Yesterday, Walmart announced a new service to compete with Amazon Prime. The membership program, Walmart+, will be available to all customers on September 15. Here is 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 were to pay monthly). You may try the new service for free for up to 15 days. The company’s press release doesn’t mention whether there will be a student discount.
For comparison, Amazon Prime charges $119 per year or $12.99 per month ($155.88 per year if you were to pay monthly). Amazon Prime offers a 30-day free trial and students may get a membership for $59 per year or $6.49 per month ($77.88 per year if you were to pay monthly).
What does a Walmart+ membership include?
According to the press release, Walmart+ will start with three main benefits and the company plans to add more customer perks in the future.
The biggest perk is unlimited free delivery on more than 160,000 items. This expands the company’s Delivery Unlimited service, which offers free delivery on orders of at least $35. (Amazon offers free delivery on millions of items without an order minimum.)
Another benefit is access to Scan & Go in Walmart’s mobile app, which offers faster in-store shopping. You may scan items while shopping in person and pay using Walmart Pay for touch-free payments.
The third benefit is a discount at the pump. Walmart+ members may save up to five cents per gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA, and Murphy Express gas stations. The discount will also include Sam’s Club fuel stations soon.
How Walmart+ compares to Amazon Prime
Free delivery may be Amazon Prime’s standout perk, but the membership service does include other benefits that Walmart+ doesn’t currently offer. As each program stands, you may have access to free delivery on more items—without a $35 minimum order—through Amazon Prime, and Amazon Prime offers free access to Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, and Prime Wardrobe.
On the other hand, Walmart+ offers membership for $21 cheaper per year. Walmart+ may also offer better value for grocery delivery. Although both Walmart+ and Amazon’s two grocery options—Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market—require a $35 minimum order for free delivery, you may see lower grocery prices from Walmart.
Will Walmart+ be worth it?
It depends. Like any service, you will have to do some basic math to see if the $98 annual fee is worth it. If you live close to a Walmart—and spend at least $35 on groceries every week—paying an extra $1.88 per week for free delivery may be a good deal.
It may be particularly appealing if you’re trying to avoid in-store shopping amid the pandemic, but if Walmart doesn’t carry what you need, it may be better to skip another membership until the company rolls out more benefits.
