8 Precautions North Carolinians Should Take When Shopping at Harris Teeter

You check your Harris Teeter pickup order online, and your coupon credit isn’t there.

That’s because the printed register receipt is where the discounts show up, so you’ll see it at pick up.

That’s one of many things North Carolinians should be aware of when shopping at Harris Teeter.

1. HT Plus Free Trial

A Harris Teeter HT Plus membership can start with a 30-day free trial.

When the trial ends, the plan you picked at sign-up becomes your paid plan.

The tier with delivery in as little as two hours costs $99 a year or $12.99 a month.

The tier with next-day delivery costs $69 a year or $8.99 a month.

After that, the membership renews automatically.

There are no refunds for HT Plus fees paid, apart from a seven-day rule for renewals.

We’d put the end date on your calendar the day you sign up, since a sign-up flow can leave a detail out.

2. Pickup Substitutions

A substituted pickup item is charged at that item’s price.

A pricier brand raises your total.

You choose whether to allow substitutions when you place the order online.

At pickup, the associate reviews any substitutions with you.

You may refuse them before your order is completed and loaded into your car.

Look before you load.

An unwanted swap you find at home can go back to a store at any time for a full refund.

3. Pickup Fees and Holds

A pickup order can cost more than the groceries on it.

Pickup is free on orders of $35 or more, and a $4.95 service fee applies below that.

The pickup FAQ says your bank may hold the estimated total from checkout for 3 to 7 business days.

Your order comes with a one-hour window to arrive.

If you can’t pick up on the scheduled date, the store restocks the items and you have to place the order again.

4. Delivery Prices

Harris Teeter says delivery now comes from its stores, generally when you live within a 30-minute drive of one.

Beyond that distance, the announcement points to Instacart as a possible option.

Fees may apply to select delivery and pickup options, and the announcement lists no amount.

The delivery FAQ says online prices may differ from in-store prices for the same products.

Compare a few of your usual items against the shelf price, and read the fee line before you pay.

5. Fuel Points

Fuel Points you earn in November expire at the end of December.

You earn 1 Fuel Point for every $1 you spend on groceries.

Each month is a separate accumulation period, so points from separate months can’t be combined in one transaction.

Points left under 100 at the end of the month expire, so 60 in November and 60 in December never add up to the 100 you need.

Ninety points buy nothing.

The program can be modified or discontinued at any time without notice.

6. Rain Checks

When a sale item is sold out, ask the store for a rain check instead of leaving empty-handed.

The store can issue one when an item runs out during a coupon promotion or event.

It covers the sale price of the item only, and it expires 60 days from the date it’s issued.

You can use it at any Harris Teeter store.

It can be written for a limit of three, or three deals, unless the ad says otherwise.

You can’t combine it with a paper coupon for the same item.

You can’t apply it to orders on third-party delivery sites such as Instacart.

7. Refund Proof

Products you bought within the last 60 days can be refunded when you meet Harris Teeter’s requirements.

Proof of purchase means either your original receipt or a valid VIC card.

Hold onto the receipt, since the 60 days only help if you can prove the purchase.

If you use the card, the name on it must match the name on your ID, and the card has to be in the system for more than 30 days.

A driver’s license or a government-issued ID is accepted.

Pickup and delivery orders are eligible for online refunds within 30 days, with certain exclusions.

Alcohol isn’t eligible for online refunds.

8. Loyalty Data

Before you hand over your VIC card at checkout, it helps to see what the privacy policy says Harris Teeter collects.

It lists your purchase and transaction histories among that information.

The store may also associate your in-store shopping activity with your online activity.

Some of the information comes from outside sources, which the policy lists as service providers, data brokers and consumer research firms.

From time to time, the company says it may share your information with select companies, such as analytics, advertising and technology companies.

If you wish to opt out of the loyalty program, you can call the customer contact center at 1-800-432-6111.

The access and deletion rights in the rights section are written for California residents, and the sale opt-out is written for Nevada residents.

Coupon Credit at Pickup

Per the coupon policy, coupons are accepted at the time you pick up the order.

The coupon credit won’t appear online, but the printed register receipt will reflect the discounts.

The final price may change because of coupons, substitutions, taxes or weighted items.

So the receipt, not the online total, shows what you paid. Check it before you leave.