Walmart Making Changes to Savings Catcher Program
Shop at Walmart? 🛒
If you’re a Walmart shopper, their Savings Catcher program and Walmart Pay are two great tools to ensure that you’re not paying too much for your purchases and can pay (and get receipts) easily. Specifically, Walmart’s Savings Catcher compares your receipts to advertised prices from top stores in your area and if it finds a lower advertised price, you’ll get the difference back in a Walmart eGift card!
Within one week after picking up your groceries, just enter your Walmart Grocery receipt into the Savings Catcher section on the Walmart mobile app. Your rewards are automatically transferred to a Savings Catcher eGift Card each time they’re earned, and the eGift Cards are automatically saved to your Walmart.com account. You can then use the rewards to shop both online or in-store.
NEW Changes to Savings Catcher…
Effective October 29th, 2018, Savings Catcher changed their accepted payment methods and Walmart Pay is now the only way to submit your receipt to Savings Catcher. Due to this change, the ability to scan paper receipts within the app or submit via desktop is now discontinued. However, this change will allow you to both submit and spend your Savings Catcher rewards within the same Walmart Pay experience.
Here’s how Savings Catcher works now:
Rather than scanning paper receipts using the Savings Catcher scanner after paying, you’ll simply create an eReceipt using the Walmart Pay scanner when paying. Here’s how:
- Enroll in Walmart Pay.
- Use Walmart Pay at checkout to create an eReceipt for submission:
- Open Walmart Pay and select credit, debit, or gift card.
- Use Walmart Pay to scan the QR code at the register to generate your eReceipt.
- Tap “Submit Receipt” directly from your Walmart Pay confirmation page or from your Savings Catcher dashboard on the Walmart app
What are the benefits of using Walmart Pay?
- One touch submissions: Submit your eReceipt before even leaving the store!
- Save time and space: Reduce wallet and purse hassles when you turn your phone into your secure mobile wallet.
- Store your purchase history: Find your past purchases in your Purchase History, easily reorder your essentials, or start a Mobile Express Return—all within the app!
- Print eReceipts for cash back apps: Select a purchase from your Purchase History, share, and print from your phone or email yourself your eReceipt. Then submit for cash back apps like Ibotta and Checkout51.
I’m switching to Target!! The Walmart I go to usually has maybe 2 cashiers at the registers, so I do the self checkout. I have 2 little ones. That in itself isn’t fun. Now I need to dig my phone out of my bag to scan a code from the scanner? No thanks. I like scanning my receipt at home when I’m not trying to juggle watching the kids, bagging my own stuff, paying etc. One more little step is too much for me. And not being able to save by comparing to other stores? I use Walmart because it’s a one stop shop – I’ll get the sale price of the market without having to make a separate trip there. Now- I’ll just go to the other stores. I’m really disappointed.
To bad to look for the phone in a rush, play with the screen and then you have 10 people behind you waiting to pay!
I so agree!!!! they may as well just end the program!
Forcing Savings Catcher users to pay ONLY with WM Pay — no cash, no gift cards, nothing! — is driving them AWAY FROM WALMART! Not a smart move, Bentonville. My daughter has recently shopped at Target & Winn Dixie rather than use the app.
I agree- I am done ! I have over $50 in my savings catcher and do not have a smart phone~ so I guess I lost that!
You can use cash to pay and submit your receipts. Make sure you go in to your payment methods and turn off the gift card you receive your rewards on so it won’t take that first and only have one payment method in there such as a debit card that you don’t have enough money on to pay for your order. When you go to pay it will say insufficient funds pay with another method. At this point you are still connected to walmart pay but go ahead and use your cash or another card you want to use. At the end you can submit your receipt to savings catcher on the app and your rewards will be saved. When you have saved up enough that you want to use just turn the gift card option back on to use them.
Can you please tell me how to use the money I’ve earned from the savings catcher? I don’t see that option under payments.
Its the “gift card” option. Once you setup Walmart pay, there is a gift card option on payment. I ordered something online through Walmart app and at time of payment I selected “gift card” and it just deducted from the balance of my savings catcher.
So what happens if someone else in your family is the shopper ? My husband brings the receipts home to me to scan on the walmart app. There is no way he will attempt to use his phone to pay! Guess I am out, too. Please go back to the previous savings catcher method!
That’s great but still 50 other people are behind you, not cool. Just end the program , I’m sure that was the intention anyway to make it so difficult no one wants to do it. To me it made shopping fun to see how much I could save with savings catcher, Ibotta & check out 51. Thanks for nothing!
I agree with you. Walmart used customers to get them interested and to increase their sales then they change the rules midstream!
