Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Walmart+ removes online order minimum to take on Amazon Prime

Online shopping can be a pain when you have to throw in a few unnecessary items at the end just to reach that minimum spend for free shipping. Even worse, when you’re in dire need of just a few items, it can feel like a waste of money to fork out for a delivery fee as well.

With that in mind, Walmart+ subscribers will be pleased to know that from this Friday the $35 shopping minimum for free one- or two-day shipping will no longer apply.

It’s the retail giant’s latest move to help it compete more effectively with Amazon Prime, and comes during one of the busiest shopping months of the year.

“Customers have been clear — they want this benefit,” Walmart executive Janey Whiteside said in a statement to Digital Trends. “Being able to toss an item into your cart, regardless the total, and checkout right away lets them knock little things off their to-do list in no time.” It also means less time messing around looking for something you don’t need just to reach the minimum spend for free delivery.

The update to its Walmart+ service comes just a couple of months after the company launched the membership program, which besides free shipping also includes priority access to special deals, same-day delivery for online orders, discounted access to Walmart’s Express two-hour delivery option on select items, and fuel discounts.

Walmart+ costs $98 a year, or $13 a month if you’d prefer to pay in smaller increments. That’s $21 cheaper than Amazon Prime, which costs $119 a year or $13 a month. You can try Walmart+ for free for a period of 15 days.

For more information on the service, check out Digital Trends’ article telling you all need to know. We also tell you how Walmart+ compares with Amazon Prime so you can find out which service is best for you.

Walmart’s move to make its membership service more attractive for customers comes amid a boom in online shopping caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic that’s prompted many people to order on the web rather than risk infection by visiting busy stores.

The recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday events saw record amounts of cash splashed online, and with the pandemic continuing, and customers increasingly comfortable with shopping online, Walmart is hoping to score more sign-ups by making further improvements to its own membership program.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Check out Amazon’s newly unveiled electric delivery truck
peek inside amazons newly unveiled electric delivery truck amazon

Amazon has unveiled its first-ever electric delivery vehicle developed in partnership with Michigan-based all-electric truck startup Rivian.

Just over 12 months after the online shopping giant first announced its plan to invest in electric trucks as part of its ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, Amazon on Thursday, October 8 unveiled the new design in a video posted online.

Read more
Watch Amazon’s new Ring security drone take on a burglar in first ad
ring always home cam autonomous flying camera news specs price alway connect 2 of 3

Amazon unveiled a bunch of new products on Thursday, September 24, including Ring’s Always Home Cam.

The Always Home Cam is a security drone designed to fly autonomously from room to room to check that your property is secure while you’re out. It does, of course, connect to your smartphone, so if there is an unwelcome visitor, you’ll be able to watch your home being burglarized in real time instead of being surprised about it when you arrive home.

Read more
Xbox One X’s Amazon sales rank climbs due to Xbox Series X pre-order confusion
Xbox Series X Stylized Graphic

The Xbox One X shot up Amazon's sales charts today, following a chaotic day of pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Series S.

The console's sales rank shot up 747%, jumping from 2,804 to 331. The high numbers might indicate that many people mixed up the Xbox Series X and the current-generation Xbox One X.

Read more