HEB Curbside Pickup is your very own personal shopper service from the Texas grocery chain. They’ll pick and bag all your groceries for you when you place an order online or through the HEB App. After you’ve parked in one of the designated curbside parking spaces, an H-E-B Curbside service partner will put your groceries in your car, and off you go. No more crowded checkout lines or blocked aisles. Now you can spend the time you would have spent grocery shopping somewhere you’d rather be. But do you tip HEB Curbside?
After your HEB curbside specialist has put all your groceries into your car for you, you might wonder what the HEB curbside tipping policy is. Do you tip HEB curbside or not? Find the answer to this tricky question in our HEB curbside tipping guide.
Grocery pickup services are an excellent option for people who would rather spend their time somewhere other than navigating the grocery store layout. HEB also offers grocery delivery, called Home Delivery, in selected areas for a small delivery fee. HEB is a fantastic, customer-friendly grocery store for those living in the great state of Texas!
Answered: Do You Tip HEB Curbside?
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No, you don’t have to tip HEB Curbside pickup employees. There is a strong tipping culture in the United States, and it can be challenging to understand precisely when you need to leave a tip. Before you think that maybe you still should leave a tip, HEB’s official policy discourages shoppers from tipping HEB Curbside Pickup partners.
HEB doesn’t want its employees accepting or soliciting tips. HEB pays their employees well to put your groceries in your vehicle, so tips are not required. After all, this is a convenience you’re already paying for! HEB Curbside Pickup costs up to $3 more on a $100 order due to item markups.
If you still feel like you should leave a tip, keep in mind that the person putting your groceries in your car is usually not the person who spent time picking out all of your items in the store. It’s not fair to tip the person putting bags into your car but not the person who spent much more time selecting your groceries. This is one reason why HEB and etiquette experts recommend not tipping HEB Curbside associates.
Do You Still Want To Leave a Tip?
If you still want to leave a tip, you can try, but it’s official policy to refuse customer tips at many HEB locations. HEB is known to use secret shoppers from time to time to enforce a location’s tipping policy. These secret shoppers ensure that employees follow policy and catch employees who are not following the rules.
To prevent uncomfortable situations and awkward exchanges, don’t offer a tip in the first place. If you force a tip onto an HEB Curbside pickup partner and that partner doesn’t follow their location’s rules, they could lose their jobs.
At some stores, tips are only allowed if the employee first refuses them. Then, the HEB Curbside pickup partner has to turn the tip over to their store leaders. The tips then go into a petty cash account that the store manager uses for partner appreciation events, pizza parties, and maintenance costs.
Of course, the temptation to not turn tips over to management is high. If it’s store policy to turn in tips and the employee doesn’t turn in your tip, they could lose their job.
How much do you tip HEB Curbside grocery pickup?
If your HEB curbside location accepts tips, there is no set dollar tip amount. A good rule of thumb is not to tip more than a few dollars. Remember that HEB’s official policy is that tips are discouraged because they pay their employees a decent wage. You don’t have to feel guilty about not tipping, and remember that you’re already paying for the convenience.
H-E-B Curbside FAQs (Your HEB Curbside Questions, Answered)
People often have specific questions about H-E-B Curbside. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions people ask about HEB’s Curbside service.
How do I order HEB Curbside?
You can use the HEB Curbside website or the HEB Curbside app to place your order for your grocery essentials.
If you want to use the HEB curbside app, it’s available on Apple and Android phones through the App Store or Google Play Store.
How does HEB Curbside Pickup work?
When you’re ready to pick up your order, park in one of the designated HEB curbside parking spaces. Then, text your parking spot code to 99147. An HEB curbside associate will come out with your groceries and put them in your car. Then off you go!
What are the H-E-B Curbside Pickup hours?
H-E-B Curbside Pickup typically begins at 7:00 am and ends at 9:00 pm. That’s one hour after and two hours before the grocery store closes. You can view available pickup time slots through the web ordering service or the phone app.
Use HEB’s ‘Find a Store’ tool to find your local store’s hours. Enter your zip code and then select your local store.
Is HEB Curbside free?
HEB curbside pickup is always free on orders over $35. For orders less than $35, a ‘small basket fee’ of $2.95 may apply.
HEB customers are never charged membership fees, unlike other grocery pickup and delivery services.
How to avoid the $2.95 small cart shopper fee (small basket surcharge)
On curbside orders that are less than $35, a small basket surcharge of $2.95 applies. Curbside pickup is free on all orders over $35, so add a few more items to your cart to avoid the small basket service fee.
Does HEB charge more for Curbside groceries?
Are HEB curbside grocery prices more expensive? Yes, HEB curbside grocery prices can be up to 3% more than if you shopped inside the store. The added expense comes from item markups of up to three percent.
Curbside pickup services offer convenience, but it’s essential to understand any hidden fees before signing up. Markups are not unique to HEB, as Instacart also has them. A good rule of thumb is to expect to pay more when using curbside pickup or grocery delivery services.
For example, on a $100 grocery order, pickup customers have up to another $3 in increased item prices through HEB Curbside. So that $100 shopping cart can become $103. In other words, HEB Curbside pickup could cost you up to 3% more on a $100 order than if you shopped inside of the store. It’s not a lot, but if you want to save up to $3 on a $100 grocery store trip, you should do your shopping inside HEB, not through HEB Curbside pickup.
