Walmart Plus vs Amazon Prime

When I heard Walmart was coming out with a subscription service, I got really excited.  I thought they were coming out with a subscription that would be a direct competitor to Amazon Prime, and usually competition brings either lower prices or increased value.  I found out that I was wrong.  

The Walmart subscription is $19 cheaper annually and $0.04 cheaper monthly.  Both services offer some form of free shipping.  Depending on where you're located you can get same day shipping from both Walmart and Amazon.  I don't consistently get groceries shipped, because of the use of tons of plastic bags, so I don't get much added value from that feature.  Walmart + offers some unique features like $.05/gallon off gas at their pumps or at Murphy's, and they offer you the ability to check out your items with the app while in the store.  I don't see much added value with those features, because must grocery stores and gas stations offer a gas discount for free by signing up for their member club, and there are very few occasions where I felt the need to not use a cashier or one of the self checkout stations.

Where Amazon Prime pulls ahead, when comparing the two services, is with their Amazon Prime Video service.  As a prime member, Amazon offers tons of content.  In years past I ignored Prime Video, because I have Netflix and couldn't ever find anything good to watch there.  In recent years, they've really stepped their game up and have award winning Amazon original series and movies along with some recently released movies.  I still prefer Netflix, but for the additional $19 over Walmart +, Walmart doesn't offer anything close to this in their membership.

Overall, even though it costs a little more, Amazon Prime is still a better value than Walmart +. Hopefully Walmart steps their game up and adds some additional value to their new service.




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