A Shocking receipt
A Walmart customer was stunned after placing a small online order and discovering a massive extra charge. Debra Graulich ordered just five items totalling $38, but her digital receipt showed a $120.49 “location surcharge”.
“Walmart buyers beware!” Graulich posted on Facebook. “$38 order, $120 surcharge!!!”
The screenshot she shared showed a total bill of $158.21—more than four times the original cost of her items.
Other shoppers report similar charges
Graulich isn’t alone. Other Walmart customers have also spotted mysterious surcharges appearing on their bills.
“@Walmart what is this location surcharge?” one shopper wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I am a Walmart Plus member — all items are shipped directly from Walmart. Why are you charging a location fee even for members?”
Some shoppers say the surcharges appear randomly. “Try again tomorrow,” one person advised in a Facebook thread. “It comes and goes, but it’s becoming more frequent.”
Where is it happening?
The $120 charge that shocked Graulich appeared on an order placed from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Other customers in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa have reported similar issues.
One frustrated shopper commented, “This is the reason I don’t order from Walmart.” Others say the surcharge makes Walmart’s prices impossible to justify — especially when Amazon offers similar products without such high fees.
What Walmart says (and doesn’t say)
While Walmart hasn’t directly responded to these recent complaints, its website explains that extra shipping fees apply to orders delivered to U.S. territories, Alaska, and Hawaii.
In its shipping policy, Walmart notes:
- “Items that Walmart sells and ships have added shipping fees when we ship to these locations.”
- “You can check the shipping fees by adding an item to the cart. There will be a separate line in the Payments section for this fee.”
- “Heavy or oversized freight items may have additional surcharges.”
This policy suggests the “location surcharge” isn’t a mistake — but many shoppers say the size of the fee feels extreme.
Why the fee exists
Shipping goods to remote or island locations costs retailers more. Companies often pass these costs along to consumers. However, shoppers are questioning why the extra charges can exceed the price of the items themselves.
Walmart appears to apply the fee automatically at checkout when an address in a high-cost region is entered. That means even Walmart Plus members, who usually enjoy free shipping, aren’t exempt.
Customers call fees “criminal”
Even though Walmart is upfront about its shipping policies, the size of these surcharges has sparked anger.
Some customers have called the fees “criminal” or “unfair.” Others say they’ve stopped shopping at Walmart online altogether.
“It makes orders untenable,” one shopper wrote. “I just go to Amazon instead.”
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What shoppers can do
If you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories:
- Double-check your total before placing an order. The surcharge shows up at checkout.
- Compare prices with other retailers like Amazon, which may not have similar fees.
- Consider grouping items in one large order instead of multiple small ones to reduce shipping costs per item.
