Amazon Prime vs. Walmart+ vs. Target Circle 360: Which Is the Best?
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At a Glance: Prime vs. Walmart+ vs. Circle 360
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Best Shipping: Prime
Best Catalog: Prime
Best Deals: Walmart+
Best Return Policy: Circle 360
Best Extras: Prime
Best Price: Circle 360
Winner: Amazon Prime
Target has just launched Circle 360, a new membership program designed to compete with Amazon Prime and Walmart+. Like those older (and highly successful) membership programs, Target’s Circle 360 offers special deals and perks for an annual fee.
One of the big draws of Circle 360 is its shipping offer: Unlimited same-day delivery on orders over $35 through Shipt marketplace. The program’s pricing is also very competitive. Normally $99 for the year, Target is currently running a 50% off deal to promote the new program, bringing the price down to just $49 (this lasts through May 18). That makes it very attractive when considered against Amazon Prime’s annual price tag of $139, or even Walmart+’s fee of $98.
$49
Curious about Target Circle 360? Read on. Below, is a full rundown on how Circle 360 stacks up against Walmart+ and Amazon Prime, including its shipping, deals, and extras perks.
Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360: Shipping
One of the most attractive perks of Circle 360 is its free same-day delivery from local Target stores. This applies to any orders over $35, and you can do it as many times as you want throughout the day. Obviously, the catch is that any items you want do need to be in stock at a nearby Target, but this is a great way to get groceries and everyday items without paying fees.
However, Walmart+ and Amazon Prime also offer free same-day delivery. Walmart+’s same-day delivery offer is essentially identical (free same-day delivery for orders of $35 or more) but Amazon Prime’s is slightly different. With Prime, you can get same-day grocery delivery through Amazon Fresh, but the order minimum is $100 and you’ll need to select a 2-hour delivery window (faster delivery will require a fee). Depending on your location, a good number of non-grocery Amazon products are also eligible for free same-day delivery.
Edge: Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360: Catalog
Product selection is hard to qualify when we’re talking about three of the biggest retailers in the country, but one thing is clear: Target comes in third. Walmart is the largest physical retailer in the country (and the world) with 5,330 stores in the U.S., but it also has a massive online catalog. However, in our opinion, they’re still not quite on the same level as Amazon. It’s nicknamed the “Everything Store” for a reason, so it wins here too.
Edge: Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360: Deals
One of the benefits that Walmart+, Prime, and Circle 360 all tout is access to deals. Amazon Prime Day — a sales event with many Prime Member-exclusive deals — is probably the best known of the three, but Target and Walmart both run simultaneous events.
Walmart+ also offers savings on gas, which the other two don’t. Members get 10 cents off per gallon at more than 13,000 gas stations nationwide, including Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy stations. We think this perk gives Walmart+ the lead here.
Edge: Walmart+
Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360: Return Policy
Walmart, Amazon, and Target all have a lot of products that you aren’t going to like once you get them in the mail. But, another draw with each of their membership programs is special return benefits.
With Target Circle 360, you get an extra 30 days on top of the typical 90 to make returns, making it the longest return window of the three services. With Prime, not much is different: You can return most products for free, usually within 30 days of purchase. Walmart offers a 90-day return policy on most goods, and, with Walmart InHome, someone will actually come to your home to pick up the return. However, Walmart InHome is an additional $7/month or $40/year.
Edge: Target Circle 360
$49
Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360: Extras
We’ve gone over the core value proposition of these membership programs — fast, free shipping options, deals, and better return policies — but Walmart+ and Prime have a few other extras to sweeten the deal (Target Circle 360, however, doesn’t)
With Walmart+, the two big ones are Paramount+ and auto care. Your subscription includes Paramount+, which has quickly grown to be one of the best streaming services out there, offering live sports and events plus thousands of popular on-demand titles. Auto Care offers things like free flat tire repair.
Amazon Prime slightly outdoes Walmart+ with access to Prime Video, Prime Music, Audible, Kindle Books, a year of Grubhub+ for free, and more. In fact, most Prime members don’t even realize or take advantage of all these extra benefits that membership offers.
Edge: Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360: Price
Target Circle 360 is very competitively priced right now at $49 for your first year, but that deal ends on May 18. Once that’s done, Circle 360 will cost $99 a year. Walmart+ is priced at $12.95 a month or $98 a year if you pay annually. Amazon Prime is more expensive at $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
Walmart+ and Prime both offer a 30-day free trial, but Circle 360 does not have a free trial.
Edge (for now): Target Circle 360
$49
Which membership is the best deal: Amazon Prime, Walmart Plus, or Target Circle 360?
Without considering personal tastes and location, Amazon Prime wins the retailer membership program war. Yes, it’s the most expensive, but their virtually endless selection of goods, fast (usually free) shipping on all goods, and huge bevy of extras are well worth that surcharge. Walmart+ is a close second, and Target Circle 360 comes in last. Target says it’ll be expanding the Circle 360 program in the near future, so we may check back with a revised ranking.
Also, the best membership program depends on your current situation. If you live closer to Walmarts or Targets, or just shop at one of those more often, that might be the better membership program. But, for most people, Prime is the best bet.
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