Everything You Need to Know About Walmart+
If there’s a chance that I don’t have to go to a grocery store (but still have a fridge miraculously filled with food), I’m going to take that option SO fast. Lightning fast, in fact! It’s not just because online grocery shopping has saved me quite a bit of money (I make way fewer impulsive or hangry buys); it also allows me more time in my one precious life for the important things, like taking up pickleball or catching up on Love Island UK.
So when I saw that Walmart had rolled out a Walmart+ membership program, I knew I’d have to try it out to see if it could save me a bit of money and a bit of time (the ultimate BOGO, TBH). Not all online grocers are made equal, and with some you’re paying a lot for convenience. I decided to suss out if Walmart+ is worth it or not. Here’s what I found.
What Is Walmart+?
Simply put, Walmart+ acts similarly to having an Amazon Prime account: the monthly membership fee gets you free shipping on all sorts of things (like online orders and grocery deliveries from a nearby store), plus early access to deals, a subscription to Paramount+, as well as cashback opportunities. You can also either pay for a yearly subscription or monthly.
Walmart+ Membership (Monthly)
How Much Does a Walmart+ Membership Cost?
Membership is $98 annually (or $12.95 monthly), which includes free deliveries for orders $35+ from your local store. For orders less than $35, you will be charged a flat $9.95 delivery fee; there are no order minimums. Tips are completely optional for grocery deliveries and go 100% to the driver. (Please tip the delivery person!)
What Makes a Walmart+ Membership Worth It?
Much like how Walmart isn’t just a grocery store, Walmart+ is more than a handy grocery delivery service. A Walmart+ membership will also get you:
Travel savings: Earn 5% Walmart Cash on travel purchases (like hotels, car and vacation rentals, tours, and activities) and 2% Walmart Cash on airline purchases through Walmart’s Expedia-run travel arm.
Contactless shopping: Simply scan and go with the Walmart+ app in store, checking out completely from your phone as well.
A Paramount+ subscription. Regularly $5.99 a month, Paramount+ is a streaming platform and home to shows and movies like Survivor, the new Mean Girls musical, and Yellowstone.
Auto care and gas savings: Free flat tire repair and free road hazard warranty at Walmart auto care locations nationwide. Plus, you can save $0.10 per gallon at over 13,000 locations nationwide, including Exxon, Mobil, Murphy’s, and Walmart stations.
Early access to new products, Black Friday deals, and members-only prices.
What’s most exciting about Walmart+ is that the prices are the same in store and online — there’s no surcharge for online orders, which I’ve noticed at other retailers. Walmart even has a handy quiz at sign-up that helps you map out how much the service can save you in a year (you can fill in how often you expect to get grocery deliveries, do online orders, and stop for gas). Per the quiz, it’s estimated I could — in theory — save $540 a year by using the service.
Can You Shop at Walmart Without a Membership?
You bet! Like other grocery services (think: Amazon Fresh or Instacart), Walmart is still shoppable without a membership, whether you opt to shop online or in-store. You will pay additional fees for shipping, delivery, or any additional shopper-related fees (like tips) when shopping online.
Why You Might Pass on a Walmart+ Membership
Look, the Walmart+ membership gets you a lot of benefits. That being said, there are some snags I think are cause for consideration:
Walmart Cash cannot be used for travel. While you can earn Walmart Cash by booking travel through Walmart (via Expedia), it can’t be used for booking additional travel. It can only be used for Walmart purchases or redeemed for cash back.
If you don’t live near a Walmart, grocery deliveries might not be a possibility. The free grocery delivery service is only available if you have a local Walmart that can fulfill the delivery order, which isn’t widely available in many large cities that do not have many nearby Walmarts, like New York City, Seattle, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston.
There might be less saving opportunities for solo grocery shoppers. Much like the non-Walmart+ shopping experience, the bulk buying options of Walmart are most cost-effective for larger households, such as families and couples. Maybe you just don’t need a mega-size box of Fruity Pebbles! It happens.
As for me, a solo shopper who punctuates Trader Joe’s runs with a few Instacart orders a month, I love the selection of Walmart+. It’s a lot of what I need all at one store, with the handiness of being able to order a wide variety of things — guitar picks, mascara, and a fresh pack of socks — all with free shipping.
Like I said before, us single household city-dwellers (I live in Los Angeles) might not be able to reap all the benefits of Walmart+, so for me it’s not 100% worth it as of now, but I’d definitely consider it if I lived within delivery distance, had a larger household, or just really needed a large box of Fruity Pebbles on the regular.
Are you a Walmart+ member? Tell us about your experience below!
