Walmart is offering customers a way to combine a Walmart Plus membership with Sam's Club Plus for $120 a year, a move the company presents as a value play against Amazon Prime. The package trims nearly $100 for shoppers who would buy both memberships separately, and it bundles free delivery from both retailers with members-only prices on some items.
The combined membership also includes a 2 percent "Sam's Cash" reward at Sam's Club and a choice of a Peacock or Paramount Plus streaming subscription. Members receive a 10 cent per gallon fuel discount at more than 17,000 stations, a benefit Walmart has pushed as part of its Walmart Plus offering. The company’s physical footprint in the US includes 4,615 Walmart stores and more than 600 Sam's Clubs.
The announcement arrives as consumers face higher prices and growing economic concerns, a context Walmart emphasizes in marketing the bundle. On paper the price competes directly with Amazon Prime, which the article cites at $139 a year, and executives and analysts framed the package as an attempt to lock in loyalty before the holiday shopping season.
Reactions And Competitive Implications
Brett Rose, founder and CEO at wholesale distributor United National Consumer Suppliers, called the offer "a direct shot at Prime," and said "On paper Walmart wins the value math easily." He cautioned, however, that a cheaper bundle does not automatically displace Prime, adding that Amazon offers a different shopping experience and has mastered lower prices plus one-click buying.
Moody's Ratings was cited as naming Walmart the biggest winner in the US earlier this year, noting "innovation supporting its value offering and best-in-class convenience." The report and analysts pointed to Walmart’s scale and in-store network as assets that strengthen the combined membership.
Amazon has responded to competitive pressure by expanding faster delivery into rural America and building fulfillment capacity in those areas, the coverage notes. Walmart’s fuel discount has also been viewed as a challenge to warehouse club rivals like Costco. The article noted Amazon offered a fuel discount program to Prime members for the Fourth of July, showing both firms experimenting with perks tied to gasoline savings.
Industry observers highlighted the strategic aim of memberships to lock recurring revenue and loyalty. Rose said memberships "lock in loyalty and recurring revenue before the spending gets decided" and that loyalty programs keep customers returning, though he added lower prices remain a primary driver for shoppers.
