Online Purchases

[Renee12String]

When shopping Walmart online, If I purchase and pay for a product, and I schedule the pickup for a few days later... Will I still get cash back if the offer expires before I pick it up? Remember, I paid for the product, before the offer expired. I just haven't picked it up yet.

[mmoore01]

Welcome to the Ibotta Community!

As long as you linked your Ibotta account with Walmart and selected each of the offers in the app before you ordered them, you should get credit for those items, even if they are no longer in the app.

However, it is possible that Ibotta missed something.  If so, you will need to open a Request.  Go to Account in the Ibotta app, then Help.  Submit a Request is at the top of the screen.  Be sure to include pictures and UPCs of the items missed and a copy of your email from Walmart.

[Mary22]

Hi! With the new Walmart integration, any offers and/or bonuses will be updated based on pick up or delivery time. This means an offer and/or bonus could expire between the time you placed your order and the time that order is picked up or delivered. Therefore, you would not receive the cash back for the offer if it expires before your pick up or delivery time. I hope this helps to clarify!

[mmoore01]

I was not aware of this.  Is this documented somewhere?

It really doesn't seem fair to order something and then have it disappear in Ibotta just because Walmart could not deliver it (or have it ready for pickup) in time.

I guess that's another reason to go to the store yourself.  Another disadvantage to using Pickup/Delivery

[Mary22]

Hi! Yes, in this article: 
https://help.ibotta.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009648660-How-do-I-link-my-account-to-earn-cash-back-at...

#4 under "How to Shop" states "Cash back will be added to your account within minutes of receiving your online grocery purchase, and within minutes of in-store checkout!"

Therefore, for Walmart Online purchases, the receipt date will be the date that you receive your items (not the date that the order was placed). The offers that are valid at the time of your pickup or delivery will be eligible for cash back. If an offer expires before your pickup or delivery date then the item will not be eligible for cash back. I hope this helps to clarify. Thanks!

[Rickibotta]

@Mary22 @mmoore01 

I don't link and I don't pickup/deliver, so I have no dog in this fight.

It seems we would hearing a whole lot of complaints from others who place orders the evening of expiring offers, but have not been receiving the IRs.    It only says the monies will be added within minutes of the online grocery purchase.  Is there any chance those IR $$ are in a 'reserved' status awaiting for applying once delivery/pickup is complete.   Again, it seems odd we aren't having a lot of complaints from those who place orders the evening of expiration for pickup/delivery following day.

Regarding bonuses, the wording below seems to definitely  support what Michelle is saying, 

=================

4. Get cash back
Cash back will be added to your account within minutes of receiving your online grocery purchase, and within minutes of in-store checkout! Additionally, bonuses will be credited according to the time of pickup or delivery. You can check your order status for any delivery updates.

=================

[Mary22]

I believe most people make their Walmart Online purchases and pickup up their items before any of their offers would expire. Please note that Walmart Online receipts now come in after the items are picked up instead of when the order was placed. If an offer were to expire before the item is picked up, then it would not be eligible for cash back since our system goes by the time the receipt is uploaded to Ibotta. 

The same would apply if you make a purchase in-store but waited a few days before uploading your receipt to your Ibotta account. If an offer were to expire before you uploaded your receipt, then it would not be eligible for cash back even if your purchase date was before the offer expired. When you upload your receipt the offer would no longer be available because it expired. I hope this helps to further clarify. Thanks everyone!

[Rickibotta]

@Mary22 

I understand most would pick up before offers expire, but we have answered questions recently about this and we always say it is based on when you purchase; not when you pick up.  That minority would be a vocal one. 

I'm sure you must be right, but I would like to see someone test this with a small offer or two that are expiring the following day.

Thanks for pointing out these changes.

[Sorensoj]

@Rickibotta  I can attest that everything Michelle is saying is correct according to my personal experience with pick up & delivery at Walmart, Target, and Pick n Save (Kroger affiliate).  I use pick up & delivery exclusively, for my shopping needs.  

[mmoore01]

@Mary22 

There is a BIG difference if Walmart doesn't have any pickup dates/times for you to get your order verses me waiting a few days to submit my receipt.

If I waited a few days before submitting (I submit at the store), it is on me for waiting too long.  But with the Holidays, it could be very difficult to get a pickup or delivery date/time within a few days.  These means there is a higher likelihood of not getting credit for one or more items.  This means more tickets or lost users.

My bigger concern is that a change of this magnitude should not be buried somewhere.  It needs to be sent out in emails and blasted on screens in the Ibotta app.  

Personally, I haven't seen anything that has the Ibotta/Walmart linking to be any better than it was before the latest update and this would be a nail in the coffin for me.  It is already hard enough to get money back, but having to open tickets for every grocery order would be agonizing.  The last time I did a Walmart Pickup order, I had to send in over 60 attachments to get the money I was due.  

I am lucky to live only 3 miles from a Walmart, so I don't have a problem going several times a week.  For those that depend on Walmart Delivery and have Walmart+, Ibotta will be just an afterthought, not a religion like so many of us.

I enjoy Ibotta (most of the time) and I do save a lot of money, but for those that don't have the time to fight for what they deserve, it is just a hassle.  Instead of these programs to get more Ibotta users, Ibotta needs to fix the current problems to retain the current users they already have.  

Just my opinion.