Why You Can Trust CNET Thinking About Signing Up for Walmart Plus? Here's What You Need to Know
Here's what you get with Walmart's $98 annual subscription service.
- 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
With Walmart Plus, Walmart is going all-in on grocery delivery.
If you're looking for a service that delivers groceries and more to your home, Walmart Plus might be what you need. To find out if it fits your needs, you can sign up for a free 15-day Walmart Plus trial.
Although you may think Plus is the Walmart equivalent to Amazon Prime, it's not really the same thing (see the link below). Here's everything you need to know about Walmart's program.
Read more: Walmart Plus vs. Amazon Prime: Should You Switch Grocery Delivery Services?
Between deals and other benefits, the Target Circle Program can be a great way to save money. Remember that bargains can vary widely from one retailer to the next. To make sure you're getting the best deal as you browse products, you'll want to check prices. CNET's Chrome Shopping extension can help you do that by finding the best discounts and promo codes.
How much does Walmart Plus cost?
You can pay an annual price of $98, or go monthly and pay just under $13 (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 offers that 30-day free trial. Regular billing will kick in after that unless you cancel.
What's included with Walmart Plus?
At a glance:
- Up to same-day delivery on over 160,000 items
- Scan & Go on the Walmart Plus app
- Monetary rewards for shopping
- Early access to Black Friday-style events
- Up to 5 cents per gallon off gas at nearly 14,000 locations
- Subscriptions to Paramount Plus and Pluto TV
- Free returns from home
Building on the store's original Delivery Unlimited option, Walmart Plus promises "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. What's more, although Walmart originally required a $35 minimum, you can now get delivery with no minimum. (That's for items purchased from Walmart's online store; grocery deliveries still require you to spend at least $35.)
Subscribers 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. You also get rewards when you shop that can be used for price reductions, and early access to shopping events like Black Friday.
There's a gas perk as well: You'll save up to 5 cents per gallon at nearly 14,000 fuel stations, including Walmart Fuel, Sam's Club and even Exxon and Mobil stations.
Walmart Plus now includes streaming services. The basic versions of Paramount Plus and Pluto TV and part of the $98 subscription. Originally, Walmart Plus had no streaming services so it was harder to recommend it over Prime. With the addition of two streaming services though, it becomes a much better proposition. The Essentials package for Paramount Plus is worth $50 a year, so it's a good deal to get free with your Walmart Plus.
Finally, Walmart Plus offers free returns from home. So if that TV you bought isn't right, or if your toaster is the wrong color, Walmart will come and get it without the need for labels.
How does Walmart Plus compare with Amazon Prime?
Walmart Plus and Amazon Prime offer significant value if you regularly order online. If you're ordering groceries, much will depend on your tastes, especially as Amazon does offer Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods delivery if you live close enough.
Though Amazon Prime offers a huge array of perks, including a wealth of streaming media (music, movies, TV), free e-books and magazines, free PC games and so on, by offering Paramount Plus and Pluto TV, Walmart has made itself much more appealing.
Ultimately, if you're forced to choose between the two, you'll want to decide which is more important: grocery delivery or streaming?
Read more: Amazon Prime: All the 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 use 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.
Now that Paramount Plus and Pluto TV streaming services are available and the discount on fuel has a lot more locations, Walmart Plus is a significantly better deal proposition than ever before.