Everything you need to know about a Walmart Plus membership

If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, the perks of a Walmart Plus membership — like free unlimited deliveries and mobile scan and go– can save you time and money.

SKIP AHEAD What is Walmart Plus? | How much does Walmart Plus cost? | What are the benefits of Walmart Plus? |  How does Walmart Plus compare to Amazon Prime?

Like other subscription services (think Amazon Prime), Walmart Plus offers its members early access to sales promotions, deals and game-console releases, as well as fuel discounts across its partners’ gas stations. Plus, they’ve entered the grocery shopping space with fee-less home deliveries.

Walmart Plus members also get early access to Walmart’s Black Friday sales. That’s a major advantage; when discounts roll in, members get first dibs on electronics, toys, apparel and more products before the general public — and possible out-of-stock notifications.

To help determine whether Walmart Plus is the right shopping subscription for you — and how it compares to Amazon Prime — we’re sharing its benefits and drawbacks. Plus, to give you an idea of what’s available before Black Friday, we’re recommending some highly-rated products you can pick up online or in store.

Walmart Plus is a membership program that combines in-store and online benefits to Walmart shoppers, and was launched in 2020.

The membership costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month. Certain credit cards also offer perks when registering for your Walmart Plus membership. For example, the Amex Platinum card can cover the cost of a monthly membership up to a certain amount. If you’re interested, you can also start with a free, 30-day trial membership.

If you sign up for a Walmart Plus membership, you’ll receive perks and benefits when shopping at Walmart and Walmart-owned companies like Sam’s Club. Below are the Walmart Plus benefits that you should know about.

Free unlimited deliveries from Walmart stores, with a $35 minimum per order. 

Free next day and two-day shipping on items from Walmart.com. Unlike unlimited deliveries from the store, there is no minimum fee.

Returns from home — Walmart will pick up your returns with no need for printing, packaging or leaving the house.

Special prices on fuel, with savings up to 10 cents per gallon at over 14,000 Walmart, Sam’s Club, Murphy USA, Murphy Express, Exxon and Mobil fuel stations. Members can also receive 

Free flat tire repair and free road hazard warranty at Walmart Auto Care Centres (flat tire repair limited to tires purchased and installed at Walmart Auto Centers).

Mobile scan and go, which allows in-store Walmart shoppers to pay for items while shopping to save time. If you decide to use this feature, you’ll have to finalize your payment at a self-checkout register.

Paramount+ Essential Plan subscription 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, including the Black Friday Deals for Days event.

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.

Walmart+ Travel, in partnership with Expedia, lets you get up to 5% in Walmart Cash on hotels, vacation bookings, car rentals, tours and more, and 2% on air travel.

Other perks including limited-time offers from select merchants and retailers.

One of Walmart (and Walmart Plus)’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 Plus or $139 annually.

Walmart Plus 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 Plus offers to in-store shoppers, such as mobile scan and go and discounts on fuel. In fact, it might be financially smart to consider investing in both memberships if you live near a Walmart brick-and-mortar store.

Justin Krajeski was formerly an associate editor for Select on NBC News. Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select. For this piece, they researched Walmart Plus membership offerings and benefits.

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