What Is Sam’s Club Plus Membership?

If you’re looking into signing up for a Sam’s Club membership, then you might be wondering what the difference is between the Plus membership and standard Club membership. Is it really worth it? Will you save more money as a Plus member? Keep reading to find out!

Sam’s Club is a chain of members-only warehouse clubs, selling wholesale groceries, electronics, kitchen supplies, and more, and offering low prices daily. Sam’s Club members get access to a wide range of services, including discounts on rental cars, tickets to live events and attractions, fuel savings, and more.

With just the cost of a membership fee, you can get access to this wide range of perks, products, and services from this membership warehouse club that outpaces traditional retailers.

But in order to shop at Sam’s Club, membership is required. But not all Sam’s Club memberships are the same.

This big box wholesaler offers two levels of membership: Club and Plus. While Sam’s Club members get access to some basic perks like entry to the store and one additional membership card for a household member, Plus members get way more.

Basically, the Sam’s Club Plus membership is the VIP version of a Sam’s Club membership. Keep reading to find out exactly what makes it so special!

What Is The Difference Between Plus & Regular Membership?

There are a few major differences between these two membership levels, but they can all be summed up by saying that the Sam’s Club Plus membership has way more perks.

The regular Sam’s Club membership basically just gets you in the door and gets you access to Sam’s Club’s Instant Savings program, but the Plus membership offers even more deals and opportunities to save big everyday.

Keep reading to find out the specific benefits included in the Plus membership!

What Is Included In A Sam’s Club Plus Membership?

Sam’s Club Plus members receive the following benefits:

• Free shipping every day at SamsClub.com
• 2% cashback on all qualifying in-club Sam’s Club purchases (up  to $500 per year)
• Early shopping hours
• Early curbside pickup
• Free select generic prescriptions
• 20% off glasses when you buy frames and lenses together
• Free shipping on contact lenses

Plus, you’ll still get access to all of the standard Sam’s Club perks like:

• Instant Savings year round on qualifying purchases
• Access to Sam’s Club Fuel Center
• Access to Sam’s Club Travel & Entertainment
• Complimentary membership card to share with a household member
• Access to Sam’s Club Mastercard
• Access to Sam’s Club Tire & Battery Center

How To Get Sam’s Club Plus Membership

If you’d like to sign up for a Sam’s Club Plus membership, all you have to do is click here, scroll down, and then click “Select Plus.”

If you are already a Sam’s Club member looking to upgrade your membership to Plus, click here!

While it’s definitely the most convenient to sign up for your membership online, you can also start your Sam’s Club Plus membership by visiting any Sam’s Club warehouse location and speaking to someone at the membership desk. Whether you’re signing up as a new member or wanting to upgrade, the membership desk employee will be able to help you.

How Much Is Sam’s Club Plus Membership?

Sam’s Club Plus Membership costs $100 per year.

A basic Sam’s Club membership costs $45 per year.

How Long Does A Sam’s Club Plus Membership Last?

Whether you’re a Plus member or a regular Club member, your membership will remain active for one year unless you renew it.

All members are automatically enrolled in Sam’s Club’s auto-renewal program when they sign up for their membership, so if you don’t manually opt out of this feature, your membership will remain active until you cancel it.

Is Sam’s Club Plus Membership Right For You?

Deciding between a basic Club membership and a Plus membership can be tricky.

If you’re on the fence about becoming a Plus member and looking for some tips for making your decision, here are some things to consider:

1. Consider how much you plan on spending at Sam’s Club – Plus membership makes the most sense for shoppers who plan to spend big at Sam’s Club. With the annual 2% rewards on qualifying purchases, this can represent a major perk. But on the other hand, if you only plan to visit Sam’s Club occasionally, then the rewards probably won’t amount to much at the end of the year. If you plan to be a regular Sam’s Club shopper who does the bulk of your food and household shopping there, then Plus membership is something to seriously consider. It’s also important to note, though, that the 2% rewards are capped at $500 per year. So, no matter how much you spend, you won’t be able to earn more than that.
2. Consider how often you shop online – Sam’s Club Plus members get free shipping every single day when they shop at SamsClub.com. Considering how much we pay for shipping these days, and with shipping costs rising all the time, this represents a major perk for those who plan to do a lot of online shopping. That said, if you’re not a big online shopper, then this perk won’t really benefit you much.
3. Consider how much you spend on prescriptions – If you’re someone who uses the pharmacy frequently and spends a lot of money on prescriptions, Sam’s Club Plus membership can be a big help. Sam’s Club Pharmacy sells over 600 generic pharmaceuticals and offers some of them at zero cost to Plus members. Others start at just $4 per prescription. Again, if you’re not planning on using the Sam’s Club Pharmacy much, then this perk won’t necessarily appeal to you.
4. Do you wear glasses? – Similar to the savings found through Sam’s Club Pharmacy, Sam’s Club Optical also offers Plus shoppers a killer deal on eyewear. If you are a Sam’s Club Plus member, you can receive a generous 20% discount off the price of a complete pair of glasses. Considering that eyewear can sometimes cost several hundred dollars, a 20% discount is a pretty major perk.

Is Sam’s Club Plus Membership Worth It?

Sam’s Club Plus membership is definitely worth it in certain situations. But we’ll let the customers speak for themselves.

These Reddit users echo the sentiment that Sam’s Club Plus membership is really only worth it for shoppers who plan to spend a lot of money:
Here’s another user on the same thread expressing appreciation for the early shopping hours offered to Plus members:

Overall, we think it’s pretty clear that for shoppers who plan to use Sam’s Club as their primary stop for food, household goods, prescriptions, eyewear, and more, the Plus membership is truly a no-brainer.

On the other hand, if you only plan on using Sam’s Club to supplement your other shopping, then the basic membership is really all you need.

FAQs

Can I use my Sam’s Club Plus membership at Walmart?

No. All Sam’s Club members can shop at Walmart because Walmart is not a members-only retailer. However, Walmart has its own Plus Membership program to offer shoppers perks like free shipping and more, but this membership must be purchased separately from your Sam’s Club Plus membership.

What time does Sam’s Club open for Sam’s Plus members?

Most Sam’s Club locations open at 8am everyday for Plus members only. All other shoppers can enter the store at 9am. Sam’s Club closes at the same time for all members, 8pm Monday through Saturday and 6pm on Sunday.

Does Sam’s Club Plus membership offer free shipping?

Yes! All Sam’s Club Plus members can get free shipping every day when they shop at SamsClub.com.

Does Sam’s Club offer discounts/deals for Plus members?

Yes. Sam’s Club Plus members can receive 20% off a complete pair of glasses, select free generic prescriptions, and various exclusive Instant Savings benefits throughout the year.

Conclusion

Sam’s Plus membership offers additional perks and deals to Sam’s Club shoppers, beyond the benefits of the basic Club membership. Plus members get access to things like early shopping hours, discounts on pharmacy and optical items, and free shipping for online orders.

If you’re a big spender at Sam’s Club, then Plus membership is definitely something to consider as Plus members can also receive up to $500 back every year by saving 2% on qualifying purchases.

If you don’t plan to do the bulk of your shopping at Sam’s Club, however, the Plus membership might not be worth it at $100 per year.