Last Updated on 06/26/2021 by GS Staff
Q: Does Aldi take credit cards?
Aldi is a discount supermarket chain that focuses on value for its customers. It currently has approximately 2,000 grocery stores across the United States.
The company contains primarily common grocery items to keep costs low. You are not going to find large shelves full of pasta sauce at Aldi like you would at other national grocery chains.
Most of their products are from the Aldi exclusive brand; however, you will find a few name brands here and there. Your choices are limited, but the stores contain many of the essentials you may require for your everyday needs.
Payment Options At Aldi
Aldi switched to accepting credit cards in March 2016. Previously, the payment methods were limited to cash, debit cards, Link, and EBT cards.
Aldi currently accepts the following credit cards:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Discover
- American Express
They also take most debit cards, cash, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), Link cards, SNAP, and countless pay like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Accepting credit cards comes with a cost to Aldi and other stores like Costco. When a credit card is swiped, the company pays an interchange fee to the credit card company. These fees are small per transaction but they accumulate quickly when you factor in the enormous amount of daily card swipes. The fees can be very significant to the company’s bottom line.
This is why the no-frills grocery chain was reluctant to introduce credit cards to their stores in the past. However, as the company has expanded in the United States, it has realized the importance of offering a variety of payment options for customer convenience.
Carts & Bags
If you have never shopped at Aldi, you should be aware of the carts and bags. They handle these things differently than other stores.
- Carts – The carts are typically located at the entrance of Aldi. You will need to bring a quarter to obtain a cart. You insert the quarter into the cart and it unlocks it for use. When you return the cart to the cart storage area, you get your quarter back. The below quick videos show you how to unlock a cart for use and how to return a cart to obtain your quarter back.
Getting A Cart
Returning a Cart
- Bags – Aldi charges for bags. We encourage you to save a few cents and bring your own or find an empty box in the store to use at checkout. Additionally, the clerk likely will not assist you in bagging so be prepared to be your own bag boy or girl.
Sources:
aldi.us
Image – Mike Mozart/flickr