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Walmart (WMT) , the largest retailer in the U.S., faced criticism from some consumers last week after a memo revealed it was planning to reinstate a controversial fee it had initially paused during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the memo, Walmart said that it will resume charging customers who are part of its Walmart+ Assist program $6.99 if their online order does not meet a $35 minimum, regardless of whether it is being picked up or delivered, according to a report from Reuters on April 30.
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Walmart+ Assist is a program that grants customers 50% off a Walmart+ membership if they are recipients of a qualifying government aid program, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Federal Public Housing Assistance.
Related: Walmart is facing a massive boycott threat from consumers
"We're reinstating minimum basket fees for customers with EBT cards saved to their Walmart account," reads the memo, which was sent to customer service employees. "If an EBT customer asks why we charged them a minimum basket fee, explain this is the correct fee for orders under $35."
An EBT card is a debit-like card that allows consumers to access government benefits for purchasing food.
Walmart responds to recent backlash
It appears that Walmart began quietly testing out the change last year, as some Walmart shoppers took to Reddit a few months ago to flag frustrations with encountering the fee.
It was later speculated that Walmart made the decision to bring back the fee due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which further angered customers. Tariffs are taxes companies pay to import goods from overseas, and the extra cost is often passed down to consumers through price hikes.
“Penalizing people who use EBT due tariffs @Walmart? What if they don’t have the cash for the fee or the EBT to bring the order up to your minimum?” wrote one user on social media platform X.
Related: Walmart doubles down on harsh tactic to shrink threat of tariffs
“@Walmart you cannot do this legally. FS are only for food not to pay a fee that you already pay your employees to do. This is downright fraud,” wrote another user on X.
However, the retail giant recently shot down that speculation. A Walmart spokesperson recently confirmed with Mashable that reinstating the basket fee was not related to Trump’s tariffs. They also said that the fee is a standard practice among other popular retailers, and it doesn’t apply to purchases made inside of its stores.
Walmart previously warned about tariffs
Walmart has recently been sounding the alarm about the impact President Trump’s tariffs could have on its business.