The Biggest Consumer Complaints about the Walmart Credit Card

Wal-Mart credit card

You can’t please everybody, so you might as well please yourself, right? It might sound selfish, but at the end of the day someone should be pleased with your actions throughout the day and if it’s you, it’s you. But we aren’t talking about you. We’re talking about the ever-popular Walmart credit card that so many people have such a love/hate relationship with. They love the card because it makes shopping at your local Walmart that much simpler. They hate the card because, really, what’s not to dislike about credit cards?

With that in mind, we’ve taken the time to look over the biggest complaints about the Walmart credit card as reported to Consumer Affairs. Most people go on and on about the wonderful things you can buy, receive and earn with a particular credit card, but they’re not as open to talking about the downfalls and the negatives about holding any particular card. Fortunately for you, we don’t mind getting down and dirty to do a little additional research on your behalf. With that in mind, go ahead and take a gander at the biggest complaints consumers have about the Walmart credit card and weigh those with the good features of the card before you make the decision to apply. Remember; that application will hit your credit score so it’s imperative you make an informed decision.

Credit Limit Decreases

One of the biggest complaints about the Walmart credit card is that the company is notorious for offering their clients a credit limit decrease. The complaint reflects that after applying for other loans or credit cards from other lenders, many people realize that their card limit at Walmart has been decreased. Upon calling to find out what the issue is behind the card limit decrease they are informed that the fine print states that Walmart and the issuing bank are free to review your credit report at any time to evaluate whether or not a credit limit increase is something they should offer, and a decrease is not out of the question.

Walmart states that their policy is to send a letter to the cardholder to explain their decision, which is made after careful review of a cardholder’s credit report. They state that the most common reason they choose to decrease the credit limit of a client is because too many accounts are open, late payments are made or credit scores drop significantly. This is a complaint that’s opened to interpretation based on the individual person complaining, but it does seem that Walmart makes it a habit to decrease limits and rarely offer increases, according to their customers.

Cancelled Cards

Another of the biggest complaints filed about this particular credit card is a lack of understanding when speaking to customer service. Many people have filed complaints with Walmart citing that their credit account was cancelled. The reason? These people either lost their card or it was stolen. Upon calling Walmart to have that card cancelled before any fraudulent charges were made and to have a new card issued, customer service instead actually cancelled the entire account. This causes a hit to your credit report, and serious financial troubles for many cardholders.

While it might seem like a random occurrence, Walmart cardholders state that this is something that happens regularly. With that in mind, be careful if your card is missing to report that you want a new card mailed to you and just the card cancelled, not the entire account.

Poor Customer Service

There are literally thousands of complaints about the poor customer service Walmart credit cardholders receive when they call the credit lines to speak with an agent. One of the most common complaints is that it’s virtually impossible to reach a live customer service representative and that when they finally do reach one, they are treated poorly, rudely and they do not receive the help that they require.

This is a complaint that many people cite in the store as well, not related to credit card use but simply to overall shopping experiences. It’s safe to say that Walmart employees are not perfect, and that there are probably just as many satisfied customers as there are dissatisfied customers who shop the store. However, it is important to keep in mind that people are more likely to speak of their experience when it’s a terrible one than they are a good experience.

The credit cards Walmart uses are issued by GE Money Bank, and they have a reputation around the country for subpar customer service, which has apparently spilled over into the Walmart category. This makes people less inclined to want to apply for this card being that they don’t want to bother with the company when an issues arises.

Lack of Rewards

Another complaint that most cardholders have about the Walmart credit card is that they are led to believe that they will receive amazing card offers, discounts and benefits, and they don’t. The general consensus after reviewing hundreds of complaints is that the only benefit of this card is the few cents one gets off a gallon of gas at the pump. Now, while gas prices are so outrageous, you’d think that savings at the pump would be priceless, but after doing the math it seems that cardholders are saving a grand total of $20 to $25 per year on their gas purchases. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things, especially when other cards make it so much easier to earn rewards and points and more beneficial features.

The biggest benefit that cardholders can find is the fact that they are not required to pay an annual fee to have either of the Walmart cards. There are two cards, the Walmart card which can be used only when shopping at Walmart and the Discover card, which can be used anywhere. Neither offers bonus points or rewards, and both typically carry a high interest rate. Many people report that their standard rate is around 22%, which is significantly higher than those who have other cards.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

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