You can read the info below, or you can watch my video where I go over all this stuff in my most fascinating way! 😉
WATCH THE VIDEO
that explains it all!
I am putting together a list of questions that I get asked about Savings Catcher. Since I’m no expert, I’m getting the answers straight from the Savings Catcher site. I will link to the section where I get the answers from so you can read more if you want.
Here are some ways you can learn more about Savings Catcher…
Watch my fascinating Savings Catcher video! Over 400 450 500 550 600 viewers have survived it so far, so you will too! lol
Then watch my other equally fascinating Savings Catcher video! It covers all the stuff I say below.
Learn how to request a refund with this quick video. When things don’t work, we should report it so they can learn from their mistakes… hopefully! lol
Join my Darlene’s Savings Catcher facebook group! This is the perfect place for us to all learn the ropes together! Please invite your friends!
Visit Walmart’s Savings Catcher site! I know it can be overwhelming to read all that stuff, so that’s why I’ll be pointing out some of the important info here.
Questions you asked…
What is Savings Catcher?
It’s an easy way for Walmart to price match stores in your area to help you get the lowest price on the items you buy. You can learn more here.
Do I need a phone?
Nope! You can enter your receipts online if you want. And you can also use your smartphone by downloading the free app. You can learn more here.
How can I see which stores Savings Catcher price matches?
I don’t see an easy way to do this. What I suggest is scan a receipt in a smart phone then watch the screen. The stores Savings Catcher considers local competitors will scroll across the screen. I don’t think there is a way to find them after the fact, so you must watch it while they are scrolling by. I shop in Sanford and it usually finds about 50-ish stores and hits many surrounding towns, maybe up to about 20 miles away. It might go out further if you live in a town that does not have many stores. You can learn more here.
Will Savings Catcher price match according to where I live or to where I shop?
It will price match according to the store you shopped at. So if you are traveling and you hit a Walmart, it will price match other stores in that area. You can learn more here.
How long does it take to get the refund?
It takes up to 72 hours for Savings Catcher to send you a refund update. They will send you an email and you can also use the app on your phone to check. You can learn more here.
Do we get back cash?
We get the refund on a Walmart Rewards eGift Card that you can use at Walmart or Walmart.com. If you regularly shop at Walmart, that’s just as good as cash! And through Feb 28, 2015, we can move our balance over to a Bluebird card and they will double the money in the form of Walmart Buck$ that can also be used at Walmart or on Walmart.com. You can learn more here.
Does Savings Catcher price match all the sales?
Nope! From what I know, the ad needs to state a price. They will not match a BOGO sale. Here’s what they say: “Savings Catcher compares eligible items on your receipt to items found in the print and digital weekly ads of top retailers in your area. The ads must be valid at the time you made your Walmart purchase and include a specific item price.” You can learn more and see what they don’t match here.
What is Bluebird?
It’s a card designed in partnership by American Express and Walmart. From now until 2/28/15, if we move our Savings Catcher savings over to our Bluebird account, they will double the savings! You can learn more here.
When I move my savings to Bluebird, will it double right away?
Yes! It will! I had just $.42 in Savings Catcher and when I moved it to Bluebird, it instantly jumped to $.84. I did get one report from a reader that she did not see a doubled amount, but Bluebird said they saw it on their end and it might just take a bit. So if you don’t see it right away, give it a few minutes. But then if you still don’t see it, I’d call Bluebird and ask them about it. You can learn more here.
Can I still use coupons?
Yes, Yes, YES! And it will not lower your refund! Here is how Savings Catcher explains it: “If you use a coupon, Savings Catcher will compare the original Walmart price of the item, before the coupon was applied, to other stores’ advertised prices for the same item. For example: You bought cookies at Walmart. The shelf price was $3 and you used a coupon for $0.25, so you paid $2.75. If Savings Catcher finds that a competitor advertised those same cookies for $2.00, Savings Catcher will still credit you $1.00, even though you paid only $2.75 at Walmart.” You can learn more here.
How much can I earn?
Savings Catcher will price match up to $599.99 in savings per year. You can also double that entire amount on Bluebird. Bluebird’s doubling ends on 2/28, so we really need to take advantage of the savings during that time frame. You can learn more here. UPDATE: Reader Sharlene pointed out that it’s per calendar year, so that means we could earn that much this year then next year it starts over!
Other stuff you need to know…
You must buy the exact item listed in a competitor’s flyer and you must shop during sale dates shown.
Savings Catcher is too new for me to know exactly what they will or will not match. It says it must be the exact variety or size, but what about when an ad just states something like “various sizes?” Will they price match it? Those are the things we need to learn. You can learn more here.
It’s a good idea to follow what the competitor’s ad says.
