Walmart+ has emerged as a serious contender in the paid membership space since its September 2020 launch. Priced at $98 annually, it delivers grocery delivery, shipping perks, fuel discounts, and streaming entertainment—all at 30% less than Amazon Prime's $139 annual fee. For e-commerce brands building their own membership programs, Walmart+'s approach offers a masterclass in strategic benefit selection and customer retention.
The program has achieved double-digit membership growth over three consecutive quarters as of 2024, with retention rates at their highest levels since launch. This success stems from Walmart's focus on high-frequency benefits—grocery delivery and fuel savings—rather than attempting to match Amazon's breadth of offerings.
Whether evaluating Walmart+ for personal use or studying it as a retention strategy benchmark, this breakdown covers everything from core benefits and pricing to the data-driven decisions behind its partnership selection.
Key Takeaways
- Walmart+ costs $98/year or $12.95/month, positioning it 30% below Amazon Prime while delivering comparable core benefits.
- Grocery delivery is the standout feature—non-members pay $7.95-$9.95 per delivery, meaning just 10-12 monthly deliveries justify the annual membership cost.
- Streaming partnerships provide approximately $72 in annual value, covering 73% of the membership cost before any other benefits.
- Walmart uses customer data to select partnerships strategically—75% pet ownership led to the Pawp partnership with the highest redemption rate of any limited-time offer.
- 87% of Walmart+ members also have Amazon Prime, suggesting the programs serve complementary rather than purely competitive purposes.
Understanding Walmart Plus: What Is It and How Does It Work?
Walmart+ is Walmart's subscription-based membership service designed to compete directly with Amazon Prime. It bundles delivery, shipping, fuel discounts, and entertainment into a single monthly or annual subscription.
A Brief Overview of the Walmart+ Membership Program
The program leverages Walmart's 4,600+ U.S. stores to provide same-day grocery delivery and curbside pickup—an advantage Amazon can't match with its primarily warehouse-based fulfillment model.
Core membership includes:
- Free same-day grocery delivery on orders $35+
- Free shipping with no order minimum
- 10¢ per gallon fuel discounts at 14,000+ stations
- Paramount+ or Peacock streaming subscription
- Scan & Go mobile checkout in stores
- Free tire repair and auto care services
Bryan Gildenberg, CEO of Confluencer Commerce, summarized the strategy: "The success of Walmart+ is way more contingent on the success of Walmart.com than it is on Walmart+ as a membership program."
Getting Started: How to Sign Up for Walmart+
Signing up takes just a few minutes through the Walmart website or mobile app. New members get a free trial period to test the benefits before committing.
Membership options:
- Annual plan: $98/year (saves $57 vs monthly)
- Monthly plan: $12.95/month
- Walmart+ Assist: $49/year or $6.47/month for eligible customers
The annual plan delivers the best value for regular Walmart shoppers. For brands studying membership program economics, this pricing structure shows how annual commitments drive predictable recurring revenue while rewarding customer commitment.
Unlocking the Benefits: What Does a Walmart Plus Membership Offer?
Walmart+ packs substantial value into its membership, though some benefits clearly outweigh others in practical terms.
Key Advantages of Being a Walmart+ Member
The standout feature is free same-day grocery delivery. This makes sense—groceries are a high-frequency purchase category where convenience creates sticky customer relationships.
Primary benefits breakdown:
- Free delivery: Same-day for groceries ($35+ orders), next-day for general merchandise
- Fuel savings: 10¢ per gallon at 14,000+ locations (5¢ in Alaska and Oklahoma)
- Streaming: Choice of Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium
- In-store perks: Scan & Go checkout, member-only pricing
- Auto care: Free tire repair at Walmart Auto Care Centers
For comparison, non-members pay $7.95-$9.95 per grocery delivery. At that rate, 10-12 monthly deliveries cover the entire annual membership cost. This frequency-based value creation demonstrates how subscription programs should align benefits with natural customer behavior patterns.
Exploring the Walmart+ App Features and Functionality
The Walmart app serves as the hub for managing membership benefits. Members can order groceries, track deliveries, access fuel discounts, and activate streaming services from a single interface.
Scan & Go lets members scan items while shopping and skip checkout lines—particularly valuable during busy periods. This in-store tech advantage represents the kind of omnichannel integration that loyalty programs increasingly need to deliver.
Cost and Value: How Much Does Walmart Plus Membership Cost, and Is It Worth It?
The value equation depends heavily on shopping habits, location, and which benefits get actually used.
Breaking Down the Walmart+ Subscription Price
At $98 annually or $12.95 monthly, Walmart+ is cheaper than Amazon Prime and closely priced to Target Circle 360. It has a slightly lower annual price than Target Circle 360, though its monthly price is higher.