Smart move by Walmart…The less people who use it the less money Walmart has to give back on the saving catcher… There trying to save money….Lol
I agree! In order to receive any money back with Saving Catcher they force you to add your payment method in the app. I don’t personally feel this is 100% secure especially when I use debit most of the time. If the app ever got hacked it could drain all your money in your back account. The whole reason Walmart made this change is obvious. People were finding random receipts & scanning them to get even more cash back. Greed took over. Well Walmart I am taking my business to Target where I save just as much money using their cartwheel plus 5% using my Target Red Card. Customer service at Target is top notch. The quality of their groceries are much better too.
I use the current Walmart Pay and it shows that I’ve saved money but it doesn’t show me that anywhere in the app to be able to apply the money to my purchase. It’s a rip off.
Bad idea. We use to save up our savings money to use for Christmas ect now your forcing me to spend it each time. Will no longer use it
I agree with all the comments. Walmart tried to market this as a good thing for customers, which is clearly a bunch of “hog wash” and that is putting it nicely. I have been loyal to Walmart for many years, but I see much more Target and Kroger shopping in my future.
Over $90 disappearesd off my savings catcher balance. Im down to $2 and havent used a penny of it. Where is it?
I lost money off my savings catcher as well. Someone hacked my account, spent my money to order slim fast and changed my password. I could no longer login nor use my account. I was left having to set up an account in my husbands name. So, I’m convinced the system is not completely secure. I too am finding myself a Kroger quite often lately.
They made the change to discourage people. They stopped price matching to move people to the app. Now they have people using the app…so they’re making it more difficult. As if it’s not miserable enough to shop there…
You don’t have to save your cards in there in order to use it. You simply connect to it then use your card as normal then submit your receipt. The only thing I don’t like is that you now can’t save up your rewards they have to be used each time so most of the time I have less than a dollar to redeem. So unless the change that or I’m just not figuring out how to do that, I am going to quit using it.
I figured out how to do it! Go in to the app and go to payment methods. I took out all my payment methods except for a card that I don’t keep very much money on. Then I turned the gift card option off so that it wouldn’t be used at the checkout. When I save it up then I will turn it back on to use. Then when I pay I do walmart pay it will take whatever I have on that card then I will still be connected when I use another method to finish paying but I will swipe the actual card or use cash. Then I will be able to submit my receipt.
Another update it didn’t take off the money I had on it it just said declined use another form of payment. At this point you will still be connected to Walmart pay so select another card and use it then you can submit your receipt on the app. It has been a trial and error trying to figure it all out but it can be done. Just turn off the gift card in your payments methods so it can’t be used until you are ready then turn it back on.
This sucks!! So if you don’t have a card of any kind, you have to go get one if you want the benefits of the cash back savings. Other stores are available in my area thankfully!!
You should be able to do it without adding a card. Just select Walmart pay scan then select cash. Then submit your receipt after you pay. Remember to turn off gift card in payment methods before you do this and keep off until you are ready to use your rewards.
You should be able to do it without adding a card. Just select Walmart pay scan then select cash. Then submit your receipt after you pay.
I think this was a bad move. Maybe just a way to get shoppers not to go through the hassle of submitting receipts. Liked the old way a lot better. Easier and a lot less hassle.
This is stupid. What about people who don’t have smart phones or people who’s phones have died while shopping? I just lost about 30$ in money back because my phone was dead by the time I got to checkout. That’s fine . . I will be shopping elsewhere now!
Its a pain and probably frustrates most people from using it, thus saving Walmart.
What if you use the Wal-Mart grocery pickup? How do you submit those receipts? I haven’t seen any instructuons on how to do this.
That’s what I would like to know. This whole process is ridiculous.
I’ve used Walmart pay the past times I’ve been shopping and it doesn’t even allow me to submit my receipts to savings catcher!!! Anyone else having this problem????
I had the same problem. After using Walmart Pay I would hit the submit button and always get an error message in return. I called customer service and they told me my receipts would not process because stores in the states of Tennessee, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts no longer offer Savings Catcher in those locations. If you live in one of those states, that would be the reason your receipts are no longer loading to Savings Catcher.
I live in TN so that explains it!
This blows! I use Grocery Pickup every weekend and spend at least$200 that I now can’t use Savings Catcher for. So either I go deal with screaming children and minimal checkers,now that 95% of the registers are self check, or I lose money. They seem to be trying to dodge the cash back to their loyal customers, pity. Guess I may have to start shopping elsewhere.
I am a server and ALWAYS use cash. Due to the hours Walmart is open, my work schedule and the fact that it is less busy at night… I always chose Walmart. I really don’t like the fact that I can’t scan a cash receipt now, as that is just about all I use… not sure why they changed it?
I tried using the new version today. It kept saying error please try again later. After 5 minutes of trying and holding up the line I walked away with a $200 order and no savings catcher.
