Whether you’re shopping for groceries, electronics, household essentials — or something else entirely — for most of us, Walmart is just a short drive (or click) away.
If you’ve been looking for ways to save at Walmart, there’s a paid membership that you may want to consider: Walmart+. For a monthly or yearly subscription fee, members can enjoy benefits both online and in stores.
This article was updated in July 2023 and I review it every 12 months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.
4 Things To Know About Walmart+
If you’re a loyal Walmart shopper, Walmart+ could be the membership service you’ve been waiting for to save time and money. Before you sign up, here are four things to know.
Table of Contents:
- What Is Walmart+?
- How Much Is a Walmart+ Membership?
- Walmart+ Membership Benefits
- How Does Walmart+ Compare to Amazon Prime?
Below, you’ll find additional information on Walmart+ including how much it costs, what you can expect as a member and how it compares to Amazon Prime.
1. What Is Walmart+?
Walmart+ is a paid membership that provides access to exclusive savings and benefits both online and in-store at Walmart. It costs $12.95 monthly or $98 annually plus taxes and fees.
As a member, you’ll have access to free shipping from Walmart.com with no order minimum. Additionally, you’ll get free delivery from your store with a $35 order minimum. Members also receive discounts on fuel at select stations, a subscription to stream video with Paramount+ and access to “mobile scan & go” in the Walmart app for easier in-store shopping.
Walmart has also added a perk that allows members to earn rewards in the form of in-store credit on eligible Walmart purchases. Additionally, Walmart+ members receive exclusive access to special promotions and events including early access to Black Friday deals according to Walmart’s website.
Walmart+ also includes limited-time offers available to members. In July 2023, these limited-time offers were available:
- One year of free Pawp pet care
- Free ticket offers for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts at Cinemark
- Three free months of Lingokids Plus
- Buy six months of Babbel, get six months free
- 40% off + a free 30 days of Scribd
- Six months free of SiriusXM
- $10 off your next three purchases with TodayTix
- 30-day free trial + up to 70% off Aura
- 50% off a year of True Network Solutions tech support
- Annual discount on readingIQ for kids 2-12
- 70% off ABCmouse + Assessment Center
Walmart+ offers a 30-day free trial that you can sign up for online. The free trial provides access to most of the benefits you’ll get with Walmart+, but some benefits are reserved for full-paying members.
2. How Much Is a Walmart+ Membership?
Walmart offers two different membership options: a monthly or an annual plan. Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month plus tax. You can also sign up for a 30-day free trial before committing to either membership.
You can sign up for a Walmart+ membership online or in the app. You’ll need to enter a valid credit card when you sign up even if you plan to use just the 30-day free trial.
At the end of your free trial, you’ll automatically be billed for the plan that you selected at sign-up. After that, your plan will automatically continue to renew until you cancel your membership. You can learn more about payment and billing for Walmart+ here.
According to Walmart’s website, you can switch plans or cancel your membership at any time. For more information on Walmart+ pricing and membership plans, visit Walmart’s website.
You can learn more about the Walmart+ trial membership plan on this page.
3. Walmart+ Membership Benefits
All Walmart+ members have access to the same benefits whether they sign up for an annual or monthly subscription.
Free Shipping, No Order Minimum
Most items from Walmart.com that are “shipped by Walmart” are eligible for free shipping with no order minimum.
This excludes most Marketplace items, oversized and freight items and items from third-party sellers not shipped by Walmart.
Note that “shipping” is different than “delivery from your store.” According to Walmart’s website, you can filter items by “in-store” or “shipping” based on your preferences. In-store items will include a $35 order minimum for free delivery; however, shipping requires no order minimum.
You can learn more about free shipping with no order minimum for Walmart+ members here.
Free Delivery From Your Store
Walmart delivery fees range from $7.95-$9.95 regardless of the order total. However, Walmart+ members are exempt from this fee.
Unfortunately, if the order is under $35, there is still a “below order minimum fee” of $6.99. However, on orders over $35, there are no additional delivery fees for Walmart+ members. Note that express delivery still costs $10 and it isn’t waived for any customer.
While many Walmart locations offer delivery, it may not be available at every store. You can check availability in your area online before you complete your registration for a Walmart+ membership.
To learn more about this Walmart+ perk, visit this page on Walmart’s website.
Member Prices on Fuel
Using the Walmart app, Walmart+ members will receive 10 cents off per gallon at Exxon & Mobil stations, up to 10 cents off at select Walmart & Murphy stations, and member prices at Sam’s Club fuel centers.
To get your discount, you’ll have to use the Walmart app at the gas pump. Select “member prices on fuel” from your Walmart+ membership page and follow the instructions to unlock your savings.
According to Walmart’s website, there is no limit to how many gallons of fuel you can get member prices. There’s also no limit to the amount or frequency that you can use your discount and all fuel types qualify.
You can use Walmart’s map online to find nearby eligible gas stations. You can also learn more about Walmart+ member prices on fuel online.
