Walmart+ launches Tuesday: Here's what a membership will get you
Exterior view of a Walmart store on August 23, 2020 in North Bergen, New Jersey. (Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. - Walmart's new membership service -- that it hopes will compete with Amazon Prime -- launches on Tuesday.
Called Walmart+, it will cost $98 a year, or $12.95 a month, and give members same-day delivery on 160,000 items, a fuel discount at certain gas stations, and a chance to check out at Walmart stores without having to wait at a register.
Walmart has a long way to go to catch up with Amazon Prime. Launched in 2005, Prime has more than 150 million members who pay $119 a year, or $12.99 a month, for faster shipping and other perks, such as discounts at Amazon's Whole Foods supermarkets and access to its video streaming site.
Walmart's online sales are growing rapidly, especially during the pandemic, when more people have turned to the company to order groceries online and pick them up at a store. But the world's biggest retailer is still a distant second online to Amazon. Walmart is expected to take 6% of all online sales in the U.S. this year, compared to Amazon’s 38%, according to market research firm eMarketer.
RELATED: Walmart to give hourly employees another round of cash bonuses amid COVID-19 pandemic
As for Walmart+, members will still have to spend at least $35 online to qualify for free shipping. But delivery could be as quick as the same day for groceries, toys, and household items, such as toilet paper and soap.
Members will get a discount of up to 5 cents a gallon at Murphy gas stations or at the 2,000 Walmart locations that have gas pumps. The company said it’s working to add more gas-station chains to its list.
At its stores, members can unlock an app to scan items as they shop and pay without having to stop at a cashier.