Curbside Pickup At Kroger Is Convenient, But It Could Cost You Extra

Kroger, a prominent grocery retailer, operates not only Kroger-brand grocery stores, but a diverse family of brands across the nation including Baker's, Fred Meyer's, King Soopers, and Ralph's. With so many accessible stores, many of us have likely embraced the convenience of the curbside pickup Kroger offers, either through its mobile app or online. (This is just another instance where grocery shopping once a week can save you money.) However, for some, this convenience comes at a hidden cost — a $35 minimum purchase or a $4.95 service fee. These costs can make someone wonder, "Is curbside grocery pickup worth it?"

Kroger advertises free grocery pickup, but if you want to place an order for items totaling less than $35, be prepared to pay the service fee price. With that in mind, it might be more worthwhile to add a few extra items to the order so the total meets the minimum purchase requirement for the pickup service to be free. Nowadays, $35 can quickly add up, so stocking up on a few regular essentials can be a productive way to boost the total. Alternatively, you could add ingredients for a new recipe you've been wanting to try. But, what's with this service charge anyway? And why do purchases above $35 exclude it?

The $4.95 service fee covers the average cost of fulfilling each order. More specifically, the company incurs various costs while providing the pickup order service, including maintaining technology like the online ordering platform and devices employees use for order fulfillment. Additional labor is also needed for the extended department and there's costs for the logistics involved with safely and efficiently staging pickup areas both inside and outside the store. The $35 minimum helps cover the store's investment in the service but also boosts sales. Since Kroger loses out on these increased profits when someone place a pickup order less than $35, the service fee ensures it won't be losing money while still offering the service.

There are a few ways to avoid paying more than intended with or without the tacked on $4.95 service fee. One way is to add coupons. If an order exceeds $35 before tax, but is then reduced to under $35 from applying coupons, the service fee will still be excluded. On Kroger's app and website, hundreds of digital coupons can be clipped before placing a pickup order — some are customer-specific, because Kroger knows more about you than you realize. These coupons will automatically be applied to qualifying items at checkout. Additionally, paper coupons can be applied to the total when you pick up the order in person.