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Shoppers who visited Walmart last Friday, may have been incorrectly overcharged sales tax. A new grocery tax went into effect on Sept. 1, lowering the sales tax rate on food by one percent across the state.

A statement released by Walmart on Sept. 1 reported that its systems mistakenly charged both the old tax rate and the new tax rate at the time of sale. The issue was corrected Friday evening and all systems are working correctly.

As part of an apology for the inconvenience, all Walmart stores across Alabama are providing customers with a $5 Walmart Gift Card. 

“To be eligible for the gift card, affected customers who paid in cash must present their receipts, dated September 1, 2023, to the customer service desk at any Walmart store in Alabama. The Walmart Gift Cards will be available through Monday, Sept. 18,” Walmart said in the statement.

Sam’s Club members who were impacted by the overcharge will receive $5 in Sam’s Cash that will be automatically applied to their account. Customers who used a credit card, debit card, or other forms of payment will receive a notification that refunds were automatically applied.

According to a column written by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, the state’s four percent sales tax on grocery items was reduced to three percent, and if growth in the Education Trust Fund continues at the same pace as recent years, another $150 million tax cut will automatically go into effect as soon as 2024.