Put it back to the way it was, this way is complicated! I don’t have the time to take all these steps when the checkout lines are usually ridiculous because there are 16 registers but only 6 open so taking the time to do all these steps while someone in line behind you is already frustrated from waiting just makes the situation worse.
I Tried the new way. It sucks! Couldn’t use Walmart pay and gift card together, so lost the saving. So returned the item and went and got it at Publix where it was cheaper. I’m going to miss savingcatcher. Publix will be getting more of my money now. Dumb move Walmart.
I hate it! I no longer am able to enter the receipts when it is convenient for me. I oftentimes don’t have the time during checkout to go through the steps (kids) and enter them manually later on. This process makes it easy for Walmart not me. I have looked high and low on where to enter them manually and this is gone? Help would be greatly appreciated as the program is no longer a benefit to me.
Worst or best idea Walmart has come up with in a long time. Worse if you are a customer and best if you are Walmart. Who came up with this hairbrained idea? Now folks without a smart phone, which includes many senior citizens can no longer participate like they once could. If I forget my phone, I’m screwed as well. I set up everything through Walmart pay like they asked. I selected gift card rather than my debit card, as every year I cash out the gift card at Christmas and present it to our local animal shelter so they can purchase what they need. This is the best idea for Walmart because so many people will quit using it now that it is a pain in the butt. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back and I now shop at Publix for all my groceries!
Never can get phone reception in Walmart, I have over 200. In saving catcher, and haven’t been able to access it
what if I don’t have a mobile phone?
I will not remember to pull out my phone when juggling trying to check out, getting cash (I always pay in cash), making sure I got all my bags, ect (I feel for the people who have kids to watch on top of it all). Even if I did, I wouldn’t want to be the idiot fumbling at the front of the line for their phone when everyone is waiting behind me. It slows service. Inefficient. Plus I need a paper receipt for my books and I’m not going to use my printer ink for that. Goodbye Savings Catcher. Goodbye Walmart App. I’ll work with you only long enough to get my current savings.
I think it’s great that all this backlash is happening! but i seriously doubt that all these people saying they’ll never go back to WM, actually stay away. But that’s how you get change in a positive way, vote with your wallet. Go to Target if you really mean it! The more that do, it’ll show up in Wal-Marts monthly #’s and change will eventually follow.
I agree. This new way to Walmart app is bull shiggidy! I had money and didn’t want to use and when I was told to scan my app it took what little bit I had been saving up. Why change when the old way works best! Walmart is the only grocery close to my house. If I didn’t have to drive out of my way I would never use Walmart! Quit changing things and leave what works alone!
The new savings catcher/Walmart pay system is a joke! I’ve already spent a couple hours working to set up the Walmart pay, but I don’t want to pay via a credit card, I want to use cash and I would like to accumulate my credit to use at a later date when the value really adds up. I’ve not been able to find out where to turn off the e-card. The designers must think some of us do not have anything else to do except try to figure out how to move around on the website and the mobile app to sign up. In my opinion, they don’t want you to get the best price and after you get so frustrated you will just give up on the savings catcher, so they can keep the savings they would have owed you. They have 4 checkouts open on a Saturday morning, so you can wait in line longer to spend your money, then log on to your phone to try to get the best price, so you and the line behind you can wait in line longer, while all this is going on. So much for “Live Better”. My time has value, which is why I purchase less and less at Walmart all the time. Might not be much longer, I don’t visit there at all.
I agree 100%. I like being able to scan my receipt when I get home. The scanning at the checkout is frustrating. The clerks don’t know how to help you. I had one keep telling me to “use Walmart Pay” when I was already using the ap. Another thing I don’t like is twice I have wanted to get cash back and using the Walmart Pay ap will not let me do that. I wish we had a Target or Costco closer than two hours away. I certainly would take my business there!!! As it is, Walmart has even killed the other grocery stores in our area. We only have a Food Giant as an alternative to shopping at Walmart. I’m stuck using them, and now I can’t even scan to get lower prices with complicated, convoluted system.
I can understand people wanting to use smartphones for this app,however I have a dumb phone that does not have internet. I just use it for calls. I also like to wait until i get home to put in the code never had a problem. Why are companies always cutting off their nose to spite their face and why can’t you fix this as an option. You should be able to do this both ways.
I agree, they can’t be competitive like Sam Walton built the business. Tech figure is out confusing way to dupe customers
Once a heavy user, I now only use the app to find products within the store I am in, and also to scan prices. Since these changes took effect, I have ordered more things off of Amazon and Ebay. What I liked about the app before the changes, is that I could save all of my important receipts and use them if I needed to do a return. I pay with cash about 3/4 of the time, so these changes negatively impacted my use of the app. Another thing that happened, is in the process of paying for a Black Friday TV with the app, it used my savings to do it without any sort of prompt. It’s over Walmart, from now on you’ll get a fraction of the business that I used to give you. Adios app!
i agree with everything that has been said. i do not have and iphone and will NOT get one just for this, so Walmart just lost me. i will not use the self checkout as i refuse to take someone else’s job, plus if i wanted to run a register and sack groceries i would get a job doing so.