Streaming Video With Paramount+
Walmart+ members with an active trial or paid membership will also have access to a free Paramount+ Essentials plan subscription (check out our review of the streaming service here).
Once you sign up for your Walmart+ membership, you can visit your account page, click on the video streaming benefit and follow the steps provided to create your Paramount+ account. If you already have a Paramount+ account, you’ll need to cancel it and sign up again through Walmart+ to take advantage of this benefit.
Visit Walmart’s website to learn more about free streaming with Paramount+.
Mobile Scan & Go
If you’re shopping in-store at Walmart, you can open your Walmart app and access “scan & go” as a Walmart+ member. With this benefit, you can shop in-store and check out on your phone to avoid the lines.
According to Walmart’s website, all locations offer scan & go. To get started, simply open your Walmart app while in-store. You’ll need to connect a payment method to your Walmart account to pay (credit or debit card).
Once you’ve completed your shopping trip, simply visit “self-checkout” and scan the QR code in the app. Once you get your receipt, you’re good to go!
You can learn more about mobile Scan & Go on Walmart’s website.
Additional Benefits
Walmart+ has been expanding its program benefits over the last few years to offer more perks for subscribing members.
When I checked out Walmart+ in July 2023, I found additional benefits including returns from home, video streaming with Pluto TV and Walmart Rewards for members. With Walmart Rewards, members can earn rewards on eligible items online and in-store to use on future Walmart purchases. You can learn more about Walmart Rewards online.
Walmart+ members also have exclusive access to special promotions and events including early access to Black Friday deals, new product releases and more according to Walmart’s website.
And Walmart+ may occasionally add limited-time offers. In July 2023, members had access to 11 different limited-time offers including discounts on language learning software and educational programs for kids as well as digital security, pet care and movie tickets. You can check out new and current limited-time offers on Walmart’s website.
4. How Does Walmart+ Compare to Amazon Prime?
Similar to Amazon’s Prime membership, Walmart+ is a way for the retailer’s frequent shoppers to access exclusive money-saving benefits. But how do the two services compare?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key benefits offered by each membership:
| Walmart+ | Amazon Prime | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.95/month $98/year | $14.99/month $139/year |
| Shipping | - Free delivery from your store ($35 order minimum) - Free shipping with no order minimum - Returns from home | - Free two-day shipping on eligible items - Free same-day delivery in eligible ZIP codes - Free release-date delivery on eligible preorder items |
| Groceries | - Free grocery delivery from your store ($35 order minimum) | - Exclusive savings at Whole Foods; two-hour delivery in select cities - Amazon Fresh |
| Streaming | - Paramount+ subscription included - Select ad-free streaming content that changes each month with Pluto TV | - Prime Video - Amazon Music (ad free; discount on unlimited & annual plans) - Discount on Amazon Channels - Prime Gaming |
| Other | - Fuel discounts (10 cents per gallon at Exxon and Mobil stations, up to 10 cents off at Walmart and Murphy stations, member pricing at Sam's Club fuel centers using the Walmart app) - Walmart Rewards for members - Mobile Scan & Go - Early access (special prices, product releases, online Black Friday deals and more) | - Prime Try Before You Buy - Exclusive deals and discounts at Amazon.com - Prime Early Access - Access to Amazon Elements products - Prime Reading - Amazon First Reads - Amazon Photos |
First, Walmart+ costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month, whereas Amazon Prime costs $139 per year or $14.99 per month. That means the Walmart+ annual membership fee is $25-$41 cheaper than Amazon Prime each year.
Walmart+ offers speedy in-store shopping options and fuel discounts that you won’t get with Amazon Prime. Still, you’ll find tons of additional benefits with Prime including Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, Prime Reading, Amazon Drive/Photos and more. If you’re primarily interested in online shopping, know that both membership services offer unlimited free delivery for most items.
Finally, Walmart offers grocery pickup and grocery delivery where available while Amazon Prime members have access to Amazon Fresh and and Whole Foods Market deliveries. Both Walmart+ and Amazon Prime’s grocery delivery services offer same-day options.
You can check out a full list of benefits offered by Walmart+ and Amazon Prime at each company’s respective website.
Final Thoughts
If you regularly shop online or in-store at Walmart, the retailer’s new membership service could be a great way to save time and money.
According to Walmart’s website, you could save more than $800 per year using free delivery from stores, $500+ per year using free shipping with no order minimum, more than $75 per year with member prices on fuel and $70 per year with a Paramount+ plan included in your membership.
The membership itself costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month; however, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial. The benefits include free shipping with no order minimum, free delivery from your store, access to mobile scan & go, fuel discounts and more.
Do you plan on getting a Walmart+ membership? Let us know in the Clark.com Community.
Article Updates
- July 9, 2023: Updated current membership benefits and limited-time perks
- July 9, 2023: Added a table comparing Walmart+ to Amazon Prime
