Do you shop at Walmart? If you do, you should definitely look into the Walmart Savings Catcher app. This program, which you can use on your smart phone or computer, allows you to enter your Walmart receipts. The Savings Catcher program then compares the price you paid at Walmart with other prices at nearby stores, and if the price you paid at Walmart was higher, it gives you the difference in the form of an eGift Card.
If you're a price-watcher, you probably already know that Walmart has a generous price-matching policy, allowing customers to provide an advertised price from a competitor to pay that price at the Walmart store. In theory, the Savings Catcher app should make that easier. However, I've read numerous reviews and there are some reasons why Price Catcher is never going to provide the same level of savings as traditional price-matching.
- Savings Catcher only works on advertised prices at stores identified as direct competitors due to their physical location.
- Savings Catcher only works on certain groceries such as pantry staples and frozen foods, certain consumables such as paper towels and cleaners, and certain health and beauty products such as shampoo and makeup.
- Savings Catcher does not work on the following categories:
- Any food, consumables, or health & wellness items that do not meet the eligibility criteria above,
- Produce,
- Bakery items,
- Fresh or variable weight meat,
- Deli items,
- Seafood,
- General merchandise items including, but not limited to, outdoor living consumables (such as such as fertilizer and bug spray), office supplies, apparel, DVD’s, electronics, CD and gaming media, toys, housewares, small appliances, sporting goods, home décor, bedding, books and magazines, shoes, jewelry, furniture and seasonal products,
- Non-branded items,
- Tobacco, alcohol, firearms, gasoline, tires, prescription drugs, optical and photo products and services, or products that require a service agreement such as wireless, automotive or financial products.
As you can see, that is a lot of the store that isn't covered by the Savings Catcher app but does accept traditional price-matching.
I'm not a Walmart shopper. In fact, I try to avoid Walmart whenever possible. However, I know it is the best choice for lots of families, and I want you to save money whenever possible. I wouldn't stop comparison shopping and traditional price-matching, but the Savings Catcher app requires almost no effort for a possible payout. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
