7
These 15 Grocery Stores Will Do the Shopping For You — With No Pickup Fees
After a long day, navigating crowded grocery aisles isn’t always appealing. Delivery is convenient, but fees and tips can add up quickly. Grocery pickup offers a middle ground: you order online and pick up curbside — often for free if you meet a minimum order requirement.
For many households, grocery pickup can reduce impulse spending, help you avoid the cost of delivery and help you track your total in real time. But minimums, service fees, substitution policies and pricing differences vary by store. Here’s what to know before you assume it will automatically save you money.
When you elect to do grocery pickup, you shop for your items online and get your groceries at the store without ever having to go inside.
Typically, you place an order through a grocery store’s website or mobile app, choose a pickup time and park in a curbside space designated for pickup orders. An employee will bring your items out right to your car.
Because you’re not getting your groceries delivered straight to your door, you’ll save money in at least one way — you probably won’t have to leave a tip.
Processes may differ by store, but generally, it looks a little like this.
Check in upon arrival, and an employee will load your groceries into your car. Stores often have designated parking spaces for pickup. You may have to enter your spot number and the color of your vehicle in the app or call a phone number once you arrive.
One of the perks of using grocery pickup in lieu of grocery delivery is you may not have to pay for the service. Generally, if you meet a minimum requirement, your grocery pickup is included in the cost of your order.
Many national chains require you to spend at least $35 to qualify for free grocery pickup. You’ll likely have to pay a small fee if you want to pick up groceries for under that amount.
However, stores can change their policies and promotions, and they may vary by location. It’s a good idea to verify with your local store before you place your order.
Grocery Pickup Fee Comparison
In most cases, grocery pickup is cheaper than delivery. That’s primarily because you avoid paying delivery fees and a tip.
Pickup vs. Delivery Costs
Say you spend $120 on your weekly grocery order with pickup as opposed to delivery. Depending on which retailer you go with and how you pay, that could come out to exactly $120 with no additional fees.
If you instead choose to go the delivery route, you may be spending as much as $9.95 on the delivery fee and $12-20 in tip. That’s an additional $22 to $30 a week. That could add up to more than $1,000 per year, if you opt to do grocery delivery every week for the entirety of a year.
As long as you meet a minimum order requirement (usually about $35) most major grocery chains offer some kind of free curbside grocery pickup. Again, if you’re looking for convenience delivered straight to your door, this may not be the right option for you. However, if you just want to save yourself a walk through the grocery aisles without actually skipping the trip to the store, this may be the best option. Just remember they won’t bring your groceries directly to your kitchen.
Walmart grocery pickup is free with any order over $35. If your order is under that amount, there will be a below order minimum fee, which Walmart’s website doesn’t specify.
One of the unique benefits of Target’s curbside pickup is that it is completely free — no minimum order required. It may be one of the most flexible offers out there for those looking to just swing by the store and pick up groceries.
Kroger pickup is generally free, but often costs about $4.95 if you don’t hit the minimum $35 order.
Aldi curbside pickup runs the gamut. Your local Aldi may not have access to the program and you will be charged a small service fee, which the site does not quantify.
The popular Southeast grocery chain offers its curbside pickup through Instacart. You just place an order online, select your time to pick it up and park in a designated spot.
If you’re curious about your various regional chains, check their respective websites for information on their grocery pickup policies and fees.
You usually can use digital coupons, EBT and loyalty rewards with grocery pickup. How far that goes depends on the store and where you’re located.
If you use government benefits, review the store’s payment rules before placing an order to avoid issues.
Grocery pickup offers convenience and potential savings, but it also has trade-offs.
You can save more with grocery pickup by treating it as a budgeting tool instead of a convenience feature. You may want to do a few side-by-side comparisons. Try pickup one week and shopping in-store the next to see where the pros and cons are for your personal store. In any case, best practices include:
Creating a clear monthly grocery plan and budget before placing online orders can make pickup even more effective.
Grocery pickup is often free if you meet the store’s minimum order requirement — often around $35. Orders below that amount may include a small service fee. Policies vary by store and location.
You generally do not tip for curbside grocery pickup because employees are paid hourly and tipping is not expected. Some stores even prohibit curbside pickup employees from accepting a tip. Delivery orders, however, typically require a tip.
If you miss your pickup window, the store may hold your order until the end of that same day. However, depending on the store’s policy it may cancel it. Some stores allow you to reschedule in the app.
Someone else can usually pick up your order if they have the confirmation details and meet the store’s identification requirements. You may need to specify an alternate pickup person and add that person’s name and email address to your online order. You can also sometimes change the pickup person after an order has been placed.
Grocery pickup prices are often the same as in-store prices, but some third-party fulfillment services may include small markups or service fees. Some chains may also have slightly different online and in-store prices.
Grocery pickup can help you rein in your grocery spending while avoiding the fees and tips you’d pay with delivery. It’s a great way to make sure you stick with your shopping list and cut down on impulse purchases.
However, it isn’t always going to be cheaper. Sometimes you have to hit a minimum spend or pay a fee. And if saving time is your biggest concern, delivery could be a better option.
It all depends on what’s worth it for you and your preferred store’s policy.
Ready to stop worrying about money?
Get the Penny Hoarder Daily
Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We strive to provide accurate, reliable information.
Compensation may influence how and where products appear on our site (including their order), and we do not include all companies or offers.