Walmart drops $35 minimum for its members' online orders

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO

NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers on Walmart.com who pay a $98-a-year membership fee will get free shipping on orders of any size starting Friday.

Walmart announced the membership perk on Wednesday, doing away with a previous requirement that orders amount to at least $35 to qualify for free shipping.

The perk comes two months after Walmart launched its membership service called Walmart+, which it hopes will compete with Amazon’s Prime membership program.

Walmart+ members will receive free next-day and two-day shipping on non-perishable items shipped by Walmart, no matter the purchase amount. The move builds on the retailer’s pledge to continue adding benefits to its membership program, which also includes unlimited free grocery deliveries and fuel discounts.



FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, a woman, wearing a protective face mask due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, wheels a cart with her purchases out of a Walmart store, in Derry, N.H. Shoppers on Walmart.com who pay a $98-a-year membership fee will get free shipping on orders of any size starting Friday, Dec. 4. Walmart announced the membership perk on Wednesday, Dec. 2 doing away with a previous requirement that orders amount to at least $35 to qualify for free shipping. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/whole-foods-market-inc-amazoncom-inc-coronavirus-pandemic-ef19a644c6d2d311b7e28f22086f9f1e

[SunSeeker]

1. Requiring you to pay $98/year is not doing away with the $35 minimum.

I'd rather not pay $98 a year for nothing. It is not hard to accumulate $35 in your basket to get free shipping.

[SoCalNative]

2. Not necessarily for nothing

I'd be willing to bet they will do something along the lines of Amazon Prime with free video and music via the video streaming service that they own. Not there yet but I'll bet it's coming.

[Demsrule86]

5. Trying to be like Amazon. But Amazon also gives you great TV with the yearly fee.

You also can get free kindle books.

[PoliticAverse]

3. delivery directly from Walmart's brick-and-mortar stores ... will still carry a $35 minimum

delivery directly from Walmart’s brick-and-mortar stores on basic items like fresh groceries will still carry a $35 minimum

[forgotmylogin]

4. I know for me, Prime tends to facilitate impulse purchases.

Before I got Prime, I would wait and fill my cart until I had $50 minimum for free shipping, but when I'm looking at one low-cost item, I'm more likely to just hit the button and order immediately knowing I don't have to pay for shipping instead of waiting.

A smart company might just build shipping into the retail price and say "No Cost Shipping!" but that would probably cut into their price-competition when being compared online.

I actually do like the Prime Video offerings, so it's worth it.

[Demsrule86]

6. I like Amazon video also.