Cathy DesmetShort Answer
Does Walmart inflate balloons? Walmart only fills balloons at select stores — about 12 percent of stores, according to our research. Depending on the individual store’s policy, Walmart may only fill balloons purchased from Walmart and generally charges around $0.25 per balloon to fill. If your local Walmart can’t fill balloons, Walmart does sell helium tanks both in-store and online. Similar retailers that fill balloons with helium include Kroger and Meijer. For more on Walmart’s store policy, see below.
Does Walmart Blow Up Balloons?
Walmart does not offer balloon filling services in all of its stores, corporate customer service representatives and store associates confirmed. Walmart also does not sell pre-filled helium balloons in-store. Of the stores we contacted, only about 12 percent said they are able to fill balloons with helium.
The stores we spoke with that can fill balloons said that only balloons purchased at Walmart can be filled, though this policy may vary by store. Prices vary depending on the size and number of balloons you want to fill. Generally, you can expect to pay around $0.25 per balloon, though larger balloons or different styles may cost more.
Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart and also does not inflate balloons, store associates at various locations in Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri said.
If your local Walmart does not fill balloons, you can purchase a helium tank at Walmart. Additionally, retailers similar to Walmart that blow up balloons include:
- Kroger: Kroger grocery store’s fill balloons in the floral department. You can purchase balloons in-store or bring your own latex or Mylar balloons to be filled for about $1 per latex balloon and between $2 and $8 per Mylar balloon, depending on the size.
- Meijer: Meijer stores inflate balloons in the floral department. You can purchase balloons in-store or bring your own latex or Mylar balloons to be filled. Latex balloons can be filled for about $1, and Mylar balloons can be filled for $3 to $8, depending on the size.
For the full list of stores that sell and fill balloons with helium, see our article.
In Summary
Walmart only fills balloons with helium at about 15 percent of its stores. It also doesn’t sell pre-filled helium balloons in its stores, but it does sell helium tanks. We have the list of places where you can get balloons filled, including Kroger and Meijer, and where to buy latex-free balloons.
Joseph Cho
Kait Scirri
Lindsey Desmet
Loren Eaton
Sonya Bateman
Kathrina Bognot
William Lipovsky
Erika Crawford
Maria R. Riegger, Esq.
This article is not true. I’ve had my balloons filled at my local Walmart before without issues.
Hello, Jennifer! While our intial research did not uncover any Walmart stores that offer this service, after receiving your comment we called more Walmart locations and found that select stores do fill balloons. We have updated the article to reflect these findings. Thank you for bringing this to our attention!