How Much Is Walmart Delivery: What Most People Get Wrong

You’re staring at a digital cart full of eggs, detergent, and maybe a pair of those surprisingly soft Walmart pajamas, wondering if it's actually worth hitting the "place order" button. We’ve all been there. The convenience is tempting, but the math? That’s where things get murky. Honestly, figuring out how much is walmart delivery feels like trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces keep changing depending on whether you’re a member or just a casual shopper.

It isn't a single number.

If you’re just dropping by the site for a one-off order, you’re looking at a flat delivery fee that usually lands between $7.95 and $9.95. Walmart calculates this based on your location and how busy the store is at that exact moment. But wait—there is a catch. You have to hit a $35 order minimum. If your cart is only $20, they’ll tack on a **$6.99 "below minimum" fee** (sometimes called a basket fee) just to make it worth their while. Suddenly, those "cheap" groceries aren't looking so cheap anymore.

The Walmart+ Factor: Is the Membership Actually a Steal?

Most people asking about the cost are trying to decide if they should just cave and join Walmart+. It’s the obvious competitor to Amazon Prime, and for a lot of us, it’s actually more practical for weekly food runs.

Here is the breakdown of the membership costs in 2026:

• Monthly Plan: $12.95 (plus tax).
• Annual Plan: $98 (plus tax).
• The "Assist" Discount: If you’re on government assistance (SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, etc.), you can get the whole thing for $6.47 a month or $49 a year.

With the membership, that $7.95 to $9.95 delivery fee simply vanishes. You still have to hit the **$35 minimum** for free delivery from the store, though. If you don't, you’re back to paying that $6.99 small-order fee. It’s a bit of a psychological game. You’ll find yourself tossing a random $5 pack of socks into the cart just to avoid the $7 fee. We’ve all done it.

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Express Delivery: When You Need It "Right Now"

Sometimes you're mid-recipe and realize you’re out of heavy cream. Or maybe the flu hit the house and you need Gatorade ten minutes ago. That’s where Express Delivery comes in.

This service bypasses the usual 4-hour or next-day windows and gets stuff to your door in under two hours—often less than 60 minutes. Even if you have Walmart+, this isn't usually free. You’ll typically pay an extra $10 flat fee for the privilege of skipping the line. For non-members, you’re paying the standard delivery fee plus the $10 Express fee. It’s pricey, but in a pinch, it’s a lifesaver.

The "Hidden" Costs: Tips and Bag Fees

This is the part where the "official" price and the "real" price diverge. When you ask how much is walmart delivery, you have to account for the driver.

Walmart uses a mix of their own "Spark" drivers and third-party services like Uber. These drivers are often independent contractors using their own gas and putting miles on their own cars. While tipping is technically optional, it’s culturally expected.

How much should you tip?
For a standard grocery haul, 15% to 20% is the sweet spot. If you’ve got four cases of bottled water and you live on the third floor of an apartment complex without an elevator? Yeah, you should probably lean toward that 20% mark. The app usually defaults to a suggested tip, but you can manually change it.

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Then there are the bags. Depending on where you live—places like New York, California, or Maine—you might see a bag fee of $0.05 to $0.10 per bag. It sounds like pennies, but a 40-item grocery run can easily add $1.50 to your total.

The InHome Upgrade: No Tips Allowed

If you absolutely hate the tipping dance, Walmart has a weirdly specific tier called InHome. It’s an extra $7 a month or $40 a year on top of your Walmart+ membership.

Here’s why people love it:

1. No Tipping: The people delivering are actual Walmart employees, not gig workers. They are paid a full hourly wage and are strictly forbidden from taking tips.
2. Inside Delivery: They can literally put the groceries inside your garage or even your kitchen fridge if you have a smart lock.
3. No Extra Fees: No delivery fees, no matter what.

If you order delivery twice a week, the InHome add-on pays for itself in about a month just by what you save on tips. It's the "pro move" for high-volume shoppers.

Drone Delivery: The 2026 Wildcard

We have to talk about the drones. Walmart has been scaling this up aggressively with partners like Wing. If you live in a qualifying area (mostly suburbs in states like Texas, Florida, and Arizona), you can get small items delivered via drone.

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For non-members, a drone drop-off usually costs about $19.99. For Walmart+ members, they’ve been running "limited-time" promotions where drone delivery is totally free for items under a certain weight (usually around 10 pounds). It’s fast—we’re talking 15 to 30 minutes—but you aren't getting a gallon of milk and a 20lb bag of dog food this way.

Is the Cost Actually Worth It?

Let’s be real. If you only use Walmart delivery once a month, just pay the $9.95 fee and move on. Don’t let them talk you into a subscription you won't use.

However, if you’re ordering once a week, the math shifts fast.

• 4 Deliveries as a non-member: ~$40 in fees.
• 1 Month of Walmart+: ~$13.

The membership pays for itself by the second order of the month. Plus, you get the Paramount+ subscription and the gas discounts, which actually do add up if you’re filling up a big SUV. The gas discount is usually $0.10 off per gallon at Exxon, Mobil, and Murphy stations. If you pump 15 gallons a week, that's another $60 in savings a year.

Practical Steps to Save Money on Your Next Order

If you’re ready to pull the trigger, do these three things to keep the cost down:

1. Check for the "Assist" Rate: If you or anyone in your household is on any form of government assistance, do not pay full price. Use the Walmart+ Assist page to verify your status and cut your membership cost in half.
2. Consolidate Your Orders: Don't order three times a week. Keep a running list in the app and only checkout when you hit $35. It avoids the "small basket" fee and reduces the number of tips you’re paying out.
3. Watch the "Shipped" vs. "Delivered" items: Items "Shipped by Walmart" (like a box of LEGOs or a new toaster) often have free shipping with no minimum for members. Items "Delivered from Store" (like milk and bread) are the ones that trigger the $35 minimum requirement.

Ultimately, the price of Walmart delivery is a balance between your time and your wallet. If spending $10 saves you two hours of navigating crowded aisles and standing in a checkout line on a Sunday afternoon, it’s probably the best ten dollars you’ll spend all week.

To get started, check your local store's availability in the Walmart app. You can usually snag a 30-day free trial of Walmart+ to test the waters before you commit to the annual fee. Just remember to set a reminder to cancel if you find you’re still making those late-night store runs yourself.