Essentials

A Walmart Plus membership will save you money on gas, Paramount Plus and more. Is it worth it?

By Lily Rose

Updated on: September 1, 2022 / 4:58 PM EDT / Essentials

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Walmart launched its subscriber service Walmart+ in 2020. Getty Images

Walmart is fighting inflation -- and trying to lure new customers -- with new incentives. Starting today, Walmart+ members will be given access to the Paramount+ streaming service at no extra cost.

When you factor in that Walmart+ subscribers can save 10 cents a gallon at a number of participating Walmart, Murphy, Exxon and Mobil stations nationwide, a Walmart+ subscription looks more compelling than ever. But is it right for you?

The top products in this article:

Walmart+ and Paramount+ bundle (1 year), $98

$98 per year

Paramount+ subscription: $5 and up per month

Start your free trial now

Amazon Prime membership (monthly), $14.99

$14.99 per month

Paramount+ now comes bundled with Walmart+

Effective Sept. 1, Walmart+ members will be given free access to the ad-supported Paramount+ Essential plan. The Paramount+ Essential plan includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, including "Sonic the Hedgehog 2," "Yellowstone" spin-off "1883," "Star Trek: Below Decks," "NCIS" and "Survivor." Essential plan members also get access to NFL on CBS live.

Paramount+ Essential normally costs $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year.

An ad-free, Premium tier of Paramount+ is also available. It includes the ability to watch your local CBS station live, though not as part of Walmart+. That plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. You can sign up through Paramount via the link below.

Learn more about Paramount+

Save money on gas with Walmart+

While the price of gas has come down in recent months -- the average price in the U.S. is approximately $3.82 a gallon (as of Sept. 1, 2022), according to AAA -- filling your car is still much more expensive today than it was a year ago. To save a little bit at the pump, Walmart+ members simply need to scan the QR code on the gas station pump screen at one of the 14,000 participating Walmart, Murphy, Exxon and Mobil stations. Walmart+ members are also eligible to fill up at Sam's Club fuel centers, and enjoy the special prices that are offered there to Sam's Club members.

You might want to consider joining Walmart+ if you have a participating station in your neighborhood.

See participating stations nationwide

Of course, there's a lot more to a Walmart+ than just discounts on gasoline. Walmart+ members get other discounts too, plus access to exclusive sales such as Walmart's Amazon Prime Day-like sale, Walmart+ Weekend.

Walmart+ is less expensive than Amazon Prime

If you're looking for a budget-friendly alternative to Amazon Prime, you may want to consider Walmart+. The service, which also offers quick and free shipping with no minimum purchase, costs $12.95 per month, or $98 per year. (Amazon Prime costs $14.99 a month, or $139 a year.)

With a Walmart+ membership, you can also get free, same-day delivery from your local Walmart store (in some areas), early access to Walmart deals (such as Black Friday deals, member-only PS5 restocks), savings on certain prescriptions -- and, yup, discounted gas prices.

If you'd like to test it out, Walmart+ is currently offering a 30-day free trial. Please note, though, that only paid subscribers can take advantage of early-access deals and PS5 restocks.

Walmart+ membership (1 year), $98

$98 per year

What is Walmart+ Weekend?

Walmart throws a weekend-long sales event exclusively for Walmart+ members called Walmart+ Weekend. The Amazon Prime Day-like deals event features slashed prices on must-have products including electronics, apparel, toys, home goods, home appliances and more. There is even a PS5 restock.

During Walmart+ Weekend, only Walmart+ members can access Walmart's deepest discounts on Shark vacuums, Gateway laptops, playhouses, Michael Kors handbags, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus and more. Plus, only Walmart+ members will have access to Walmart's PlayStation 5 restock.

Check PS5 stock now at Walmart

Amazon Prime has advantages over Walmart+

Amazon Prime does do things that Walmart+ doesn't. Only Amazon Prime subscribers, for instance, get to enjoy everything that Prime Video has to offer, including Prime shows, such as "Thursday Night Football." There are also shows and movies that debut on Prime every month that Prime subscribers can access at no additional cost.

Prime members also get deals at Amazon's own Whole Foods, including an extra 10% off in-store sale prices (excluding alcohol). Plus, there are special in-store Whole Foods deals marked with blue Prime member signs. And with Amazon Prime, you can opt to have your groceries and packages delivered not only to your garage, but inside your garage. Amazon will even give you a $20 credit to try the in-garage service. (A MyQ-compatible garage door is required.)

Try in-garage delivery now

Amazon Prime's unique Prime Reading benefit, meanwhile, offers free access to more than 3,000 books and magazines for your Kindle. And don't forget about First Reads. Each month, Prime members get one free Kindle download of a yet-to-be-released title, chosen from a selection of editors' picks. Prefer music to books? Members get access to 2 million songs, plus thousands of stations and playlists, with Amazon Music Prime. And Prime Gaming offers free games and free in-game content to members. It also offers you a free subscription to a channel of your choice on the Amazon-owned Twitch.

Finally, there's the once-a-year Amazon Prime Day sale. The two-day sale event, which typically happens in the summer, offers Prime members deep discounts on Amazon-branded tech, fashion apparel, Instant Pots, air fryers and much more.

Amazon Prime membership (monthly), $14.99

$14.99 per month