Will Walmart + Cost a $ 98 Annual Fee?
Walmart yesterday announced a new service that will compete with Amazon Prime . The Walmart + membership program will be available to all customers on September 15th. Here’s everything we know about the service so far.
How much does Walmart + cost?
Walmart + has a price tag of $ 98 per year, or $ 12.95 per month ($ 155.40 per year if you have to pay monthly). You can try the new service for free for up to 15 days. The company’s press release did not mention whether there will be a discount for students.
In comparison, Amazon Prime costs $ 119 per year or $ 12.99 per month ($ 155.88 per year if you have to pay monthly). Amazon Prime offers a 30-day free trial, and students can get memberships for $ 59 per year or $ 6.49 per month ($ 77.88 per year when billed monthly).
What does a Walmart + membership include?
Walmart + will start with three main benefits, according to the press release , and the company plans to add more customer benefits in the future.
The biggest advantage is the unlimited free shipping of over 160,000 items. This expands on the unlimited shipping service, which offers free shipping for orders of at least $ 35. (Amazon offers free shipping for millions of items with no minimum order.)
Another benefit is access to Scan & Go in the Walmart mobile app, which allows for faster in-store purchases. You can scan items in person while shopping and pay with Walmart Pay for contactless payments.
The third benefit is a discount on the pump. Walmart + members can save up to five cents per gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express filling stations. The discount will also soon include Sam’s Club petrol stations.
How Walmart + compares to Amazon Prime
Free shipping can be a great perk for Amazon Prime, but the membership service includes other perks that Walmart + does not currently offer. With each program, you can have access to free shipping for more items – no $ 35 minimum order – through Amazon Prime, and Amazon Prime offers free access to Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, and the Prime Wizard.
On the other hand, Walmart + offers memberships for $ 21 cheaper per year. Walmart + may also offer better grocery shipping benefits. While Walmart + and Amazon’s two grocery options – Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market – require a $ 35 minimum order for free shipping, you can see lower grocery prices at Walmart.
Will Walmart + be worth it?
Differently. As with any service, you’ll have to do some basic math to see if the $ 98 annual fee is worth it. If you live near Walmart and spend at least $ 35 on groceries each week, paying $ 1.88 a week for free shipping might be a good option.
This can be especially attractive if you’re trying to avoid in-store shopping in a pandemic, but if Walmart doesn’t offer what you need, it might be better to skip the new membership until the company provides more benefits.