Like other retailers, Walmart employee discounts have long been a part of the brand’s benefits program. Yet, most new hires are still confused about how these discounts work and where they are applied, which motivated my team to conduct extensive research. Below are all the ins and outs you need to know.

The Walmart Associate Discount

After working for 90 consecutive days, you and your domestic partner can use a 10% discount for every eligible purchase at Walmart, including fresh products, general merchandise, and pharmacy prescriptions. The discount card will be automatically sent to your address; after receiving the card, you only need to go to the Walmart website and register it under your account.

Who Is Eligible?

To qualify for a Walmart discount, you must be a Walmart employee for 90 days (no break in between). On the 91st day, both you and your domestic partner/legal spouse will receive the discount card. There’s no need to sign up for it, according to Walmart’s handbook; the card will be automatically ordered and forwarded to your address.

Can Your Friends or Family Use The Discount As Well?

From what I have learned, only your spouse or domestic partner can use your employee discount. Your acquaintances, relatives, extended family members, etc., are not eligible.

Do You Have To Activate The Discount Card?

Once the card has been mailed to your address, you must sign in to your Walmart account, then scroll through the dropdown menu to hit the “Discount and Promotion” tab. Register your discount card here.

After registering the card, you can shop for discounted products at every Walmart store or the brand’s official website.

How Can You Use The Discount Card?

Follow these simple steps to use your discount card:

First, shop for products at the Walmart store.
At the checkout station or the register, scan the card or show it to a cashier. Your 10% discount will be instantly applied to every item in the order.

If you shop online, there are no further steps to take; the discounts are already activated when you register the card with your Walmart account earlier. All your qualified purchases online will receive an automatic 10% employee discount.

Where Should The Discount Card Be Used? Which Items Are Eligible for Discounts?

The card will work for both in-store and online purchases on the Walmart website. Products belonging to the categories below will be qualified for discounts:

Fresh products

General merchandise at regular price
Pharmacy prescriptions (no insurance coverage) at regular price

On the other hand, the following items will not receive any discount from your Walmart discount card:

Marked-down, sale, or clearance items
Grocery items (except for fresh produce)
Eye tests from vision centers

Products bought with tax-exemption identification numbers
Products for company usage (already reimbursed by Walmart)
Gasoline

Products from charitable events (e.g., the employee receives money from Walmart to buy them).

Plus, note that you can use your discount card at any other Walmart division, like Sam’s Club.

Is There A Discount for Christmas Time?

Although the official website does not mention this, my quick survey with long-term Walmart employees confirmed there are indeed generous discounts around holidays.

Specifically, according to their reports, the December discounts apply to all store products, including rollback and discount food items, from Black Friday to January 1st. The only excluded items are cigarettes, alcohol, gift cards, and milk. Plus, any employee working before, during, and after Thanksgiving is granted a one-time 15% deduction to add to their existing 10% discount.

Can You Replace Your Exclusive Discount Card?

Since Walmart associate discount cards have no expiration date, you only have to replace them when they are damaged, stolen, or lost.

To request replacements, contact customer service or visit WalmartOne. It might take a few days to several weeks due to variations in shipping and processing times.

Is There Any Other Type of Discount?

At the Walmart Associate Discount Center, you can find extra discounts on numerous services and products, including vacations or cell phone plans.

Some special deals on traveling even include exclusive offers and steep price reductions for product bundles, car rentals, hotels, cruises, tickets to theme parks, etc., to ensure quality time and help family members stay connected throughout the trip.

Extra Notes When Using The Walmart Associate Discount Card

Do not lend your special discount card to any unauthorized person.

Use your own card; do not borrow from other Walmart associates. Also, avoid shopping for other people just to get them discounts. Unauthorized usage or abuse might result in benefit loss, disciplinary actions, and even terminations.
Discounted purchases should not be used for business or resale.
When your card is stolen or lost, cancel it immediately on WalmartOne to prevent unauthorized usage by other people. The store will mail you a replacement in 1-2 weeks.

How Long Do You Have to Work At Walmart to Get A Lifetime Discount?

55-year-old employees or older are eligible for a lifetime discount after 15 years of consecutive employment at Walmart. For younger associates, the company requires at least 20 years of service in a row.

Can You Still Use The Walmart Employee Discount After Quitting?

Yes, but only when you have worked for the company for at least 15 consecutive years at the age of 55 or more or 20 continuous years for younger associates. Once this milestone is reached, the existing discount card will convert to a long-term service discount card automatically, remaining active even after you quit.

Conclusion

The Walmart associate appreciation discount is quite generous compared to other stores and even stays permanently active if you have been employed for 15-20 years. However, avoid abusing its offerings or lending your discount card to the wrong person; you might end up losing all the benefits and getting fired!