Takealot shoppers now have to spend more to get free delivery

South African Takealot shoppers are going to have to spend more if they want to avoid paying for standard delivery, following another increase to the online retailer’s free-delivery threshold.

The latest change means customers placing smaller orders will need to factor delivery costs into their total, while shoppers making larger purchases will still be able to qualify for free standard delivery.

It is the latest in a series of increases to Takealot’s minimum spend requirement over the past few years.

Another increase for Takealot shoppers

Takealot previously increased its free-delivery threshold in October 2024, when it moved from R500 to R650.

The latest increase adds another R100 to the minimum amount shoppers need to spend.

And this threshold has changed several times since Takealot launched, Mybroadband reports.

It stood at R250 for several years before increasing to R450 in March 2019. It was then increased by R50 in August 2022, followed by a R150 increase in October 2024.

Since 2019, the minimum spend required for free delivery has increased by about 67%.

So how much do you need to spend now?

The new minimum order value for free standard delivery is R750.

Shoppers spending less than this amount will generally need to pay a delivery fee, depending on the option they select.

The current delivery costs are:

Delivery type	Below R750	R750 or more
Same Day	R95	R95
Next Day	R90	R75
Saturday	R75	Free
Sunday	R75	Free
Standard	R75	Free

There is also a R250 surcharge per item for heavy or bulky goods, which are delivered by a two-person Takealot delivery team or one of its third-party couriers.

Shoppers should check their delivery option

There is another change customers may notice when checking out.

Takealot can automatically select a premium delivery option, meaning shoppers may initially see a paid delivery option even when their basket is large enough to qualify for free standard delivery.

The delivery charge is also shown separately from the selected delivery date.

As a result, customers who simply proceed through checkout without checking their delivery selection could end up paying for a faster delivery option when a free option is available at a later date.