Walmart plans to add 300 drone delivery sites with Zipline under a multiyear agreement announced November 5. The expansion is national in scope, but Walmart’s announcement gives no list of the first new stores or opening dates. For shoppers, the immediate test is whether Walmart offers drone delivery for their address and basket at checkout.
Walmart says its drone program has completed more than 2 million deliveries. That figure describes the retailer’s overall program, which predates the new agreement. The 300 figure refers to additional Zipline sites planned under the agreement. It gives no count of homes that can order by drone today.
How to check your address and basket
Enter the delivery address you plan to use in the Walmart app or on Walmart.com. You can also start at Walmart’s drone delivery page. According to the retailer’s drone delivery help page, the option appears at checkout if both the address and the basket qualify. The app may also show a way to browse eligible items or reserve a delivery slot. Walmart says some customers can order through the Zipline app as well.
An eligible address does not make every cart eligible. Walmart says availability can depend on weather, whether the location can accommodate a delivery, and the operator’s rules. If the drone option disappears when you build an order, look at the basket and the available delivery choices before assuming your neighborhood lost coverage. Nearby households can see different options, even when they shop at the same Walmart.
Check the fee on the order screen. Walmart’s help page describes zero drone delivery fees for Walmart+ members as a limited-time benefit. It does not present that benefit as a permanent term or a national price for shoppers without a membership. Walmart describes delivery in as fast as 30 minutes where available. Compare the estimate and fee shown at checkout with pickup and ordinary delivery, especially if you are deciding whether to split a larger order to get a few items sooner.
Where Walmart and Zipline started
Walmart and Zipline began working together in 2021. Zipline’s account of the partnership puts the new agreement alongside a $1.5 billion financing round, which the company said valued it at $21.5 billion after the investment. The financing is for Zipline’s broader business. The companies did not identify the full amount as Walmart’s spending on the 300 sites.
The partnership has operated in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Those markets show how site plans and delivery areas can differ. The FAA’s review of Zipline’s Dallas-Fort Worth operations analyzed a proposal for up to 75 sites across that metro area. That number describes the scope of a regional regulatory review. A customer’s access still depends on whether an operating site serves the address and whether the order qualifies.
Where the package goes
Walmart says eligible customers can track a delivery after ordering and that packages may be dropped in a front yard, backyard or driveway. The exact spot depends on what works at the address. If a drone order is delayed, Walmart says it may send a text or app notification offering cancellation or a switch to pickup. Its help page says applicable delivery fees are refunded when a customer switches to pickup and collects the order.
If a drone order arrives with a missing or damaged item, Walmart’s help page directs customers to different support routes depending on the operator. For Zipline deliveries, it says Zipline can issue a refund, while an in-store return is at the store manager’s discretion. The order confirmation is the place to check which company handled the flight.