If an advertised item is on sale just for 3 days, shop during those 3 days. If an ad states “must buy 4” then I would buy 4. If an ad states “limit 2” then I would only buy 2. We don’t know yet how clever Savings Catcher is, so let’s assume it’s very smart and not take chances. Of course, if you experiment, let us know the results!
Take the flyers with you to Walmart.
You might find other things that make for very good deals and you’ll want the sales flyers in your hand so you can look stuff up.
Savings Catcher price matches produce!
They are kind of vague in what kind of produce, like I don’t know if it has to be bagged or if loose stuff is okay. This is what they say: Groceries such as cereal and rice and most fruits and vegetables except for: private label / store brand items, deli, bakery and weighed meat items. You can learn more here.
Do NOT price match at the register.
Please remember that you need to let Savings Catcher do the price matching for you so you can move the savings over to Bluebird for double the savings! When the Bluebird doubling offer expires on 2/28, then you can price match at the register if you prefer. I totally prefer not to do that, so I sure hope Savings Catcher works right!
You must scan your receipt within 7 days from making your purchase.
Here is what the Savings Catcher site says: “Your receipt needs to be 7 days old or less. For example, if you shopped on Tuesday, you have until the following Monday to submit your receipt.” You can learn more here.
You can only scan 7 receipts per week.
Savings Catcher will keep track for you and it lets you know how many more receipts you can scan. You can learn more here.
There is an Auto Scan feature on the phone app!
I see there is a way to Auto Scan right at the register on the app. I have not really looked into it because phones are not my forte. But I will have to check it out, and you should too, because scanning right there at the register means you don’t have to worry about remembering to scan, or if a big gust of wind blows your receipt away, you will be okay! But scanning is fun because you can see which stores it finds. So, it’s up to you.
If you didn’t get a refund that you expected, do not transfer your balance to a Walmart Rewards eGift Card or to your Bluebird card.
Contact Savings Catcher within 7 days and leave your balance in your Savings Catcher account until any mistakes are fixed. Here is what Savings Catcher says: “We do our best to match items from other stores’ ads with accuracy. If you have any questions, or think we missed something, please let us know within 7 days of receiving your results email using the “Contact Us” button in the Savings Catcher section on our full site and the “Give Feedback” option in the main menu on our app. We always welcome your feedback. Please note that we cannot make any adjustments after the rewards have been redeemed to an e-gift card or Bluebird.” You can learn more here.
Don’t get confused!
We shop at Walmart and price match other stores. It’s not the other way around. Also, we want the competitor prices to be low and Walmart’s prices to be high so we can get a bigger refund when Bluebird doubles the savings! If Walmart’s price is lower than the competitor, you will not get any kind of refund.
Please be responsible!
It worries me to no end that everyone will end up having a bad experience with Savings Catcher then end up blaming me. I totally expect it to be mostly good, but please educate yourself about how it works before you head to the store. And remember, I’m in the exact same boat as you. I’m just now testing this. Everything I tell you is from what I’ve read on the Savings Catcher site. The prices I get are prices I find online. Savings will vary for everyone because prices can vary at different Walmarts. Just know that even though we are all in this together, you are on your own when it comes to the decisions you make.
Something I thought about…
At first I was thinking once everyone is using Savings Catcher, the shelves would always be instantly cleared. But here’s what I’m thinking now. If someone buys 50 of one thing, they better hope that Savings Catcher catches the price match for that item! If not, they will have just spent a lot of money on their stockpile. And testing a product is not an easy thing to do, because it can take 3 days for the results to come in then you’d have to go back to the store. And by that time, the shelves might be cleared simply because many people were able to pick up a few items. So please remember that if you buy a bunch of stuff, there is always a chance it will not work. And we don’t know yet how good Savings Catcher’s customer service is. It’s probably better to buy just a few of each of many different items, then if some don’t work, it’s not the end of the world if Savings Catcher does not fix the boo boo. And I know returning is easy, but I’ve been told that any food items, even if not opened, like canned goods, have to be thrown out if returned.
Something else I thought about…
Did you find a Walmart receipt blowing in the wind? You might want to go ahead and scan it! Just remember you are limited to 7 scans per week. But finding a receipt might be just as good as finding cash!
Funny names I’ve heard for Savings Catcher so far…
Saving Star (that one is inevitable!)
Catching Star
Star Catcher
Star Saver
Star Savings
Catch the Savings
Price Catcher
If you have more questions, please check out the FAQs on the Savings Catcher site. That is where I get the answers for you. If the answer is not there, then I probably won’t know either.
You can learn more about Savings Catcher and sign up here
You can learn more about Bluebird and sign up here
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Blue bird how ever wants my full social? Did you have any concerns?