Today, we have more options than ever before when it comes to buying caskets. Big-box sellers like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon have made the casket-buying process more accessible.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Can You Buy Caskets at Walmart?
- How Much Do Caskets at Walmart Cost?
- 8 Tips for Purchasing a Casket at Walmart
You might not know what type of casket to choose, how much a casket should cost, or how to purchase such a large item. Plus, time spent considering caskets for a loved one can be emotional and exhausting.
In this article, we’ll discuss Walmart casket options for your consideration. We’ll also give you some useful tips for buying a casket at Walmart if that’s what you choose to do.
Can You Buy Caskets at Walmart?
As strange as it might sound, you can in fact purchase a casket from Walmart. The retailer added caskets to its online catalog in 2009. It initially launched the product line as a beta test to gauge consumer interest. More than a decade later, Walmart offers three casket brands in various styles, colors, and materials.
Buying a casket online
Walmart only sells its caskets online, which can make the process easier. You don’t have to go to a Walmart location to pick up a 200 to 400-pound casket and transport it to the funeral home. Instead, Walmart ships the casket directly to the funeral home you choose.
Third-party caskets
You might be wondering how a funeral director would react to you purchasing a Walmart casket. After all, funeral homes make much of their profit from casket sales.
But according to the FTC’s Funeral Rule (a federal regulation), a funeral home has to accept third-party caskets and use them at the consumer’s request. The funeral home can’t require you to purchase a casket from its own inventory to provide you with other services.
How Much Do Caskets at Walmart Cost?
A casket is a large purchase no matter where you buy it. But Walmart can provide relatively low-cost caskets in both hardwood and metal.
Price range
Walmart’s caskets currently start at $995 and range all the way up to $3,395. Most Walmart caskets are in the $1,100 to $1,400 price range.
At the lower end, Walmart offers simple steel caskets in various finishes. Each of them includes a velvet or crepe interior with a pillow and bedding.
Hardwood caskets start at around $1,300 for oak, cherry, and maple, ranging up to $3,395 for solid mahogany.
Shipping fees
When considering the cost of a Walmart casket, you have to factor in the cost of shipping. After all, a casket is larger than pretty much anything else you might order online.
Luckily, the shipping cost for a Walmart casket is lower than you might expect, at $49.97.
Walmart uses freight delivery for their casket orders, and they typically arrive within two days.
Financing for Walmart caskets
Another factor to consider when buying a casket is whether you want to pay in full or would rather finance your purchase.
Walmart offers financing for its caskets through Affirm, allowing you to make payments over three, six, or twelve months. But the APR on these loans can be hefty, ranging from 10% to 30%.
According to Experian, the average rate on a personal loan is 9.41%.
Walmart casket prices compared
On average, Walmart’s caskets cost less than those sold by funeral homes. That’s because Walmart can buy products in bulk, while small businesses usually can’t.
By buying a Walmart casket, you’ll likely save between $300 and $700, based on the average casket price.
8 Tips for Purchasing a Casket at Walmart
If you’re interested in buying a casket from Walmart, here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Inform the funeral home
Whenever you buy a third-party casket, you’ll need to inform the funeral home you’re working with. Walmart does not ship caskets to personal residences. It only permits shipping to funeral homes.
Before you place your order for a casket and provide your funeral home address, make sure that the funeral director knows they should be expecting a delivery.
2. Understand the Funeral Rule
As you’re speaking with the funeral director, it’s crucial to understand the FTC’s Funeral Rule. This federal regulation states that a funeral home has to accept third-party caskets, including those from Walmart.
Suppose your funeral director refuses to accept a third-party casket. In that case, they may be fined or required to attend training by the FTC. To report a violation of the Funeral Rule, visit the FTC website.
3. Consider other financing options
As mentioned above, you can finance your casket purchase with Affirm through the Walmart website. But you might not get the best APR available to you, especially if you have good credit.
