BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Walmart announced Tuesday that it’s launching a new membership program called Walmart+ that can save customers money and time.
Walmart+ members will receive unlimited free delivery from stores, fuel discounts and access to tools that make shopping faster, the company said in a press release.
Membership will be available to all customers on Sept. 15 and it will cost $98 a year or $12.95 per month, a similar price point to Amazon Prime. The Walmart+ membership also includes a 15-day trial period.
Amazon, one of Walmart’s biggest competitors, has been offering Prime since 2005 and has racked up more than 150 million members, so the retail giant has an uphill battle to catch up, The Associated Press reports.
The initial list of Walmart+ benefits are below:
- Unlimited free delivery: In-store prices as fast as same-day on more than 160,000 items from tech and toys to household essentials and groceries. This service was previously known as Delivery Unlimited – a subscription service that allows customers to place an unlimited number of deliveries for a low, flat yearly or monthly fee. Current subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members.
- Scan & Go: Unlock Scan & Go in the Walmart app — a fast way to shop in-store. Using the Walmart app, customers can scan their items as they shop and pay using Walmart Pay for a quick, easy, touch-free payment experience.
- Fuel discounts: Fill up and save up to 5 cents a gallon at nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA and Murphy Express fuel stations. Sam’s Club fuel stations will soon be added to this lineup.
Walmart says the list of benefits will continue to grow over time.
These benefits come in addition to the retailer’s existing customer offerings like free curbside pickup, NextDay delivery and two-day delivery. Walmart will continue to have delivery options with a per-delivery transaction fee so customers can choose the service that’s best for them.
“Customers know they can trust us and depend on us, and we’ve designed this program as the ultimate life hack for them,” said Janey Whiteside, Walmart’s chief customer officer. “Walmart+ will bring together a comprehensive set of benefits where we see the greatest needs from our customers and where our scale can bring solutions at an unprecedented value.”