Is item availability guaranteed? Will all of my grocery choices be there when I pick up my order from the store?
No, HEB Curbside pickup does not guarantee item availability. So even if your cart includes an item, there’s no guarantee that it will be available when HEB bags your items. HEB will try to make an equivalent substitution in the case of unavailable items. If a substitution is not available, HEB won’t charge you for the unavailable item.
Are substitutions possible? What happens if an item I ordered is unavailable?
Yes, HEB will try to make a substitution if an item that you ordered in your cart is unavailable. HEB won’t charge you for the out-of-stock item if no substitution is available. Out-of-stock items can always be a bit of a disappointment since the item might be an integral part of your dinner plans. Or, in the case of substitutions, it might be something you wouldn’t have chosen yourself. It’s essential to keep this in mind when using HEB Curbside pickup.
HEB Curbside missing items
If your curbside pickup order is missing items that weren’t out of stock or substituted, contact HEB for a refund.
Refunds are also processed by phone, in the store, through the HEB Curbside app, and on the website. The company’s call customer service number is 1-855-803-0611.
What if I’m late? Do I need to change my HEB Curbside Pickup time?
HEB will hold your order until the end of the day, so if you’re late for your pickup time slot, there’s no reason to worry. If you can’t pick up your order today, your HEB personal shopper will call you to reschedule your pickup time slot. Refer to your order confirmation email for further details.
Can you pick up HEB Curbside early?
You can pick up your HEB curbside order early if your order status says ‘Ready for Pickup.’ Otherwise, you will need to wait until your original pickup time.
To check if your order is ready for pick up, use your browser to go to the ‘order status’ page for online orders. If you’re using the HEB Curbside app, go to your ‘order history’ to view the order status.
Can someone else pick up my order?
Yes, you can have someone else pick up your curbside order for you. Just make sure the person picking up the order has your order number and name.
Once they’ve parked in the designated HEB Curbside Pickup parking spot, they’ll need to text their parking spot code to 99147. An HEB employee will then confirm the order number and name. Pretty convenient!
Does HEB Curbside Pickup have a minimum order amount?
No, there’s no minimum order requirement. That said, the company charges a $2.95 ‘small basket fee’ for orders below $35. To avoid this fee, increase your order size to at least $35. Voila, no pickup fee!
Is there a maximum order amount?
The curbside pickup service has no maximum order amount in terms of dollars.
Is there a maximum order size?
While it probably won’t apply to you, grocery orders are limited to 1,000 items.
If you are ordering more than 1,000 items, you can get around the item limits by placing more than one order.
How can I modify my HEB Curbside Pickup order? (app and website instructions)
To modify an eligible pickup order, head over to the ‘order status’ page for online orders and the ‘order history’ for HEB Curbside app orders. Next, tap the ‘add items’ button to select additional items. If you don’t see the ‘add items’ button, you can’t modify your order.
If you forget something, you can add up to 20 extra items to your order if there are at least four hours until your pickup time.
Items can be removed from your order up to 24 hours before the desired delivery or pickup date.
How can I cancel my HEB Curbside Pickup order?
You can cancel your grocery pickup order through your order status page on your desktop, mobile browser, or the My H-E-B App.
Can I order beer or wine through HEB Curbside Pickup?
Yes, beer and wine are available for purchase through HEB Curbside pickup. Customers must present an ID at pickup to verify their eligibility to purchase alcohol. You can also use the HEB delivery service for alcohol delivery. Your HEB home delivery driver will verify your ID. So have your ID handy!
What if I need to speak to a person?
If you’re having a problem with your order, need help ordering, or have an issue with your HEB curbside pickup service, you might want to talk with a real person for assistance. If that’s the case, HEB curbside’s phone line is 1-855-803-0611.
What forms of payment does HEB accept for curbside pickup and home delivery?
For curbside pickup and home delivery, HEB accepts all payment methods in this list:
- Credit Cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express)
- Debit Cards
- HEB gift cards
- EBT Cards
Does HEB take American Express cards (Amex)?
Yes, HEB takes American Express cards for payment.
Can I use EBT for HEB Curbside?
Yes, you can use your EBT card for HEB Curbside Pickup orders. EBT cards are also known as food stamps and SNAP cards.
Can I use my WIC benefits for online HEB orders?
HEB does not accept WIC benefits for online shopping, including curbside pickup and H-E-B Home Delivery. To use your Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, you’ll need to shop inside a participating store.
Does HEB accept Apple Pay?
No, HEB does not accept Apple Pay in their stores, for curbside pickup, or for home delivery.
Can I use coupons for curbside or delivery orders?
HEB does not accept manufacturers’ coupons, digital coupons, or in-store coupons for curbside pickup and home delivery orders. If you clip coupons, you’ll need to use them the next time you’re shopping inside one of their grocery stores.
Keep in mind that if there’s a special promotion inside the store, you’re unlikely to pay the same sale price if you use curbside pickup.
What is HEB’s starting pay for team members?
HEB’s starting pay averages $14 per hour. Certain positions, such as order selectors/pickers in their warehouses, have wages starting at $17.50 per hour.
In addition to competitive employee compensation, full-time partners receive health benefits, a matching 401k plan, a stock plan, and a grocery discount card.
How much does Curbside HEB pay?
HEB Curbside specialists earn an average of $16 per hour. Wages range from $14 to $18 per hour, depending on location and experience.