If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, signing up for a Walmart+ membership will save you time and money. Once you're part of the loyalty program, you can take advantage of numerous perks like free unlimited deliveries, mobile scan and go payment and savings on fuel at select gas stations. You'll also earn Walmart Cash when you book hotels, rental cars, flights and other activities through the Walmart+ travel site.
To help you determine whether Walmart+ is the right shopping subscription for you, here’s everything you should know about it.
SKIP AHEAD What is Walmart+? | How much does Walmart+ cost? | What is Walmart+ Assist? | What are the benefits of Walmart+? | How does Walmart+ compare to Amazon Prime? | Why trust NBC Select?
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What is Walmart+?
Walmart+, which launched in 2020, is a membership program that extends in-store and online benefits to Walmart shoppers. Like other subscription services (think Amazon Prime, Target Circle, Costco and Sam’s Club), Walmart+ offers its members early and/or exclusive access to perks.
How much does a Walmart+ membership cost?
The membership costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month, with applicable tax for each. Certain companies, like American Express and Verizon, offer perks when registering for your Walmart+ membership. If you have credit cards or accounts with any of these companies, you can review your account information with them to see their respective benefits. You can also start with a free, 30-day trial membership.
A Walmart.com account and access to the Walmart app are also required to access all of the membership features.
What is Walmart+ Assist?
Walmart+ Assist is a more affordable version of the standard membership available to qualifying government aid recipients for $49 annually or $6.47 monthly, with applicable tax for each. To determine eligibility, shoppers must complete the SheerID process. It also comes with a 30-day free trial. Learn more about Walmart+ Assist here.
What are the benefits of Walmart+?
With a Walmart+ membership, you get perks and benefits when shopping at Walmart and Walmart-owned companies. Below are the benefits that you should know about.
- Free unlimited deliveries from Walmart stores, with a $35 minimum per order. If you don't meet the $35 minimum, you'll be charged a $6.99 minimum order fee.
- Free shipping on items sold by Walmart or shipped by Walmart through the Walmart app or website, with no order minimum.
- Returns from home: Walmart will pick up your returns with no need for printing, packaging or leaving the house. *Only in eligible locations
- Walmart+ Travel, in partnership with Expedia, lets you earn up to 5% in Walmart Cash on hotels, vacation bookings, car rentals, tours and more, and 2% on air travel when you book trips on WalmartPlusTravel.com.
- Special prices on fuel, with savings up to 10 cents per gallon at over 13,000 Exxon, Mobil Walmart and Murphy fuel stations. *5 cent savings in Alaska and Oklahoma only
- Burger King Savings Benefit gives members 25% off digital orders everyday, plus a free Whopper with any purchase every three months. Be sure to download the BK app and sign up for a BK Royal Perks account before activating via the Walmart app.
- Free flat tire repair and free road hazard warranty at Walmart Auto Care Centres. Benefit only applies to tires installed on passenger cars, light trucks, minivans, small RVs and crossovers.
- Mobile scan and go, which allows in-store Walmart shoppers to pay for items within the Walmart app while shopping to save time. If you decide to use this feature, you’ll have to finalize your payment at a self-checkout register using a QR code provided in the app.
- Paramount+ Essential Plan subscription (ad-supported) for no additional fee. Members will have access to over 40,000 episodes, original shows, movies and live television as well as content from Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS and more, according to the brand.
- Early access to the Walmart sales, deals and releases
- Walmart Rewards is a benefit where members earn loyalty currency on eligible purchases, which can be redeemed on future purchases at Walmart. Walmart Rewards can be earned on in-store and online purchases, and items are eligible for rewards for a limited time.
- Other perks including limited-time offers from select merchants and retailers.
How does Walmart+ compare to Amazon Prime?
One of Walmart+’s primary competitors is, of course, Amazon Prime, which offers similar benefits, like free two-day — and even one-day — shipping on eligible items. There are more perks from the online sales giant, too. Amazon’s subscription service includes Prime Video, Twitch, and Amazon Fresh, for instance, and those additional benefits mean that Prime memberships cost $40 more than Walmart+ or $139 annually.
Walmart+'s features may seem limited compared to Amazon Prime on the surface, but its unique offerings — and edge on Amazon — are in its numerous store fronts all across America, and the benefits Walmart+ offers to in-store shoppers, such as mobile scan and go and discounts on fuel. In fact, it might be financially wise to consider investing in both memberships if you live near a Walmart brick-and-mortar store.
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I'm an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select. For this piece, I researched Walmart+ membership offerings and benefits.
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