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How often have we been asked if we want to join a store's membership program? Best Buy has one, and so do Barnes & Noble, Target, and of course, Walmart. They're all considered big-box stores, and they all offer paid membership programs. The relentless call to join can get irritating, but have you wondered if any of the programs are worth the membership fee? To figure that out, you may have to do a little math, but don't worry, it's simpler than Common Core!
Walmart's paid membership program is called Walmart+. When you sign up, you can decide to pay month-to-month or pony up for an annual membership. The monthly option costs $12.95 each month, plus tax, while the annual option is $98 a year, plus tax, representing a savings of more than $55 if you opt for the annual subscription. There's also a membership option called Walmart+ InHome, which allows subscribers to have orders delivered to their homes. Here, we'll focus on the basic Walmart+ plan.
Benefits included under the membership plan are plentiful and include free shipping with no minimum order; auto care benefits like free flat repair, which has a $15 value, and free road hazard insurance with new tire installation; fuel savings; a video streaming choice, and much more. Walmart+ is significantly cheaper than Amazon Prime, and there are plenty of ways for the program to easily make it worth your investment. But you should take a close look before signing up to see if you will actually save any money.
Best ways to take advantage of a Walmart+ membership
Walmart
If you're a frequent Walmart shopper, it likely won't take long for that monthly or annual fee to pay for itself. For example, if you typically shop online, non-members pay a minimum of $6.99 for all orders under $35. It only takes two orders for the Walmart+ membership to pay for itself. For some items, most members can even receive free same-day delivery on orders over $35, or for $2.95 on orders under that minimum threshold.
The membership program also includes Paramount+ or Peacock, both with ads, and the ability to change your selection every 90 days. Both Paramount+ and Peacock start at $7.99 per month, and with many Americans looking for ways to save on streaming services, this is potentially a great value for fans of either service. Additionally, if you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, consider the Walmart+ fuel benefit, where members save $0.10 per gallon at more than 13,000 gas stations across the country. If you put 10 gallons of fuel in per week, you'll save $1, or about $4 to $5 monthly.
The program includes several additional ways to save. The travel benefit offers 2% in Walmart cash on airfare when booked through Walmart+ Travel, and 5% on hotel reservations and car rentals. If you're on the fence, try it for a month or so, or look for deals — at the time of writing, Walmart was offering the annual membership for half price, or $49 per year.
