Every time I say things like this, I feel like an old fart, but here goes: These days, it seems as if half of my credit card bill is various services and subscriptions.
Years back, my charges would mostly consist of expenses like groceries and gas for my car. Today, I have recurring bills for meal delivery kits, streaming services, and so many subscriptions it’s hard to keep track of everything.
That’s why I do a subscription audit every few months — to make sure I’m not wasting my money on services I don’t use enough. I also think carefully before signing up for a new service.
If you’re looking for a service that gives you access to free shipping on online orders, you may be inclined to sign up for Amazon Prime or Walmart+. But which is the better pick? That depends on you.
Comparing your options
Amazon Prime and Walmart+ are pretty similar in some ways. Both give you free shipping on orders of any size, and both give you access to free streaming content.
But there are some differences in terms of factors like cost and added perks. Here’s a comparison table so you can see what each includes.
| Feature | Amazon Prime | Walmart+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $139 per year | $98 per year |
| Free trial | Yes: 30 days | Yes: 30 days |
| Free shipping | Yes: no order minimum | Yes: no order minimum |
| Streaming content | Prime Video | Paramount+ |
| Savings on gas | No | Yes: $0.10 per gallon |
| Free clothing try-on before buying | Yes | No |
| Free tire care | No | Yes |
| Free grocery delivery | Orders over $100 | Orders over $35 |
| Travel perks | No | Up to 5% Walmart cash back |
Data source: Amazon Prime and Walmart+.
All told, at first glance, it seems like Walmart+ may offer more benefits than Amazon Prime, and at a lower price point. But you’ll need to think about which service better fits with your lifestyle.
How to decide which service to sign up for
If you’re not sure whether Amazon vs. Walmart+ makes the most sense, ask yourself:
- How often do I shop at Amazon vs. Walmart? Chances are, the retailer you use most currently is the one whose service it pays to go with.
- Do I drive or have a car? You won’t benefit from gas savings from Walmart+ if you don’t have a vehicle. On the other hand, the free grocery delivery might come in very handy if you don’t have a way to drive to a supermarket. So these factors sort of cancel each other out.
- How often do I order groceries for delivery? The low order minimum from Walmart+ is a big draw here, but if you prefer to shop in person, you may not use this feature.
Ultimately, since each service offers a free trial, it pays to try each one for a month and see how it goes. And if you can’t really spot a difference, you may decide that Walmart+ makes more sense because the lower price point fits better into your budget.
One thing you probably don’t want to do, though, is sign up for both Amazon Prime and Walmart+ at the same time. As you can see from the table above, many of these programs’ features overlap with one another, so you risk throwing your money away to some degree by keeping both around simultaneously.
Chances are, once you’ve completed a free trial, you’ll have an easier time deciding which one to sign up for. And even if you commit to a full year, you can always change your mind the following year.
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