Hidden fees at Walmart, Target & Costco you’re paying without knowing ...Middle East

GOING grocery shopping is already a costly venture as is, but your bill may be spiked even further by hidden fees.

Retailers like Walmart, Target, and Costco may be bumping up your total without you even knowing it.

Thanks to inflation, your trips to the grocery store or supermarket are 2.4% more expensive than they were last June, per data from the USDA.

The average shopper spends roughly $235 on groceries each week, with over 50% of consumers admitting to being stressed over food prices, per a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. 

To make matters worse, retailers employ a number of strategies to squeeze every dollar they can out of shoppers.

Sometimes, you may not even notice.

Here are some sneaky ways that retail giants like Walmart, Target, and Costco are raising your totals without you even knowing.

WALMART WOES

Walmart shoppers have shelled out more cash than they expected when it came time to pay.

1. Location-based fees

Some Walmart customers have reported being hit with unexpected location-based fees on their online orders.

For example, one shopper from Guam was charged an over $67 surcharge on an online order with just one item, per a Reddit post.

Another Walmart customer in Puerto Rico saw a location fee over $17 slapped onto their online order.

2. Third-party shipping charges

Walmart has also faced shopper complaints for imposing pricey shipping fees on orders from third-party vendors.

In one instance, a customer was charged $200 for shipping, airing her grievances in a Facebook post.

“When people order on Walmart website we should not be charged 3rd party shipping and handling. It is unfair to regular loyal customers to get shafted like this,” cried the shopper.

She explained that she orders from Walmart frequently, but that on a recent order over $200, she was charged $200 for shipping and handling.

“Walmart is getting to become more and more like a bully with their rules. Sam Walton would be ashamed of how Walmart is being ran now,” wrote the customer.

How to sign up to Walmart+

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Here’s how to sign up to Walmart+:

Remember to cancel before the 30 days are up, or pay $12.95 per month (which you can cancel at any time) or $98 for the annual plan if you want to keep it.

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3. Self-checkout errors

Walmart shoppers have accidentally been charged extra at self-checkout.

In one scenario, a customer was overcharged by $60 due to an error with the scan and go feature.

“A customer just told me that when he was self-checking out, his bill came to $150,” said TikTok user Tonya P (@tonyap) in a viral video.

“But when he checked his receipt, the total of his items was actually $90. Walmart charged him an extra $60.”

TARGET TROUBLE

Target shoppers have similarly been bombarded with tacked on charges.

1. Public improvement fees

Target has added a “public improvement fee” to purchases in certain areas, such as Colorado.

The fee – adding on around 1% to go toward funding local infrastructure projects – has caught shoppers by surprise.

“I was curious about, you know, what that is? What does that go to? What does it mean? And really, what kind of information I could get? No one in the store could really answer my question,” Colorado resident Holly Teska told NBC affiliate KUSA.

She posted about her trip to Target in March 2023, prompting much backlash against the chain.

“I swear its like they WANT to be boycotted,” fumed one shopper, as another cried, “Target should be paying the fees they owe!”

2. Hidden shipping fees

While Target offers free shipping on orders over $35, some shoppers have found themselves paying up to $200 to receive their online orders.

The standard shipping fee for orders under $35 stands at $5.99, although this price can quickly spike due to varying policies or additional fees not clearly disclosed during checkout.

Target shoppers, for example, could be hit with up to $200 in hidden delivery fees for having bulky items weighing over 1,000 pounds brought to the room of their choice.

3. Overcharging

Multiple Target locations have been accused of overcharging customers, with a store in North Carolina even shelling out a $14,755 fine after several failed price inspections.

“If you shop at Target, please double check your receipts,” cried one shopper on Facebook, sharing that she had been overcharged regularly at the retailer for the past two years “to the point that I rarely shop there any more.”

“Today it happened again on three items. I caught one at the register and had them change it, but I had to go to customer service to fix the other two.”

What to do if you're overcharged

If you are overcharged at a retailer, there are a few ways to get your money back.

If you noticed you were charged more than the advertised or posted price, report it to an employee or manager.

Make sure to keep your receipt to show the price difference.

As a shopper, you are entitled to the lowest advertised, posted or quoted price offered by the store.

If you are charged more than the advertised, posted or quoted a price, report it to the sales clerk right away. If the sales clerk can’t help, speak to the manager.

Stores must honor a posted price, even if the price has expired.

You are also able to dispute charges with your bank if you notice something suspicious on your statement.

According to Los Angeles County Consumer& Business Affairs

COSTCO CHAOS

In addition to Walmart and Target, shoppers at Costco have been left frustrated over extra charges.

1. Non-member surcharge

Costco tacks on an additional 5% to purchases made by non-members, both online and in-store, with the exception of prescription drugs. 

This surcharge is in addition to the posted prices for members and can be avoided by either becoming a member of Costco or using a gift card bought by a member. 

2. Overcharging

Similarly to Target, Costco shoppers have been hit hard by incidents of overcharging.

In one case, a woman was charged 17 times for a $308 purchase, totaling over $5,200.

Tips to avoid hidden fees

“I start getting texts from my Citi card text alert that that same charge had hit again,” Ashton Weinberger told a local outlet.

“Now at first I was thinking, ‘Oh, that’s weird. It’s delayed.’ But then it hit again and again and again.”

3. Delivery markups

Costco markets its online shopping as a convenient alternative to shopping in-person at its warehouses, advertising perks such as free shipping on orders more than $75 and same-day delivery options.

However, members who use the retailer’s same-day delivery or third-party services such as Instacart may end up shelling out even more cash than in-store even before any visible delivery or service fees.

Same-day orders are often priced 15% to 20% higher than in-warehouse prices, separate from any delivery fees or tips for the service. 

The U.S. Sun reached out to Walmart, Target, and Costco for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Read up on the hidden subscription fees up to $276 you’re still paying for – and how to cancel them today.

Plus, never pay for five things at checkout – the sneaky charges up to $500 stores are quietly upselling.

Hence then, the article about hidden fees at walmart target costco you re paying without knowing was published today ( Thursday 14/08/2025 - 10:13 PM ) and is available on The U.S. Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

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