Why I Love Walmart+ For Traveling and Everyday Life

I have a confession to make: I hate grocery shopping. I dislike crowds and spending time searching for a specific item. I also worry that I’m spending more than my budget before I reach the checkout. Several years ago, when Walmart first launched its grocery pickup services, I quickly became a fan. This service not only saved me time but I was able to avoid crowds and more easily monitor how much I was spending. In 2022, I became intrigued with the idea of groceries delivered right to my door, and on a whim, I signed up for a Walmart+ membership. I have never looked back.

What is Walmart+?

Walmart+ is a paid membership that saves you time and money and offers a long list of perks to make your life a little more exciting, entertaining, and easy. There are annual or monthly subscription options and all you need is a Walmart account to manage your membership and enjoy its many benefits. They even offer a 30-day free trial. I have found the free Walmart app on my smartphone is the easiest and most convenient way to manage my membership. Take a peek at all it offers!

What are some benefits of a Walmart+ membership?

The list of benefits you receive with a Walmart+ membership is long. In fact, despite being a member for more than a year, I still have not utilized all of its perks. For example, there are benefits like free online pet care with Pawp and at-home returns where an associate will pick up an item from your home and return it to the store for you to receive a refund. There is also free pharmacy delivery with no order requirements and many more.

However, there are also benefits I use often — even weekly. This includes free delivery to my home from the nearest store. While anyone with a basic Walmart account can pick up items curbside at Walmart for free, if an order is delivered to your home, there is a $7.95-$9.95 delivery fee. However, for Walmart+ members, this delivery fee is waived. During weeks when I’m rushing from activity to activity, when I’m ill, or even when the weather is poor and I don’t want to leave my house, there’s nothing quite like having all of your groceries delivered right to your front door. Plus, you will receive notifications when the groceries are on their way and when they’ve arrived so it is never a surprise.

My expert traveler tip: You can use your Walmart+ membership to have groceries delivered to hotels or vacation rentals as well. I like to schedule the delivery, usually featuring snacks, meal items, drinks, etc., for an hour or two after my expected arrival time. If staying at a hotel, you may want to call ahead to ensure there are no issues with grocery delivery.

I also love online shopping and Walmart+ members enjoy free shipping with no minimum order requirements. I’ve had items that cost as low as $2 shipped to my house. And, of course, Walmart+ members get early access to many of Walmart’s big sales events, such as Black Friday. This has come in handy when my kids have wanted a big-ticket item for Christmas and when I purchased a highly-discounted TV last year (which was delivered right to my door for free).

Mobile scan and go is also a time saver when I step inside the store. With this feature, you simply use the Walmart app and scan each product's bar code as you place it in the cart. When you are finished shopping, you click Review & Pay in the app and head to the self-checkout, where you scan the QR code on the screen. Choose the payment method you’d like and you are done. No need to take everything out of your cart or stand in long checkout lines.

Why I love Walmart+ when traveling

Yes, Walmart+ makes life easy while at home, but I also use it on almost every vacation. One of the biggest benefits of Walmart+, and one of the reasons I will likely never give up this membership, is the fuel discount. My family takes a lot of road trips. Some of these trips are just a few hours long to see family in neighboring states and others are multi-day excursions to explore bucket-list-worthy destinations. Walmart+ members receive a $0.10 per gallon discount at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy stations, which has saved me a significant amount of money.

Also, the membership provides peace of mind during road trips as members receive free flat tire repair from Walmart Auto Care Centers as well as free road hazard warranties with the purchase of new tires. You also receive a free Paramount+ plan with your Walmart+ membership, which has kept my kids entertained during long drives, at the airport, and more.

And one huge travel benefit that I have yet to use but is on my 2025 bucket list is the Walmart+ Travel service. If you book a trip through Walmart+ Travel (which is powered by Expedia), you will receive Walmart cash. You will receive 2 percent in Walmart cash on airfare and 5 percent in Walmart cash on other travel purchases like hotel reservations, car rentals, and certain activities. Walmart cash can be redeemed for future purchases at Walmart or you can cash it out at a MoneyCenter in any Walmart store. Keep in mind that Walmart+ Travel is available to non-members as well. However, they will not receive any Walmart Cash for their travel purchases.

Walmart+ is one of my most frequently used memberships and with all of the included perks, it’s easy to see why. Whether at home or on the road, it’s a tool I never want to be without and one I have no plans of ever giving up. For even more information on the Walmart+ membership, including current rates, offers, and deals, visit Walmart's website.

Have you used Walmart+? What is your favorite feature of this membership? If you love Walmart like I do, make sure to check out several of the best travel gifts you can purchase from Walmart. With the Walmart+ membership, you could have these items delivered to your door for free!