- Amazon Prime: $139 per year or $14.99 per month
- Target Circle 360: $99 per year or $10.99 per month
- Walmart+: $98 per year or $12.95 per month
- Walmart+ Assist: $49 per year or $6.47 per month
Evaluating the Return on Investment for Walmart+ Members
Consumer Reports analysis shows frequent grocery delivery users see the clearest ROI:
Scenario 1: Weekly grocery orders ($100 average)
- Delivery fee savings: $624/year (52 weeks × $12 average fee)
- Fuel savings: approximately $104/year (assuming 20 gallons/week)
- Streaming value: $72
- Total value: approximately $700-800 for $98 investment
Scenario 2: Occasional shopper (2 deliveries/month)
- Delivery fee savings: approximately $240/year
- Streaming value: $72
- Total value: approximately $312 for $98 investment
Even occasional users can hit positive ROI thanks to the streaming benefit alone. Understanding these calculations helps when building membership pricing strategy. The key insight for e-commerce brands: stack benefits that compound value rather than offering single-use perks.
Streamlining Your Shopping: Walmart Plus for Grocery Delivery
Grocery delivery represents the program's primary value driver and competitive differentiator.
Maximizing Your Walmart+ Grocery Delivery Experience
Walmart's physical retail footprint gives it an edge here. With 4,600+ stores nationwide, same-day delivery reaches far more households than Amazon Fresh's limited coverage.
Delivery details:
- $35 minimum order for free delivery
- Same-day windows available in most markets
- Curbside pickup available at all stores
- Express delivery (under 2 hours) available for an additional fee
One limitation: Walmart+ delivery isn't available in NYC proper due to logistics constraints. Always verify coverage for the address before subscribing.
Comparing Walmart+ Grocery Delivery to Other Services
The 87% overlap between Walmart+ and Amazon Prime membership suggests many households use both services for different purposes—Prime for general retail and entertainment, Walmart+ primarily for groceries. This complementary usage pattern reveals an important lesson: membership programs don't need to own every category to succeed. Dominating one high-frequency category can justify the entire subscription.
Jen Smith, host of the Frugal Friends Podcast, put it directly: "Walmart Plus has a lot of catching up to do if it wants consumers to replace Prime, but I think it could differentiate itself and prove to be the right choice for households where Prime isn't the right fit."
Entertainment Included: Walmart Plus and Paramount Plus Integration
Streaming partnerships represent Walmart's strategy to boost perceived value without building proprietary entertainment infrastructure.
How to Access Paramount+ with Your Walmart+ Membership
Members can choose between Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium. Both options are valued at $5.99/month. The selection can be switched every 90 days, letting members alternate based on content preferences.
Streaming benefit value:
Both Paramount+ Essential and Peacock Premium provide $72 in annual value ($5.99/month × 12 months). This bundling approach offers lessons for e-commerce brands considering partnership strategies to enhance programs without major infrastructure investment.
The Value of Bundled Streaming Services
Limited-time partnerships extend the entertainment value further. Billboard reports that members have received 5 months free Apple Music ($54.95 value) as a promotional perk.
This rotating benefit strategy keeps the membership feeling fresh without permanent cost increases—a tactic worth noting for customer retention programs. The approach demonstrates how to create ongoing value perception through strategic partnerships rather than constantly adding fixed costs to the membership structure.
Affordable Access: Finding Walmart Plus Membership Discounts
Walmart has made accessibility a strategic priority through targeted discount programs.
Strategies for Saving on Your Walmart+ Membership
The primary discount pathway is Walmart+ Assist, offering 50% off for qualifying customers:
Eligible programs:
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Medicaid
- WIC
- TANF
- SSI
Students also qualify for the discounted rate through college/university verification. SheerID handles eligibility confirmation while protecting privacy.
Who Qualifies for Reduced Walmart+ Pricing?
Walmart+ Assist represents more than a marketing tactic—it's positioned as an accessibility initiative. At $49/year or $6.47/month, it makes premium convenience services available to lower-income households who benefit most from delivery savings.
Existing members who qualify receive prorated refunds automatically when they verify eligibility—a customer-first approach that builds trust. This demonstrates how tiered pricing can expand the addressable market while maintaining brand positioning.
Managing Your Membership: Walmart Plus Login and Customer Service
Account management is straightforward through the Walmart website and app.
Accessing Your Walmart+ Account and Features
Members can manage subscriptions, track orders, update payment information, and access benefits through their Walmart account. The unified login works across web and mobile platforms.
Key account features include:
- Subscription management (pause, cancel, switch plans)
- Order history and reorder functionality
- Fuel discount activation
- Streaming service connection
- Auto-renewal settings
Getting Help: Contacting Walmart+ Customer Support
Support options include live chat, phone support, and a comprehensive FAQ section. Members report generally responsive service for billing questions and delivery issues.
