Should you switch to Walmart+ after the Amazon Prime price increase?
Inflation strikes again: Amazon Prime membership rates have gone up. The cost of an annual Prime membership has increased from $119 to $139. Monthly subscribers, meanwhile, will now pay $14.99 a month instead of $12.99. Prices increase for current subscribers after March 25, on the date of their next renewal.
Walmart+ is a less expensive alternative to Amazon Prime
If you're looking for a money-saving alternative to Amazon Prime, you may want to consider Walmart+. The service, which also offers quick and free shipping with no minimum purchase, is priced at $12.95 per month or $98 per year.
With a Walmart+ membership, you 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), member prices on gas (at participating stations) and money off on certain prescriptions.
Walmart+ is currently offering a 30-day free trial, if you'd like to test it before canceling your Amazon Prime membership. Note that only paid subscribers can take advantage of early-access deals and PS5 restocks, though.
Walmart+ membership (1 year), $98
Amazon Prime has advantages over Walmart+
Walmart+ does fall short of Amazon Prime in a number areas. Only Amazon Prime includes access to Prime Video. There are some great new shows and movies coming to Amazon Prime this month, none of which are included with a Walmart+ membership.
Prime members also get an extra 10% off in-store sale prices (excluding alcohol) when shopping at Whole Foods. 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 inside your garage. Amazon will even give you a $20 credit to try the in-garage service. (A MyQ-compatible garage door is required.)
Amazon Prime's unique Prime Reading benefit offers free access to more than 3,000 books and magazines for your Kindle. There's also the perk of 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. The exact date for Amazon Prime Day 2022 has yet to be announced.
If these additional features are worth it to you, you may be willing to shell out the extra cash for Amazon Prime.
