If You’ve Shopped at Walmart Over the Last Few Years, You Could Claim Up to $500 in Settlement Cash

The retailer is settling over claims that it artificially inflated the price of its weighted groceries. Here’s what to know.

Mary-Elisabeth Combs Associate Writer

Mary-Elisabeth is an associate writer on CNET’s How-To team. She’s a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s English Department, and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. On the How-To team, she covers a little bit of everything. When she’s not writing, she’s catching up on Formula 1 or reading.

If you’ve purchased “weighted goods” or “bagged citrus” from Walmart between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024, you might be eligible to file a claim to receive a share of Walmart’s proposed $45 million settlement. There’s more — you don’t even need proof of purchase to claim a piece of the settlement. 

The lawsuit alleges that Walmart’s point-of-sale machines artificially raised the weight of “weighted goods” when they were marked at a “Rollback” price, which would allegedly cause the total price to be higher than the advertised discount price. 

Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Walmart advertised and promoted bagged produce to weigh more than the actual weight of the item. Clearance products sold by weight, specifically with a “reduced price” sticker, also displayed a discrepancy between the advertised price per pound and what customers paid.

“Weighted goods” refers to any items that wouldn’t usually have a consistent weight and are usually priced based on said weight. Examples of weighted goods include packaged meat, poultry, pork and seafood. “Bagged citrus” refers to bags of fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit. 

Walmart has denied any wrongdoing, and according to NBC, paid out the settlement to avoid trial. Walmart did not respond to CNET’s request for comment. 

If you think you might be eligible to submit a claim, read on to find out what you need to know about filing your claim. 

For more on groceries, here are the best grocery delivery services in 2024 and if it’s cheaper to buy groceries online and have them delivered. 

Who is eligible to submit a claim?

If you bought “weighted goods” or “bagged citrus” (or both) from a Walmart between Oct. 19, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2024, you could be entitled to claim a part of the recent settlement. 

It is not necessary to have retained your receipts to be eligible to submit a claim. 

How much money could I get from Walmart?

If you did not retain your Walmart receipts, you can claim money as follows: 

• Customers who bought 1 to 50 “weighted goods” or “bagged citrus” can claim $10.
• Customers who bought 51 to 75 “weighted goods” or “bagged citrus” can claim $15.
• Customers who bought 76 to 100 “weighted goods” or “bagged citrus” can claim $20.
• Customers who bought 101-plus “weighted goods” or “bagged citrus” can claim $25.

If you retained your Walmart receipts, you can claim 2% of the total cost of the “weighted goods” and/or “bagged citrus” that you purchased, up to a limit of $500. If the amount of claims made exceeds the total settlement amount, your payment could be decreased. 

How can I file a claim, and what’s the deadline?

You can file a claim online by going to the settlement website. Otherwise, you can mail a claim form to:

Walmart Weighted Groceries Settlement, c/o Claims Administrator
1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210 
Philadelphia, PA 19103 

Your claim must be postmarked by June 5, 2024, to receive your payment. 

When will I receive my money? 

A final approval hearing is scheduled for June 16, 2024. Any eligible payments would go out after that date, but the process could be delayed by appeals.

We’ll update this story as new information develops.

For more ongoing settlements, here’s what to know about Verizon’s recent settlement.