Walmart offers the widest variety of products and services. You can get all your groceries, electronics, and services such as auto care services or even a custom cake. So you may be wondering if their long list of services offered includes cutting and making keys. This post tells you all you need to know about Walmart’s key cutting services.
Key cutting and copying services are crucial, and their demand is high. If you lose your home or office keys or share a room with someone, you might require the services. It might also be the case that you need the keys urgently or late at night when all the locksmiths at your location are closed down. You may be curious if the Walmart store in your area offers the services.
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Does Walmart Make Keys in 2024?
If you require key cutting or copying services, you will be delighted to know that, in 2024, Walmart will offer those services. The process to cut or copy keys is easy, and you do it all by yourself. The services are provided via the MinuteKey kiosks, usually located in front of most stores. The process is quick and only takes a maximum of two minutes.
You have the freedom to choose from a wide variety of designs. Many people prefer to use the MinuteKey kiosks rather than a locksmith because of the self-service aspect. To maintain their integrity and for security reasons, Walmart will not copy keys labeled “Do Not Duplicate.”
How Much Does It Cost To Make Keys At Walmart?
The cost of cutting keys varies and ranges from $2 to $6 per key. If your key’s design is complicated, the cost might be higher. If you buy the key from Walmart, the cost of cutting the key will not be any more than the price of the key itself.
The MinuteKey kiosks are robotic and automated, and as such, you will need a credit card or a debit card for payment. Cash is also allowed. Walmart will give a full refund in 30 days if you are unsatisfied with the resulting duplicated keys.
What Types Of Keys Can I Make At Walmart?
According to the MinuteKey website, you can easily duplicate your home and office keys using the MinuteKey machines. If you are looking forward to replacing your car keys, you might be out of luck unless you have some old keys that do not contain programming chips. The machines will cut a wide variety of key designs unless the key is designed too intricately.
What Walmart Stores Have Minutekey Kiosks?
Unfortunately, the MinuteKey kiosks are not available in every Walmart store. Suppose you doubt your local Walmart store has the MinuteKey kiosk; you can just use the MinuteKey kiosk locator available on the official website to find out if the kiosks are available. When using the MinuteKey kiosk locator, you have to give some location details such as your zip code, state, and city, and the locator will show you all the MinuteKey kiosks that are close to you.
How to Use MinuteKey Kiosk to Duplicate Your keys
The entire key copying process is automated, and advanced robotics is used to ensure high-quality results. The MinuteKey kiosk also offers step-by-step guidance through its user-friendly touch screens. To make a copy of a key, you must have the physical key with you. The following are the steps that you will need to follow.
- Pushing the “Start” button will start the entire process.
- Next, you have to place the key you want to make copies of in the Self-Service slot.
- You need to select the design you want from the wide range of designs presented.
- You can now choose your preferred method of payment.
- Once you have inserted your preferred payment method, all you have to do is wait as the machine makes the copies.
- Now you can pick up your original and copies from the machine.
Where Else Can I Get Copying Services Apart From Walmart?
If your local Walmart store does not have the MinuteKey kiosks, there are other places you might get the same services. A typical place to look is HomeDepot. HomeDepot is the largest home improvement store in the world. It is therefore not a surprise that they offer the service.
At HomeDepot, you can copy your padlock keys, locks, and even your car keys. They also provide a similar solution to Walmart’s MinuteKey kiosks. You can use their machines to make copies of your keys in minutes.
Another place you can look is Kroger. Being a big retailer, Kroger does offer key cutting and copying services at most of its stores. Kroger also provides key kiosks that you can use to make copies of your home, office, or car keys in just minutes.
Dolar General also offers key cutting and copying services. The services are, however, only offered at select stores. Dollar General has KeyMe kiosks which function similarly to Walmart’s MinuteKey kiosks. You can use the kiosks to make copies of your home, office, and car keys.
Types of Keys That Can Be Copied At Minute Key Kiosks
As mentioned before, Walmart’s MinuteKey kiosks are equipped to work with home and office keys. Therefore, it should be easy to duplicate your home and office keys. Some of the key brands you can replicate at Walmart’s MinuteKey kiosk include Kwikset, SC1 Weiser, KW1, and KW10. In some areas, you can duplicate WR3 and WR5 brands.
Types of Keys That Can’t Be Copied At Walmart
Even though the MinuteKey kiosks are automated and advanced technology, there are keys that you will not be able to duplicate. If your key has an intricate design, the machine might not be able to make a copy. The machine will also not make copies of keys that are labeled “Do Not Duplicate”. The machine cannot duplicate modern car keys containing programming chips. The machine will not duplicate the keys of high-security buildings and schools too.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Your Key Copied At Walmart?
If you want to make a copy of your key at Walmart using the MinuteKey kiosks, the price ranges from $2 to $6. The price depends on the type of key and the complexity of the key’s design. Keys that have complex designs will cost more to duplicate. If you are not satisfied with the resulting key, Walmart will give you a full refund.
What Are The Operational Hours For MinuteKey Kiosks?
Walmart’s MinuteKey kiosks are automated, and they do not need any operators. Therefore the machines are always operational unless something is wrong with them. The operating hours of the MinuteKey kiosks are dependent on the working hours of the Walmart store. As long as the store is open, you can use the MinuteKey kiosks.
Can I Make A Car Key Copy At Walmart?
Apart from being able to make duplicates of your home and office keys, you can also duplicate your car keys at Walmart. For you to be able to duplicate your car keys, the keys should not have a complicated design. Additionally, the key should not have any transponder chips in it.
Does Walmart Make Transponder Chip Keys?
No, Walmart does not replace keys that contain transponder chips. If you want to duplicate a key that has a transponder chip, it is recommended that you go to a specialized locksmith instead. The price that the locksmith will charge you will vary from $100 to $200. You can also go to vehicle dealers; however, the service will be more costly.
Can I Make Mailbox Keys At Walmart?
You cannot duplicate mail keys at Walmart. Mail keys are labeled as “US Property”, and therefore the machine will reject the key. It is illegal for one to duplicate mail keys. Even a locksmith is not allowed by law to copy mail keys. If you illegally duplicate mail keys, you could incur heavy fines or even face imprisonment.
The recommended way to get a new mail key if you lost yours is to file a form to get a replacement. After filling out the form, you will pay a small fee, and then the post office will mail a new key to you in about two weeks.
How to Find a Walmart Minutekey Kiosk Near You?
Most Walmart stores offer key copying services through the MinuteKey kiosks. So it is highly probable that your local Walmart store is offering the services. A simple way to find out is by visiting the official website and using the MinuteKey store locator to find out if there is any MinuteKey kiosk near you. All you have to do is enter some location details, and then the locator will show you all the available MinuteKey booths near you.
Conclusion
As of 2024, Walmart does offer quality key cutting and copying services through their MinuteKey kiosks. The service cost varies from $2 to $6 for every key. Keys that have complex designs are more costly to duplicate. The MinuteKey machines will easily duplicate your home and office keys.
The machines will also be able to duplicate your car keys if they do not have a transponder chip. The machine will reject keys labeled “US Property” and “Do Not Duplicate”. If you are looking for an alternative place that offers similar services, you may want to visit Dollar General, Kroger, or HomeDepot.