Here's why Walmart put an empty gift card in your online order without asking

Business Insider/Rebecca Harrington

Some Walmart shoppers got an unexpected bonus when their online orders arrived.

• Some Walmart.com shoppers found an extra item in their orders.
• They got a Walmart gift card with nothing on it, which could then be loaded with money online and given as a gift.
• "Unloaded gift cards are another way that we can make gift gifting easier for our customers," a Walmart spokesperson said to Business Insider.

Some Walmart.com shoppers found an extra item in their orders this holiday.

Unbidden, the store slipped in an empty Walmart gift card in some orders. The idea is the card could then be loaded with any amount desired online and then given as a last-minute gift.

"Unloaded gift cards are another way that we can make gift gifting easier for our customers," a Walmart spokesperson said to Business Insider.

For customers who don't want them, the gift cards are simply worthless pieces of plastic that can be thrown away. Walmart did the same thing for some holiday orders last year.

Read more: Walmart reveals the most bizarre top-selling items of 2018 in every state

Gift cards are, of course, a top gift for the holidays every year, and they are probably the best thing you can do as a last-minute gesture. By offering this added convenience to customers, Walmart is making it that much more likely that customers will spend just a little more with the retailer this year.

There's also the advantage of it being a physical card, which is easier to give as a gift. Even if customers don't take advantage of it, the cards are relatively cheap to create, so Walmart doesn't lose much.