In a battle for your shopping business, retail giants Amazon Prime and Walmart+ are offering plenty of perks with their memberships. There’s free and fast delivery and even video streaming. But, which one is best for you?
Amazon Prime has been around for years, but member Theresa Vorsteg wasn’t aware of everything she was getting with it.
“I do use Prime Video, but I’m learning about more perks that I’m excited to use,” she said.
Rival Walmart is ramping up its Walmart+ membership offerings, too.
So, here’s what they offer and how they differ.
Start with price. Walmart+ costs a bit less. It’s $98 a year. Amazon Prime raised its membership price recently to $139 per year. Both option offer free shipping, deals and discounts for members, grocery delivery and some streaming music and video.
“Walmart doesn’t have the huge array of benefits that Amazon Prime does, but it has some good key deals that can really help regular Walmart shoppers,” said Consumer Reports’ Penny Wang.
Take gasoline discounts, something Amazon does not offer. Walmart+ members can save up to 10 cents a gallon at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy stations. Plus they can get member gas prices at Sam’s Club.
When it comes to streaming, both offer added perks.
A Walmart+ membership now gets you a free subscription to Paramount+ and six free months of Spotify Premium. Amazon Prime includes Prime Video, Amazon Music Prime, and Prime Gaming.
Prime members also get unlimited online photo storage and 5GB of video storage.
Recently, Amazon Prime members received access to a free year of Grubhub+, which includes unlimited deliveries from participating restaurants with no delivery fee.
Bottom line, Consumer Reports says that if you prefer the wider range of benefits, it might be worth it to pay a bit more for Amazon Prime.
“If you’re a regular Walmart shopper, an annual membership can be worth it. Just make sure you’re realistic about how often you shop there,” Wang said.
And Amex Platinum cardholders can come out even further ahead, because they now get a free monthly membership to Walmart+.
If you’re still not sure, both Walmart+ and Amazon Prime offer free 30-day trials.