What To Know When Ordering Groceries For Pickup At Aldi

Ordering groceries for pickup is super convenient, but each grocery store does things a little bit differently. If you're ordering groceries at Aldi, there are a few things you should know. First, you might pay more — higher online grocery prices are one of the sneaky ways convenience can cost you more money. According to Aldi's website, items are sometimes priced higher online "to cover the cost of personal shopping or delivery."

Higher item prices aren't the only additional cost you'll be paying for pickup — the store also charges a pickup fee that starts at $1.99. Also, curbside pickup isn't ideal if you just need to grab a thing or two, as your order needs to be at least $10 to qualify for pickup. If you prefer to order your groceries on your computer, that's totally fine — the Aldi website interface is pretty simple to use, and you can easily create an order for pickup or delivery. If you'd prefer to use your phone, you're better off downloading the Aldi mobile app.

Before you start ordering your favorite Aldi items to your cart on the app, be sure you'll be able to make it for pickup on the same day. You can change your pickup date and time until a shopper starts putting your order together — once that happens, you're locked in. Aldi will hold your order until 7 p.m. on the day your pickup is scheduled. If you don't pick up your order by 7 p.m., it'll be cancelled and you'll be charged a $15 cancellation fee.

We took a look at what people are saying ordering grocery for pickup at Aldi on social media. Shoppers on Reddit have mentioned the higher prices you may find when you're shopping online versus in the store. Some say they've noticed that every single item on their list costs more than it would in-store, with price hikes ranging from a few cents to a dollar per item, with the total cost coming out to be about 10% more than what they would pay in-store at Aldi. 

If you're buying produce, you might want to make your way into the store — according to customers on social media, it seems that the quality of produce in pickup orders is often lacking. If you have a problem with the produce in your order, you can report the problem in the app. Shoppers say that refunds for shoddy produce are quick.

The general consensus, however, is that Aldi's pickup service is worth it. While the higher per-item price and the delivery fee add up, shoppers say that Aldi's lower prices overall still make it a less expensive choice than shopping at other grocery stores, especially if you're someone who tends to be tempted by Aldi's aisle of shame. If you'd like to give it a try, download the app, choose a time, and get to shopping.