With the cost of living causing the price of everything to go up, people are looking for any way to save on everyday items. Signing up for rewards schemes and using in-store credit cards can help.
Sometimes, these in-store credit cards are used in partnership with credit providers. Walmart was one of the stores that had one of these partnerships. However, they ended it, and customers aren’t happy.
Walmart Services Are Shutting Down
Due to how much it costs to run certain services, Walmart has made the difficult decision to shut down some of them to help save money. However, this comes at a cost to customers.
In April 2024, Walmart announced that it intended to shut down its health centers and virtual care services due to high operating costs. This greatly affected customers who get their healthcare needs taken care of at the popular store.
Walmart’s Partnership With Capital One Ends
For years, Walmart has partnered with Capital One to give customers a branded store credit card. This allowed customers to get money off when making in-store purchases.
It was announced in May 2024 that this partnership was ending, which has left customers wondering how they will be able to get the same deals they were once able to.
Customers Could Still Get Their Rewards
Despite the Walmart and Capital One partnership ending, it was announced that customers who already had one of the credit cards would still be able to get the same rewards.
At the time, Walmart clarified that Capital One customers would be notified when or if this new deal ended. This is what customers are most furious about.
Walmart Filed a Lawsuit Against Capital One
Before the partnership ended, Walmart filed a lawsuit against Capital One. The partnership started in 2019. However, there were complaints about customer service, including slow transaction postings and delayed card replacements.
This is what led Walmart to file the lawsuit in 2023, which eventually ended the partnership. The case was then dismissed when both companies could resolve the claims, with settlement details remaining undisclosed.
The Importance of Good Customer Service
What all of this goes to show is that good customer service is essential. If a company fails at this critical aspect, it can lead to a loss of business and lawsuits, among many other potential issues.
If a company offers poor customer service, the word can soon spread, deterring potential customers from using the business. In the case of Walmart and Capital One, this has led to disastrous consequences for both companies and for Walmart customers.
Walmart Is Charging Customers Extra
Self-checkouts have become a source of contention between customers and stores for many years. Some customers love the convenience, whereas others believe they are being forced to do the work of store employees for free.
However, Walmart has put more fuel to the fire by charging customers $98 per year to use the self-checkouts. If they don’t want to pay, they must use one of the cashier-manned lanes instead.
Customers Are Getting Savings Elsewhere
Due to the rising cost of living, grocery shoppers are forced to find savings wherever possible to afford the other basics, such as bills and healthcare.
Customers are having to ditch the big brands when doing their grocery shopping in favor of the value brands in an attempt to make savings, no matter how big or how small.
Capital One Has Ended Walmart Rewards
In an announcement by Capital One, previous holders of the Walmart-Capital One card will no longer be able to enjoy the rewards due to the agreement ending.
However, there is still some good news for customers. Capital One has revealed that it will be issuing a replacement card for customers, and they will be able to get some rewards from it.
The Capital One Quicksilver Mastercard
The replacement for customers is the Capital One Quicksilver Mastercard. With this, customers can earn 1.5% cashback on every daily purchase.
They have also revealed that the reward cardholders are not expected to expire for the rest of the account’s life, there will be no annual fees, and customers can use the card to redeem rewards for gift cards, be reimbursed for purchases and so much more.
What Do Walmart Customers Need to Do?
Walmart customers need to do absolutely nothing. The new credit cards are set to be gradually rolled out between 2024 and 2025, with customers who previously had the Walmart credit card being automatically moved to the Quicksilver card.
However, applications are closed for customers who don’t have a Walmart card. It has been recommended that they sign up for a 2% cashback credit card, which gets them 2% off at Walmart.
Why Walmart Customers Are Annoyed
Walmart customers are annoyed because they were used to getting 5% back on their purchases, either from in-store, online or app-based purchases. As the card is no more, the rewards go away with it.
This is not the news Walmart customers want to hear when they are struggling financially. It suggests something needs to be done to make grocery shopping a more affordable experience for customers and to make their financial struggles a little more bearable.
