Guide to Walmart+: Is the membership worth it?

Online grocery shopping and curbside pickup have soared amid the pandemic, with many consumers avoiding shopping in person. The continued demand for a safe alternative to in-person grocery shopping has inspired new offers and services, including a membership option from Walmart: Walmart+. The subscription offers free delivery on orders of $35 or more, among other perks, and replaces Delivery Unlimited.

Like many other subscriptions, Walmart+ can an excellent deal for certain consumers, but it’s not the best choice for everyone.

Is Walmart+ right for you? Read on to learn how it works and what value it can provide.

How Walmart+ works

Walmart+ is a membership service that offers unlimited delivery on orders of $35 or more in eligible areas. You can sign up for the membership online by providing your address (to check availability in your area) and creating a Walmart account if you don’t have one yet. After that, you’ll be able to pick your plan, and your 15-day free trial will start.

Note that at this time, eligibility looks rather limited. If your area isn’t eligible for unlimited free delivery yet, you can still sign up – but the main benefit of the membership won’t be available to you. Walmart+ comes with additional perks, but they don’t justify its cost on their own.

If your area is eligible, you can order groceries, gadgets and more online for pickup or delivery through the Walmart app once your membership is active. Simply add products to your cart, choose your one-hour delivery or pick-up window and receive your order as scheduled.

What other perks does Walmart+ offer?

Besides unlimited free shipping and one-hour delivery windows, Walmart+ members receive a 5-cent-per-gallon discount at affiliated gas stations, including Murphy USA and Murphy Express. Additionally, they can take advantage of Scan & Go, which allows customers shopping in-store to scan items on their phone and check out on their own via Walmart Pay, skipping the cashier.

There have also been reports that a Walmart+ branded credit card is in the works. Currently, frequent Walmart shoppers can earn rewards with the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®, which offers 5% cash back on Walmart.com purchases, including grocery pickup and delivery orders, 5% back on in-store purchases for the first 12 months when using Walmart Pay (2% after that), 2% back on dining, travel and gift cards at Walmart and 1% back on everything else.

The card also offers rewards exclusively for Walmart+ members, including:

• 5% cash back on Free Unlimited Delivery orders
• 5% back on in-store purchases made using the card with Scan and Go in the Walmart app for the first 12 months after approval
• 2% cash back on fuel purchases at Walmart and Murphy USA fuel stations on top of the $0.05 fuel discount received through a Walmart+ membership

How much does Walmart+ cost?

Walmart+ costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month. Compare this to Walmart’s current grocery delivery program, which charges a $10 fee on same-day delivery orders, also with a $35 minimum.

How does Walmart+ compare to Amazon Prime?

All in all, Amazon Prime offers better value, even though the subscription is more expensive – $119 per year compared to $98 for Walmart+. Considering the countless perks that come with Prime membership, from video streaming to free eBooks to unlimited photo storage, you may get more bang for your buck with Amazon.

See related: Walmart+ vs. Amazon Prime: Which one is right for you?

Plus, while Prime members also have to meet the $35 minimum to get free delivery on Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods orders, same-day and two-day delivery on regular Prime orders is free, and certain shelf-stable food items are eligible.

Should you sign up for Walmart+?

If you already shop at Walmart frequently, the new subscription service might add convenience to your grocery shopping routine. For example, if you’ve often used the store’s curbside pickup option because it’s quick and free, you may enjoy having your groceries delivered straight to your door instead – now that you don’t have to pay a hefty delivery fee for it.

If you’d like additional benefits on top of free delivery, Walmart+ is probably not the best choice for you. While the gas discount and added in-store shopping convenience with Scan & Go are a nice touch, they hardly compare with the perks offered by the competition. On top of that, free delivery is only available in eligible areas, and eligibility so far is rather limited.

At the same time, it’s safe to assume Walmart will be adding perks to its subscription service in the future. It might make sense to wait and see which additional benefits will be rolled out before signing up for Walmart+. However, if you’d like to try it out now, you can use a 15-day free trial period included with the membership to determine whether it’s the right choice for you.