Affirm’s APRs, according to Walmart, begin at 10% and range up to 30%. The average APR on a large purchase like a casket is 20%.
If you can’t afford to buy the casket in one go, you might get better interest rates by working with your bank or credit card provider. Typically, a personal loan will offer better interest rates than a credit card, but you’ll need good credit to acquire one.
4. Compare prices and purchasing options for the same casket
Walmart sells caskets from several brands, including:
- Overnight Caskets
- Casket Emporium
- Titan Casket
These casket brands are available from other online retailers, including Amazon and casket-specific sellers. They also each have websites that sell their products online. Usually, identical caskets are available for the same prices as Walmart listings.
If you find a casket you like on Walmart’s website, it’s a good idea to search for the product online. You’ll be able to find more information on the casket, as well as additional reviews. You might also find a better price than Walmart or other types of financing.
5. Know Walmart’s casket return policy
The biggest downside of buying a casket online is that you can’t lay eyes on the product before buying it. You can only view a limited number of photos and a brief product description. So it’s critical that you’re able to return a casket if you end up with something you didn’t expect.
Walmart allows returns on caskets only if the product is defective. You can return the casket to a Walmart store near you, as long as it’s within 90 days. You can’t return a casket based on anything other than manufacturing defects.
6. Consider other online sellers
If you like the idea of buying a casket online but you haven’t found what you’re looking for on Walmart’s website, there are other online options to try. Here are some ideas:
- Amazon. Amazon offers many of the same casket options as Walmart. And Amazon also offers some additional options, like biodegradable wicker caskets.
- Costco. Costco is another big-box retailer that offers caskets online.
- Trusted Caskets. Trusted Caskets is an online retailer that specializes in casket sales. That means the website is tailored to casket shopping, making it easier to find exactly what you want.
- Casket manufacturers. As mentioned above, you can purchase many of the caskets Walmart sells directly from the manufacturer. Overnight Caskets and Titan Caskets, for example, offer nationwide shipping.
You can find certified sellers of green caskets and shrouds on the Green Burial Council’s website.
7. Look at measurements and specifications
There’s more to a casket than the material, color, and cost. Before buying any casket online, with Walmart or another retailer, make sure to examine these specifications:
- Brand and/or manufacturer
- Material
- Assembled weight
- Part number
- Color
- Assembled product dimensions
- Handles
It’s imperative to look at the material, weight, and product dimensions. If you end up with a casket that’s too small or made out of a lower-quality material than you were expecting, you won’t be able to return it.
A 20-gauge steel casket should weigh at least 200 pounds, and the average dimensions are 24 inches wide and 79 inches long. They’re typically 23 or 24 inches tall. If you need an oversized casket, you’ll need to search for that specifically.
8. Check delivery restrictions
Walmart doesn’t ship caskets to every state in the United States. If you’re considering buying a casket from Walmart, add the item to your cart and fill in your delivery information.
If the casket can’t ship to your state, the website will inform you of that. It may include a pop-up that urges you to choose in-store pickup instead. But be wary—caskets aren’t eligible for in-store pickup.
Buying Your Own Walmart Casket
If you want to buy your own casket ahead of time, a Walmart casket is a viable option. Especially if you are looking to save on costs and would prefer to shop online.
By shopping for your casket online, you can take your time, determine your personal preferences, and order when you’re ready. You also won’t feel pressured to buy into an entire pre-paid funeral service, which can get complicated and costly.
If you do buy your own casket from Walmart or another retailer, let your family know and include a note in your end-of-life plan. You should also add a reminder that a funeral home cannot refuse to accept a third-party casket, so they don’t end up unnecessarily buying a new one.
Sources:
- “Wal-Mart starts selling coffins.” BBC. 30 October 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8333198.stm
- “Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist.” FTC. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0301-funeral-costs-and-pricing-checklist
- McGurran, Brianna. “What’s a Good Personal Loan Interest Rate?” Experian. 27 January 2020. https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/whats-a-good-interest-rate-for-a-personal-loan/