Image source: Walmart
First, there was Amazon Prime, offering free delivery and a host of added benefits, including member deals and an exclusive streaming service. Then, Walmart, the world’s second largest retailer, introduced a subscription service providing perks like free shipping, exclusive savings online and in stores, and gas discounts at several nationally known gas stations.
And this June 2nd to June 5th, the retailer is hosting Walmart+ Weekend with a host of deals ala Amazon Prime Day.
Walmart+ offers a 30-day trial so you can see if the service is for you. But there’s a catch. The sales for Walmart+ Weekend –which are advertised as 40% off top tech, toys and more — are only available to paid members. Simply put: to take part, you’ll need to pay for a subscription.
So, let’s say you’re ready to dive right in. How much does Walmart+ cost? What does it get you? How do you sign up? And how does Walmart+ compare to Amazon Prime in terms of features and savings? Well, we’re tackling all of those questions and queries in this guide.
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Walmart+ CostsWalmart+ pricing is simple. It’s just $98 if you pay upfront for the year, which works out to $8 a month, or $57.40 in savings over the monthly price of $12.95. Remember we mentioned that only a paid membership will get you access to Walmart+ Weekend deals? The good news is that you can skip the free trial, pay upfront for the month or the year, and enjoy all the savings.
You can also cancel any time, but if you cancel mid-term, you won’t get a refund for the months you have left. So if you buy an annual subscription in June and decide to cancel in January, your plan will be in effect until that June. If you’re interested in trying out the service – or just want the Walmart+ Weekend savings – pay a little more for the monthly plan and cancel before your next payment is due.
How to Sign Up for Walmart+You can sign up easily for Walmart+ online or do it in your local Walmart store. If you sign up this week (through Jun. 5) in a Walmart store, you’ll also get a $20 promo code good for savings on your next online purchase. Remember, signing up for a free trial won’t give you access to all the deals and savings and exclusive offers of Walmart+ Weekend.
Features of Walmart+ Walmart+ offers free next-day and second-day shipping on many items direct from Walmart. While many Walmart orders qualify for free shipping with a $35 minimum purchase, Walmart+ waives that minimum requirement.
Most Marketplace items don’t qualify however, according to the fine print. But if the item says “Shipped by Walmart,” you’ll enjoy free shipping on the order. If you frequently shop at Walmart but want to make smaller purchases frequently, this feature alone is worth the $8 membership fee.
The service offers so much more. Members can save up to 10 cents per gallon on gas at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy gas stations, plus low member pricing at Sam’s Club. If you put 80 gallons in your tank per month, the fuel savings alone will pay for your membership. While the average gas tank ranges from 12 to 16 gallons, if you have multiple cars in your house that fill up regularly and use your discount, the savings are worth it.
If you frequently order groceries or other items directly from a local Walmart store, you’ll also see the membership pay for itself quickly. You’ll enjoy $0 delivery fees with a $35 minimum. The website estimates you’ll save more than $800 if you order two deliveries per week from your local store and pay the $7.95 fee.
If you prefer to buy your groceries in the store, you can use the Walmart+ app for easy, contact-free checkout.
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Walmart+ Weekend Deals Walmart+ Weekend gives paid members exclusive access to savings on many items, including home appliances, housewares, toys, tech and more. Additionally, members will get first access to items like Pit Boss pellet grills and barbecues and PlayStation 5 gaming consoles.
Some of the best deals of the weekend look to be:
iRobot Roomba ($369, originally $599; walmart.com) KidCraft Outdoor Swing Set ($269, originally $399; walmart.com) Asus Laptop ($219, originally $279; walmart.com)PlayStation DualSense Controller ($59.99, originally $74.99; walmart.com)How Does Walmart+ Compare to Amazon Prime? TheStreet
First, it’s important to point out that Walmart+ doesn’t have a streaming service. Even though Amazon Prime recently raised its price to $14.99 per month or $129 per year, it’s still competitive with other streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. That, alone, makes an Amazon Prime subscription worth it for some families, especially if you enjoy Prime Video content.
Plus, Amazon Prime offers other media benefits like free eBooks on the Kindle app, free audiobooks on Audible, and free music streaming. Walmart+ is currently offering members six months of Spotify Premium free. It’s easy to see that Amazon Prime is more expensive, but you get more benefits for the money.
But if you’re looking at shopping benefits alone, the question of whether you should invest in Amazon Prime or Walmart+ comes down to where you spend the most money. You can find many of the same items on both sites, so if you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, and you’re also looking for savings on gas and items you purchase locally, Walmart+ may be the best choice for you. Remember, your Walmart+ membership will practically pay for itself in gas savings alone.
Related: When is Amazon Prime Day 2022?But we’d be remiss not to mention all the other savings and perks Amazon Prime subscribers enjoy. Amazon has free two-day, one-day, and even same-day delivery on many items. You can also get two-hour grocery delivery through Amazon Fresh in certain areas, which is a service Walmart+ does not provide, although Walmart+ does offer free delivery from stores.
When you shop through Amazon Pharmacy, you can get free two-day shipping on prescriptions and, if you don’t have insurance, you can enjoy exclusive savings through your Prime membership. Whole Foods Market offers exclusive discounts in store and online to Prime members. And, of course, there’s Prime Day, with sales similar to Walmart+ Weekend, that will be in July of 2022.
The question of “Walmart+ or Amazon Prime” may be different for every household. But when you dig deep, for many families, the services are complementary rather than competitive. It might make sense to pay for both memberships to enjoy the best prices, free shipping, and exclusive member perks from both retail giants.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.