Today, Walmart joined Amazon Prime and Target’s Shipt in the retail membership game with Walmart+. But the question is, do you really need one of these memberships and how do you choose what’s right for you?
What you need to know about Walmart+
Walmart+ will cost $98 a year, or $12.95 a month, with unlimited, often same-day delivery of orders $35+ of 160k grocery items and other general merchandise from Walmart stores. Walmart also offers gas discounts of up to $.05 gallon at more than 2,000 gas stations as well as members-only access to their contact-free Scan & Go technology for in-store shoppers, and they plan to offer more benefits down the road.
The difference between Walmart+ and Target’s Shipt
There are a few subtle differences. Walmart’s annual fee is $1 less than Target’s. Target also offers a 4-week free trial, where Walmart’s is 2-weeks. They both offer fast – sometimes day-of – shopping on select items with a minimum purchase of $35. And Walmart+ has a few perks, where Target doesn’t.
Walmart+ vs. Target Shipt vs. Amazon Prime
At $119/year, Amazon Prime is more expensive, but they do offer discounts to students and customers on public assistance. Amazon offers access to millions of items via Amazon, most with their 2-day unlimited free shipping. There are also grocery items through Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, some with same-day delivery. On top of that, members have access to streamed TV shows, movies and music, photo storage, and other perks.
Save even more
Absolutely! Each retailer has its own ways to save: You can sign up for their promotional emails and consider applying for their “store” credit card, but there are other reliable ways to save beyond that and it’s always worth the extra few seconds to look. I would suggest installing at least one free browser extension, which will alert you to available savings as you shop online. I like the *Slickdeals browser extension because Slickdeals has deals that are crowdsourced from over 12mm deal seekers, so all the discounts out there are in one place. If you prefer to shop in-store Slickdeals has a handy savings app.