For technical problems with streaming activation or fuel discounts, the app includes dedicated troubleshooting guides.
Targeted Offerings: Is Walmart Plus Membership for Seniors a Good Fit?
Older adults represent a significant opportunity for Walmart+, though specific senior discounts aren't currently offered.
Analyzing the Value of Walmart+ for Senior Citizens
Seniors benefit particularly from:
- Delivery convenience: Eliminates transportation barriers for grocery shopping
- Prescription delivery: Available in 49 states as of January 2025
- Fuel discounts: Valuable for those on fixed incomes
- Streaming entertainment: Bundled value without additional subscriptions
The $98 annual cost may be offset quickly for seniors who would otherwise pay for grocery delivery or rely on others for transportation.
Specific Benefits that Appeal to Older Adults
Auto care benefits—including free tire repair—add practical value for seniors who drive. The Scan & Go feature reduces time spent standing in checkout lines.
However, auto care benefits aren't available in New York state due to regulatory restrictions. Always verify which benefits apply to the location.
Beyond Basics: How Walmart+ Aims to Retain Customers and Drive Loyalty
Walmart's approach to membership growth offers valuable lessons for any brand building retention programs.
The Role of Walmart+ in Customer Retention Strategies
After a previous plateau in membership, Walmart shifted its strategy to focus on adding tangible benefits, resulting in double-digit growth for three consecutive quarters through mid-2024 and the highest retention rates since the program's launch.
This turnaround demonstrates the power of benefit optimization over price competition. Rather than discounting the membership, Walmart added value through strategic partnerships, increasing the perceived return on investment for members.
Walmart's retention playbook:
- Data-driven benefit selection (not guesswork)
- Third-party partnerships over proprietary builds
- Tiered pricing for accessibility
- Continuous value enhancement over discounting
Venessa Yates, SVP and General Manager of Walmart+, explained: "What we're really trying to do is continue to test and to learn and to figure out what our sweet spot is amongst all of that noise."
Building Brand Loyalty Through Membership Programs
Walmart’s data-driven approach offers a strong model for brands building membership programs. Instead of guessing which perks customers might want, it uses behavior and redemption data to shape decisions.
A few examples stand out:
- Before adding the Burger King perk—25% off orders plus a free Whopper quarterly—Walmart knew nearly 100% of members had visited a quick-service restaurant in the previous three months.
- It also found those members spent 2x the average on QSR.
- For the Pawp pet telehealth partnership, Walmart discovered that 75% of members owned pets.
- A 2023 trial delivered the highest redemption rate of any limited-time offer, helping validate the benefit before a broader rollout.
That test-and-learn approach is especially important. By trialing limited-time offers before making them permanent, brands can reduce risk and invest in benefits customers are more likely to use.
For Shopify Plus brands, this is the same kind of strategy platforms like Rivo are built to support:
- Use behavioral data to guide program design.
- Launch paid memberships with recurring billing.
- Create segmented benefits for different customer groups.
- Track performance to see which perks actually drive loyalty.
The key takeaway is simple: successful membership programs are built around what customers truly value, then deliver those benefits consistently and well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Walmart+ free delivery work?
Free delivery requires a $35 minimum order and is available for groceries (same-day in most markets) and general merchandise (next-day). Members select delivery windows during checkout, and items arrive from the nearest Walmart store or fulfillment center. Express delivery under 2 hours is available for an additional fee. Geographic coverage varies—check the address during signup to confirm availability.
What are the benefits of Scan & Go with Walmart+?
Scan & Go lets members use the Walmart app to scan items while shopping, then pay through the app and skip checkout lines entirely. This saves time during busy shopping periods and provides a running total as shopping happens—helpful for budget management. The feature works at Walmart stores.
Is a free trial available for Walmart+?
Walmart offers a free trial period for new members. Trial length varies based on promotions but typically runs 30 days. During the trial, members have full access to all benefits, including delivery, fuel discounts, and streaming. Cancel before the trial ends to avoid charges—automatic billing begins at trial expiration.
How to cancel a Walmart+ membership?
Cancellation is available anytime through Walmart account settings online or in the app. Navigate to Account > Walmart+ > Manage Membership > Cancel Membership. There are no cancellation fees, and benefits remain through the current billing period. For annual subscribers who cancel mid-year, no prorated refunds are issued for unused months.
Does Walmart+ include pharmacy discounts?
Walmart+ members receive prescription delivery in 49 states, with medications shipped directly from Walmart pharmacies. The membership doesn't include separate pharmacy discounts beyond free delivery—Walmart's everyday low prices on generics apply to all customers. Certain controlled substances are excluded from delivery based on federal DEA regulations.
