- Membership: $98 a year or $12.95 a month
- Free Trial: 30 days
- Delivery Minimum: $35 for free store delivery
- Shipping: No minimum for members
- Streaming: Paramount+ or Peacock included
The Short Answer
Walmart works fine without paying anything. You get free shipping on orders of $35 or more, curbside pickup at no charge, and the same prices as members.
Walmart sells the membership on fees, not on prices. Walmart+ removes delivery fees, drops the shipping minimum, cuts fuel costs, and throws in a streaming service. If you order groceries to your door a few times a month, it pays for itself fast. If you shop in a store and pick up your own orders, it does not.
Here is the math, laid out so you can decide in two minutes.
What You Pay and What You Get
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual cost | $98, or $12.95 monthly |
| Assist plan | $49 a year for students and qualifying aid recipients |
| Store delivery | Free on orders of $35 or more, as fast as same day |
| Under $35 orders | $6.99 minimum order fee applies |
| Shipping | Free next-day and two-day from Walmart.com, no minimum |
| Fuel | 10 cents off per gallon at Walmart, Exxon, Mobil, and Murphy stations |
| Streaming | Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium, worth up to $129 a year |
| Express delivery | Members save up to $9.95 on fees |
| Returns | Home pickup on eligible returns, no box or label needed |
Marketplace items sold by other sellers, freight, and oversized goods are left out of free shipping, so check the badge before you assume.
What Walmart Sells Best
The membership question is only half the story. The other half is whether the catalog fits how you shop.
Groceries are the anchor. Store-brand lines like Great Value and Bettergoods cover pantry basics at prices most rivals cannot match, and fresh items now arrive with a real chance of a next-day slot in most cities. Household supplies, baby gear, and pet food follow the same pattern: cheap, reliable, and easy to reorder from your purchase history.
Clothing and home goods are the value tier. Expect basics, not heirlooms. Electronics are competitive during sale events but rarely the cheapest on a normal week, so compare before you buy a TV or a laptop there.
The part that trips people up is the marketplace. Thousands of third-party sellers list on the site, and their items follow their own shipping times, return rules, and quality. Check the "sold by" line on the product page before you order. If it does not say Walmart, treat it like any other online seller and read the return terms first.
The Break-Even Math
| How You Shop | Yearly Cost Without Membership | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Two grocery deliveries a month | Delivery fees on 24 orders | Membership wins easily |
| One delivery a month | Fees on 12 orders | Close, streaming tips it over |
| Small online orders under $35 | $6.99 fee each time | Membership wins |
| Pickup only, no delivery | $0 | Skip it |
| In-store shopper | $0 | Skip it |
The streaming perk is the quiet argument. If you already pay for Peacock or Paramount+, swapping that bill to the membership covers most of the $98 on its own.
Three Shopper Types in Walmart
The Weekly Grocery Family
This is the clearest yes. Same-day delivery on a $35 basket, no fee, plus fuel savings on the school run. Add the streaming service you already pay for and the membership is cheaper than the sum of its parts.
The Online Bargain Hunter
If you buy small items often, the no-minimum shipping matters more than the delivery perk. Without it, you either pay a fee or pad the cart to reach $35, which usually costs more than shipping would.
The In-Store Shopper
Skip it. Pickup is already free, prices are the same, and the only leftover perk is fuel. Scan and go at checkout is open to everyone with the app.
Free Ways to Save Without a Membership
- Order $35 or more to get free shipping with no membership
- Use curbside pickup, which costs nothing at any basket size
- Check the rollback and clearance tabs, which refresh weekly
- Compare the price per unit on the shelf label, since pack sizes shift
- Watch Walmart Deal Days, the twice-yearly sale event
- Use the app to scan a product and see if the price dropped since you bought it
- Set a price alert on a big item and wait for a rollback rather than buying on impulse
Walmart+ vs. Amazon Prime
| Parameter | Walmart+ | Amazon Prime |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $98 | $139 |
| Grocery delivery | Same day from local stores, $35 minimum | Varies by area and service |
| Shipping minimum | None for members | None for members |
| Fuel savings | Yes, 10 cents a gallon | No |
| Streaming | One service, your pick | Prime Video included |
| Best for | Grocery-led households | Wide catalog and fast parcels |
Walmart+ is the better fit if food is the bulk of your cart. Prime is the better fit if you buy across a lot of categories. Plenty of households keep both and let each one do the job it is good at, but if you are cutting one, look at your order history rather than the feature list. The service you used last week is the one to keep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Walmart+ free to try?
Yes, there is a 30-day trial, and you can cancel any time during it.
Do members get lower prices?
No. Prices match what everyone else pays. You save on fees, fuel, and streaming.
What is the delivery minimum?
$35 for free store delivery. Under that, a $6.99 fee applies.
Is there a cheaper plan?
Yes. Walmart+ Assist is $49 a year for students and people receiving qualifying government aid.
Does free shipping cover everything?
No. Most marketplace, freight, and oversized items are excluded.
Can I get returns picked up?
Yes. Members can have eligible returns collected from home with no box or label.
Final Verdict
Walmart is worth shopping either way, because the free experience is already strong. The membership is a fee-removal tool, not a discount club.
Run one test. Count how many times you paid a delivery or minimum order fee last month, add any streaming service you would swap, and compare that to $8 a month. If the total clears it, take the trial. If you mostly shop in store or pick up your own orders, stay free and put the $98 into your cart instead.