Walmart+ Drops $35 Order Minimum To Challenge Amazon Prime Head-On As Christmas Approaches
Walmart is attempting to battle the dominant Amazon Prime service during the lead-up to Christmas, and it is doing by dropping the $35 order minimum for Walmart+ subscribers on its website starting December 4th. With the $35 minimum now gone, you can purchase as little or as much as you want and get free next-day or two-day shipping on your items. This compares favorably with Amazon Prime, which also features no minimums and offers free next-day or 2-day delivery on most items on its site (free same-day delivery is also available in some areas).
“No other membership allows customers across the country to get everything from gingerbread cookies and eggnog to holiday decorations and toys delivered for free as soon as the same day," said Walmart chief customer officer Janey Whiteside. "Walmart+ is designed to make life easier – giving customers an option to not have to sacrifice on cost or convenience.”
In addition to free shipping, Walmart+ gives customers access to unlimited free grocery deliveries to their house from a local Walmart Supercenter. However, the $35 order minimum still applies for grocery orders. Other perks include the ability to use "Scan and Go" at brick-and-mortar Walmart locations, which allows you to scan and pay for your items using your smartphone instead of waiting in line (it's a running joke that Walmart has 20+ cash registers with only two or three open at any given time). Finally, you get discounts on gas stations that are located at Walmart Supercenters.
Walmart+ is priced at $98 a year, or $12.95 per month. For comparison, Amazon Prime is priced at $119/year or $12.99/month. With Amazon Prime, you gain access to Amazon Fresh grocery deliveries ($35 order minimum), discounts at the Amazon-owned Whole Foods grocery store chain, along with the ability to tap into free versions of Amazon Prime Video and Music (among other services).
According to CNBC, Walmart+ currently has around 19 million subscribers two months after launch compared to 126 million subscribers in the United States for Amazon Prime. For those of you that have already signed up for Walmart+, tell us about your experience with the service in the comments section below.
