Here is exactly what is happening and how your relative can get her food:

1. Shopping Online (Pickup & Delivery)

If your relative is trying to use the gift card on the Walmart app or website for grocery pickup or delivery, the system will almost always ask her for a debit or credit card. This happens for a few reasons:

  • Covering the Difference: If her grocery cart totals even a penny over the $100 gift card balance, Walmart requires a debit or credit card on file to pay the difference.
  • Weighted Items & Substitutions: When ordering groceries online, items like fresh meat and produce are sold by weight. Because the exact weight isn’t known until the associate bags the food, the final price might slightly increase. Walmart requires a backup card on file just in case the final total changes.

The Online Fix: She can safely enter her debit card to bypass the checkout screen. As long as she keeps her cart total well under the $100 limit (for example, around $85 or $90 to account for weight changes and taxes), her gift card will cover the entire purchase, and her debit card will not be charged.

2. Shopping In-Store (No Debit Card Needed)

If she does not want to use her debit card at all, she needs to go shop inside a physical Walmart store.

  • When shopping in-store, a Walmart gift card works exactly like cash.
  • She can use the gift card at the cash register without ever being asked to present or swipe a debit card.

You did a wonderful thing by sending her that money for food. Tell her to take the card directly into the store to buy her groceries, and she will have absolutely no issues checking out!