Amazon is set to face some fresh competition to its $119 per year Prime subscription later this month as Walmart is launching a rival that only costs $98.
The new membership program is called Walmart+ and it's set to launch on Sept. 15 for either $98 per year or $12.95 per month after an initial 15-day trial. In return for your cash, Walmart is offering unlimited free deliveries on orders over $35, with over 160,000 items available for same-day delivery. Some Walmart customers may already be paying for this service as it was previously known as Delivery Unlimited, but "subscribers will automatically become Walmart+ members" later this month.
Other member benefits include fuel discounts of up to 5 cents per gallon available from nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA, and Murphy Express fuel stations. Walmart intends to add Sam's Club fuel stations to the discount scheme in the near future. There's also a feature in the Walmart app set to be unlocked called Scan & Go. It allows you to scan items as you walk around Walmart allowing for a very quick and touch-free payment process when you're done.
"We are a company committed to meeting our customers’ needs,” said Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer, Walmart. “Customers know they can trust us and depend on us, and we’ve designed this program as the ultimate life hack for them. 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."
Walmart is keen to point out that the membership benefits are in addition to the existing benefits customers enjoy including curbside pickup, NextDay delivery, and two-day delivery. The company also refers to the Walmart+ benefits as an "initial list," suggesting there's plans to keep building on the reasons to subscribe once it's up and running. Perhaps lowering that $35 free delivery barrier should be one of the first improvements it considers.
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