Hello. Thank you for being a Walmart Plus member. What can we help you with? You can say things like start return, refund status, why was my order canceled, or describe your issue in your own words."
Customers often contact Walmart's customer support to check the status of recent orders, begin the process for a return or obtain assistance with their account. Additionally, Walmart’s customer support can answer questions related to product details, payment methods and its membership plans.
I wanted to find out if Walmart currently offers any layaway plans for the upcoming holiday season, so I called their 800-966-6546 phone number. The automated system greets callers with an update stating that Black Friday deals are now available online, encouraging customers to visit Walmart’s website to shop early. You can choose 8 for assistance in Spanish or stay on the line for English.
At this point, I was given the option to seek help with an order or some other concern by speaking the phrase ‘order’ or ‘other’ directly into the phone. I wasn’t given an option to connect to a customer service representative, so I said the word ‘other’ and was placed on a brief hold before the rep answered the phone in less than two minutes. There isn't a detailed menu of choices, so be sure you know what you need prior to calling.
I jumped into my questions about whether Walmart offers layaway plans to pay for big-ticket items in installments, and the rep explained that the retailer no longer offers this multiple-payment program. It ended in 2020, he told me. Instead, customers can take advantage of a payment plan through Affirm, a company Walmart partners with to allow weekly or monthly payments for items either purchased in store or online.
Once customers have completed their online/in-store shopping, the rep explained they'd be given an option to choose Affirm as their method of payment. You do have to set up a separate account with Affirm to complete the transaction, and then, you're given options for the number of payments to make. Some offers include low or no interest on the purchase. This sounded like a good deal to me, especially since you can get the item you want immediately or once it's shipped, rather than waiting to make your layaway payments before you can pick up your purchase.
The rep also told me about a membership program called Walmart+ that allows customers to take advantage of free shipping for online purchases and free grocery delivery of any amount, as well as offers savings on gas, streaming services and auto care at Walmart locations. You can pay annually or monthly for this membership after a 30-day trial.
Since I don't use Walmart's shipping or fuel on a regular basis, this membership offer didn't appeal to me, but I thanked the rep and the call ended. The customer service rep was helpful and knowledgeable, and I appreciated being able to get through to a live person in a short amount of time. Having the option to speak to a rep is great even though many of the services are also accessible via Walmart's website.