How much can you really save with a Walmart+ membership? Let’s break down the best Walmart+ perks and their value to help you decide.
Understanding Walmart+
Walmart+ is a paid membership program providing free shipping and discounts on gas, food, entertainment, and more. With an annual fee of $98, Walmart+ is cheaper than Amazon Prime — but does that mean more value? The answer depends on your shopping habits and proximity to a Walmart store.
Below, we quantify the annual value of four Walmart+ benefits, explaining the math and assumptions along the way. Compare the assumptions to your lifestyle to understand your potential to save with Walmart+.
Free shipping and delivery: $613
The headline feature of Walmart+ is free shipping and delivery. As a paying member, you get free shipping with no order minimum and free delivery from a local store. Free shipping excludes marketplace items shipped by third parties, which is a negative relative to Amazon Prime. And free delivery requires you to spend at least $35.
Walmart normally charges $9.95 for grocery delivery to your home. Assuming you order groceries weekly, the free delivery saves you $517.40 annually. If you also order non-grocery products from Walmart once a month, the free shipping is worth $96.
Gas discounts: $56
Your Walmart+ membership gives you a $0.10 per gallon discount at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy gas stations. The annual value of this perk depends on how often you fill up at these stations. You won’t save much if you must drive twice as far to get your discount — so the proximity of these gas stations is also critical.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average car in the U.S. gets about 24 miles to the gallon. Consumer Affairs also reports that the average U.S. driver travels 13,596 miles by car annually. Those numbers equate to 566 gallons of gas purchased per year. Saving 10 cents on each gallon is worth $56.
Drive more than 14,000 miles annually and you’ll save even more.
Paramount+ streaming: $95
Walmart+ also includes a free subscription to Paramount+ Essentials, an ad-supported streaming entertainment program. Paramount+ Essentials roughly competes with Prime Video.
The normal cost of Paramount+ Essentials is $7.99 monthly, totaling $95.88 annually.
Burger King discounts: $36
Walmart has teamed with Burger King to add fast food discounts to the + membership. Specifically, you get a free Whopper with any purchase every three months and 25% off digital orders daily.
One website, realmenuprices.com, says the average meal price at Burger King is $5. I do not know how accurate this “average” is — but let’s assume you spend $5 at Burger King twice a month. Your 25% discount is worth $30 a year. If you also collect a free Whopper every quarter, you save another $6. This value assumes you spend $2 on a drink to get your free Whopper worth $3.50.
Maximize your membership
The discounts mentioned total to $800 in annual savings. The membership includes several other perks that harder to quantify. Some items, including free online pet care and free returns from home, may be worth more in convenience value versus hard-dollar savings.
There are also temporary promotions, like earning $100 in Walmart Cash when you spend $500 with Walmart Travel.
My point is this. If you look for ways to use your Walmart+ membership, it may be worth more than $800 per year. That’s a nice return on your $98 investment.
