By Matt Klein
Walmart has billed itself as the low-price leader, and theyare usually hard to beat.
Quick Links
- How to Scan Your Receipts with the Walmart Savings Catcher
- How to View Your Rewards Dollars, ShoppingHistory, and eReceipts
Walmart has billed itself as the low-price leader, and theyare usually hard to beat...but theydon't always have the lowest prices.Using the Walmart app is a great way to "catch" them when they don't.
The Walmart app's Savings Catcher is, essentially, a price matching tool. After you shop at Walmart, you can scan your receipt with the app, and it will "scan circulars from top competitors in your area" for the same items you bought. If it finds a store offering an itemfora lower price than you paid,Walmart will refund the difference to you.
These refunds come in the form ofan "eGift Card" that you can use on your next purchase at any Walmart or Sam's Club location.
You might be surprised just how quickly things add up.
How to Scan Your Receipts with the Walmart Savings Catcher
First, downloadthe Walmart app forAndroidor theiPhone. Create an account if you don't have one...
...or sign in if you do.
Afteryou sign in, tap "Savings Catcher" on the Shop tab.
Tap "Add a Walmart Receipt".
Scan the QR code on your receipt. If there isn't a QR code, scan the barcode. If the barcode won't scan, you can enter it manually by tapping "Type Receipt Info".
NOTE: you must scan your receipt(s) within seven days of shopping at Walmart and you can only submit seven receipts per week!
Once you scan your receipt, you will receive an email letting you know that Walmart has received itand they are validating it.
If they find a lower price, you will receive another email letting you know how many "Reward Dollars"you're getting back.
Any Reward Dollarsyou get back areautomatically added to theSavings Catcher.Once you have available, unclaimed funds, you cangenerate an eGift Cardto spendat any Walmart orSam's Club location (although you can only scan Walmart receipts).
To do this, tap"Get It Back" in the lower-right corner.
On the Get It Back screen, tap "Transfer to eGift Card".
Once you do this, you will receive an email---usually within 24 hours---confirming your new Savings Catcher eGift Card is ready.
Next timeyou visit a Walmart or Sam's Club, just presentthe email at checkout and the cashier will scan it, or select "Gift Card" when you're checking out online.Your eGift Card fundswill be deducted from your purchase.
Hereare several more things to keep in mind:
- You don't have to spend your entire eGift Cardbalance in one go. Any remaining fundswill remainon the eGift Card. You can repeatedly use the eGift Cardemailuntil it hits zero.
- You don't have to transfer any accumulated money the Saving Catcher finds to aneGift Cardright away. Instead, you can let it accumulate and tap "Get It Back" when you're ready to redeem it.
- When you do tap "Get It Back" however, you will need to wait for Walmart to generate a new eGift Cardand send you a confirmation email. Make sure to plan ahead so you have those funds available before your next shop.
That's the basic rundown on how to use the Savings Catcher, and if that's all you ever do with it, you will be saving money in no time.
How to View Your Rewards Dollars, ShoppingHistory, and eReceipts
If you want to go back and see previous scanned receipts and reward dollars, you can do so from the app.
To see a total of how much you've been refunded, tap on "Your Reward Dollars".
The Your Reward Dollars screenshows you how much moneyyou have earned and redeemed since openingyour account, as well ashow muchyou haveavailable.
Next, tap "Your Results".
On the Your Results screen, you canscroll through and see your shopping history using the Savings Catcher.
Tap on any result to see the Results Details, whereyou can view a detailed list of what you purchased, how much you paid, and what each item cost. If any receipt is pending, it will showyou that as well.
If a lower price was foundfrom a scanned receipt, it will show you what that item was and how much you got back.
Tap the little icon in the upper-right corner to viewyour eReceipt.
The eReceipt is an electronic copy of your receipt. This can be useful if, for example, you lose the original paper receipt and need to present a copy for reimbursem*nt or perhaps to itemize deductions on your taxes.
As long as you remember to scan your receipts within seven days, the Savings Catcher can net you quite a chunk of change over the long run. If your goal is to stretch your money as far as it will go, it's definitely a great tool to have at your disposal.
