With Walmart Plus, Walmart is going all-in on grocery delivery.
Walmart
Ready for another subscription service? Walmart Plus has arrived (or will very soon — see below), and although it’s already drawing comparisons to Amazon Prime, it’s not really the same thing. Here’s everything you need to know about the new program: price, availability and so on. We’ll be updating this post as we get more information, so be to sure to bookmark it and check back soon.
How much does Walmart Plus cost?
You can pay an annual price of $98, or go monthly and pay $12.95 (which works out to $155.40 annually — obviously not the most cost-effective option). If you’re not sure whether the service will be a good fit, Walmart is offering a 15-day free trial.
When can I sign up for Walmart Plus?
Membership will be available starting Sept. 15. We’ll add a sign-up link here once it’s available.
What’s included with Walmart Plus?
Building on the store’s original Delivery Unlimited option, Walmart Plus will offer “in-store prices” and “as fast as same-day” delivery on over 160,000 items. Basically, anything that’s in-store can be at your door within a day or even on the same day, with no added fees. There is, however, a $35 minimum for deliveries.
Subscribers will also get access to Scan & Go, a feature in the Walmart app that lets you scan items as you shop and then check out using Walmart Pay — effectively bypassing the checkout lane.
There’s a gas perk as well: You’ll save up to 5 cents per gallon at nearly 2,000 fuel stations, with more to come.
How does Walmart Plus compare with Amazon Prime?
On the surface, this sounds like Walmart’s version of Amazon Prime: basically, “free” deliveries for subscribers. And Walmart is doing it for $21 less per year: $98 versus $119. Amazon has two grocery angles, too: The company offers free two-hour delivery (where available) from Prime subscribers from from its Whole Foods stores, again with a $35 minimum order. There’s also Amazon Fresh, a totally different grocery option which offers same-day delivery (where available) to Prime subscribers — also with that $35 minimum.
That said, the comparisons largely end there: Although Walmart promises that “the list of benefits will continue to grow over time,” Amazon Prime offers a much wider array of perks, including a wealth of streaming media (music, movies, TV), free e-books and magazines, free PC games and so on.
Read more: Amazon Prime: 21 benefits every member gets
Is Walmart Plus a good value?
That depends on a number of factors, but ultimately it boils down to whether you live close enough to Walmart to actually qualify for delivery and how often you think you’ll take advantage of that delivery.
For example, if you typically shop for groceries once a week and you leverage Walmart Plus every time, that works out to just $1.89 per week (based on the $98 annual rate) for deliveries. That’s pretty cheap, and it saves you time as well — especially if you’re already getting your groceries at Walmart. Delivery also lowers your risk of COVID-19 exposure.
I’ve used a handful of grocery-delivery services in recent months, and for the most part they’ve been fine. Produce tends to be a sticking point: I like to choose my own avocados and bananas. But there’s no debating the convenience of such services, especially for those who can’t easily (or safely) get to a store.
We’ll update this story as more details about Walmart Plus are revealed, including any relevant first-hand experiences with the service.
In the meantime: Your thoughts?
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