Takealot shoppers now need to spend a little more to qualify for free standard delivery.

The online retailer has increased its free standard delivery threshold from R650 to R750. Takealot's official Help Centre confirms that standard delivery is free on orders of R750 or more, while orders below R750 carry a R75 standard delivery fee.

But the higher threshold isn't the only change worth knowing about.

Check the delivery option selected.

Takealot has also changed how delivery options are presented at checkout.

According to MyBroadband, which tested the new checkout process, a faster paid delivery option can be automatically selected, even when an order is over R750 and qualifies for free standard delivery. 

That means reaching R750 doesn't necessarily mean the delivery option shown at checkout will cost R0.

Takealot's current official fees are:

• Standard: R75 below R750; free from R750
• Saturday: R75 below R750; free from R750
• Sunday: R75 below R750; free from R750
• Next Day: R90 below R750; R75 from R750
• Same Day: R95 regardless of order value

Premium delivery is only available in main centres, including Johannesburg and Pretoria. Heavy or bulky goods also carry a R250 surcharge per item.

Don't spend more to get free delivery.

The new threshold also makes it worth doing a quick calculation before adding another item to your basket.

If your order comes to R650, for example, you're R100 short of free standard delivery.

Adding something you don't need for R100 to reach R750 would cost more than simply paying the R75 standard delivery fee.

If you're not in a hurry, you could instead wait and combine purchases you genuinely need into one order.

It's not the first increase.

The free-delivery threshold was increased from R500 to R650 in October 2024. It has now risen by another R100 to R750, while the standard R75 delivery fee has remained unchanged.

For shoppers, however, the most important change may be what happens at checkout.

Before paying, take a few seconds to check which delivery option is selected and what it costs. A free standard option may be available even when a faster paid option is showing.

The Bottom Line

Takealot's free standard delivery threshold is now R750, but don't spend extra to reach it without doing the maths.

Check your basket, compare the extra spend with the delivery fee and, most importantly, check the selected delivery option before you pay.

Sometimes paying R75 for delivery could cost less than buying something you didn't need in the first place.

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