The reason they did this is because the corporate big wigs realized how much money they were paying out to customers. Instead of getting rid of it, making themselves look bad. They decided to make it more difficult to use it hoping people will quit, then when there aren’t enough users they discontinue the program. This way they can say it’s our fault (the customer) for not using it anymore so they have to shut it down. Now they dont look like the bad guys… in other words walmart thinks we’re stupid. Go to target they offer 5% discount and it’s a much better and cleaner store
Ditto. See my post of December 10
That is exactly what I am thinking . They want to end the program but don’t want to admit it!
I do not like the new Walmart pay. It is more of a hassle than the savings catcher.
Walmart is obviously hoping folks won’t bother with this new awkward time consuming Savings Catcher. And for me, they are right. A lady was using it today and we all waited in line several minutes while she fiddled with her phone. I will take the 5% off at Target with my Red Card.
I do not like this new way. I haven’t remembered or had time to scan at the register!!! Please don’t keep this way. You may as well end the program. Maybe this is your way of saying you are ending it???
I don’t like the new system. I liked to let my savings catcher money add up until I needed it when low on funds and now you can’t do that, you can’t pay with cash, and yes, it’s a hassle to get your phone ready when you have kids that might be being naughty and impatient people behind you, and the cashiers I’ve asked about the new system don’t even seem to understand it. I like the old system, but of course, a good thing never lasts long, someone’s gotta screw it up trying to “make it better”.
Hate this! I set aside cash to pay for groceries, and also need my paper receipts to claim for our states sales tax. I have always encouraged others to go to Walmart instead of running around to other stores for sale items…..no more. Really disappointed in this just like all the others in the comments before me. What was a great and helpful idea for your customers who go there because we need good prices for our budgets….has now become a pain and useless to many. Please reconsider this change you have made because as you can see….you have many unhappy customers.
I can not stand the new way to use savings catcher. I don’t have time to dig my phone from my purse to scan the square on the register screen. Most of the time I forget. Why have the program if you don’t want to pay people!
Way too complicating and this ties up lines and slows things down,before I came home,scanned my receipt and it was done, now no way you don’t have any idea about your receipt and half the time we forget and I/we think this was their intent so we don’t scan them, why not eliminate the whole thing if it’s not working or go back to the old way…
I AGREE, with everyone, I am totally disappointed! Actually, I am mad!! I have invested all my time and energy, and I can’t wait to get home to scan my PAPER receipt. Then, you wait a few days to see if Walmart actually found an item cheaper. I will STOP now!! I refuse to use Walmart Pay!! Your app. WAS easier than Ibotta and check 51 which I do use every time I shop! Thanks Walmart for loosing another fan of Walmart Savings Catcher!! Unless you bring back the original way of just scanning the paper receipt, I will say GOODBYE!!
Everytime I have gone into walmart to use what I have on my savings catcher no one in the store can tell me how to do it. It is a big hassle. Go back to the way it was.
GO BACK TO THE OLD WAY EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY
How do i use savings catcher since i do pickup
Apparently Auburn Maine is in “zone”. Zones 12 and 16 do not participate in Savings Catcher AT ALL anymore, I downloaded Walmart Pay for nothing, the program is completely gone for us. Back to Comparison shopping and going elsewhere so I can save money!
Wow, elimination step by step, city by city.
I used to print out the savings catcher rewards and give it to my Grandmother to take with her. She used to get so excited being able to save money on her purchase. This is just a scam by Walmart to save money knowing the elderly will not be able to use.
Unfortunate! I just sent my husband to pick up groceries and items for my son who went back to college, and now we cannot use savings catcher on the purchase due to this new change. My husband doesnt have the app on his phone!:( switch back. I like to scan my receipt! Our bill was $200.00! Boo to this change
Do not like Walmart. If I want to do a different credit card how can I do this? I have more than one credit card I use. Does Walmart pay allow you to use different credit cards?… go back to savings catcher. I’ve lost a lot of cash since youchanged this.
Called customer service on savings catcher now have to use Walmart pay . Mentioned not seeing any savings and I was informed this does not work at all Walmart’s and you are unable to use EBT if anyone didn’t know this this .
So yes I have given up on Walmart
Not going to travel to find a Walmart for discounts .
Cartwheel and stop&shop my go places now until this is changed .
Obviously they may have been losing to much money doing this so now they losing more