Walmart Inc. reached a $45 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit (Kukorinis v. Walmart Inc.) alleging the retailer overcharged customers for certain weighted groceries. The lawsuit claimed that Walmart's point-of-sale systems artificially increased the weight or mislabeled the unit price of packaged meats and citrus, resulting in consumers paying more than the advertised price per pound. While Walmart denies these allegations, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation.
Who Was Eligible for the Walmart Settlement?
The settlement covered anyone who purchased specific weighted or bagged products at a Walmart store in the U.S. or Puerto Rico during the "Settlement Class Period".
- Qualified Products: Packaged poultry, pork, meat, and seafood sold by weight ("Weighted Goods"), as well as organic oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and navel oranges sold in mesh or plastic bags ("Bagged Citrus").
- Timeframe: Purchases must have been made between October 19, 2018, and January 19, 2024.
- Location: All Walmart retail stores, supercenters, and neighborhood markets in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Final Compensation and Award Tiers
Class members were eligible for varying cash payments based on the number of products purchased and whether they provided proof of purchase.
- Claims Without Proof: Consumers without receipts who bought up to 50 products were entitled to $10. Those claiming 51–75 items received $15, 76–100 items received $20, and those claiming more than 100 items received $25.
- Claims With Proof: Individuals who provided receipts or other documentation were eligible for 2% of the total cost of their documented purchases, with a maximum cap of $500.
- Payment Adjustments: All final payments were subject to pro rata increases or decreases based on the total volume of valid claims submitted.
Case Conclusion and Payout Status
The claim window for this major retail settlement is now permanently shut.
- Claim Deadline: The final deadline to file a claim form was June 5, 2024.
- Final Approval: The court granted final approval of the deal on June 12, 2024.
- Distribution: Settlement payments began being distributed to eligible claimants on September 30, 2025. Most payments were delivered via Mastercard Pre-Paid Digital Cards or other electronic methods chosen by the claimants.
