Walmart+ and Sam’s Club Plus Bundle for $120: A New Challenge to Amazon Prime?

Walmart has brought two of its memberships together for $120 a year, giving US shoppers access to both Walmart+ and Sam’s Club Plus. Launched on October 20, 2026, the offer costs $98 less than their previous separate annual fees combined.

That puts everyday shopping benefits, warehouse-club access and a streaming option into a package priced below Amazon Prime’s standard $139 annual membership.

For households already paying for both Walmart memberships, the saving is straightforward. For Walmart, the calculation is more demanding: can a lower combined fee persuade customers to do more of their shopping across its two businesses?

The offer makes Walmart’s membership proposition more competitive. Its financial success will depend on how people use it.

What has changed with Walmart+ and Sam’s Club Plus?

The new arrangement gives customers both memberships for $120 annually, plus applicable tax. It is an annual plan; $10 a month is the equivalent cost, rather than a monthly billing option.

Existing Sam’s Club Plus members can activate Walmart+ at no additional cost. Walmart+ annual members can switch to the combined plan for $22 more a year.

Customers already paying for both can link their accounts. Walmart says most are eligible for a prorated Walmart+ refund.

The accounts remain separate and must be linked to access the combined benefits. Shoppers continue using Walmart for Walmart+ perks and Sam’s Club for club benefits.

The immediate change is therefore in how the memberships are packaged and priced. Customers no longer need to pay two full annual fees to access both sets of benefits.

How much does the $120 membership bundle save?

The previous standalone annual fees provide the clearest comparison.

Source: Walmart’s published membership information. Prices exclude applicable taxes.

The reduction is approximately 45%, calculated as the $98 saving divided by the previous $218 combined fee. However, the saving depends on the customer’s starting point.

Someone already subscribing to both pays less. Someone who only wanted Walmart+ would spend $22 more to gain Sam’s Club Plus. A household that previously paid for neither would take on a new $120 annual expense.

That distinction matters because a discount on memberships is useful only when the household values the benefits it receives.

What benefits are included and what conditions apply?

The package combines Walmart’s everyday retail services with Sam’s Club’s warehouse shopping benefits.

Walmart’s help centre lists free eligible scheduled store delivery on orders of $35 or more, alongside eligible shipping without an order minimum. Sam’s Club Plus provides free standard delivery from the club on eligible orders of $50 or more, subject to availability.

Sam’s Club Plus members also receive 2% Sam’s Cash on qualifying in-club, Scan & Go and curbside purchases, capped at $750 a year. This is not a blanket 2% reward on every purchase across both retailers.

For entertainment, members choose Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential. These are ad-supported plans, and customers can change their selection every 90 days. Both services are not included simultaneously.

The practical value comes from matching these benefits to existing habits. A household that regularly orders groceries and makes bulk purchases has more opportunities to use the package than one that rarely shops at either retailer.

Delivery thresholds, local service coverage and qualifying-purchase rules still determine what customers actually receive.

How does Walmart’s bundle compare with Amazon Prime and Costco?

Amazon Prime is the natural comparison for a package combining shopping, delivery and entertainment. Costco is relevant because Sam’s Club competes for warehouse shopping.

Before applicable taxes. Excludes introductory offers and discounted eligibility-based plans. Benefits and conditions differ.

Sources: Official Walmart, Amazon and Costco membership information.

Walmart’s bundle is $19 cheaper than Prime and $10 cheaper than Costco Executive. But Costco Gold Star remains a substantially cheaper route to warehouse membership.

The case against Amazon is broader than the annual price difference. Walmart is combining ordinary retail shopping with a warehouse club in the same membership offer.

Prime has its own strengths. Amazon lists a broad selection eligible for fast delivery, Prime Video and additional shopping benefits. Customers who rely heavily on those services may see little reason to switch for a $19 annual difference.

Likewise, a Costco member’s decision will depend on product preferences, nearby warehouses and actual shopping savings. A membership table cannot establish which retailer offers the cheapest complete shopping basket.

Walmart has made its offer more competitive, but there is no universal winner. The better-value membership depends on which services a household will repeatedly use.

Why is Walmart offering both memberships at a lower combined price?

Our interpretation is that Walmart is making it easier for customers to shop across both businesses.

A household might use Sam’s Club for a planned bulk purchase and Walmart for smaller weekly orders. Putting both memberships within the same annual fee reduces the additional subscription cost of using the second business.

That could help Walmart attract customers, encourage more frequent shopping and make renewals more appealing.

The launch builds on existing momentum. In Q2 FY2027, the quarter ended July 31, 2026, Walmart reported:

• 17% year-over-year growth in global membership fee revenue.
• 24% growth in Walmart U.S. e-commerce sales.

Sources: Walmart’s Q2 FY2027 earnings release and financial presentation.

These figures show that memberships and online shopping were already growing before the bundle launched. They do not measure the new offer’s performance.

For Walmart, the opportunity is to turn a more attractive membership into a greater share of customers’ regular purchases. Additional profitable shopping could matter more over time than the subscription fee alone.

That outcome still needs to be demonstrated.

What is the financial trade-off for Walmart?

The customer saving has a corresponding cost for Walmart.

A household previously paying the full annual fees for both memberships contributed $218. Under the new bundle, it would pay $120, a $98 reduction in annual membership fees.

The economics look different for someone upgrading from Walmart+ alone. That customer pays $22 more annually, while gaining access to additional services that also cost money to provide.

Walmart must therefore balance several effects: lower fees from existing dual subscribers, additional fees from upgrades, new customer acquisition and the cost of serving greater usage.

The useful test is whether additional shopping and retention produce enough profit to compensate for those concessions.

Walmart said costs associated with the membership change were not expected to materially affect its fiscal Q3 or full-year guidance issued on August 20, 2026. That keeps the immediate significance in proportion: the company has presented a membership change without forecasting a material near-term guidance impact.

For investors, the evidence to watch is stronger renewals, additional purchases across both businesses and profitable growth in delivery usage. Membership activations alone would give an incomplete picture.

Can the $120 bundle change where households shop?

Walmart has lowered the cost of using both its everyday retail membership and its premium warehouse membership. That gives households a clearer reason to consider keeping more shopping within the Walmart and Sam’s Club businesses.

Our assessment is that the offer is most compelling for existing dual subscribers and customers who already have a practical use for both services. It is less persuasive when the second membership mainly adds benefits they will rarely use.

The competitive challenge to Prime and Costco is credible because the package combines services that support recurring household purchases. Its success will be measured by whether those purchases follow and whether Walmart earns enough from them to justify the lower combined fee.