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When someone mentions warehouse club retailers like Sam's Club, the first things that come to mind are usually bulks of toilet paper or large cases of water. Becoming a Sam's Club Member comes in handy if you're constantly stocking up on groceries and other household items, but the membership comes with many other great perks, too. You could score big savings on groceries, prescriptions, gas, and more.
Signing up for a Sam's Club Membership can also get you free shipping when shopping online, curbside pickup benefits, freebies from Sam's Club's tire and battery centers, and even more advantages. If you're considering becoming a Sam's Club Member, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the membership.
What is a Sam's Club Membership?
A Sam's Club Membership is a yearly subscription that allows you to shop at Sam's Club warehouse locations, and the membership grants you tons of savings on purchases made both in stores and online. There are two tiers that offer a different set of perks based on your shopping needs—Club and Plus.
Club vs Plus Membership
The Club Membership is the lowest tier option you can buy from Sam's Club. It'll grant you access to Sam's Club's Bonus Offers Program, Curbside Pickup, fuel savings, and free tire and car repairs. You'll also earn Sam's Cash when you sign up for a Sam's Club MasterCard. With a Plus Membership, you'll get all of the benefits of a Club Membership plus more. You'll get free shipping, Curbside Pickup with no added fees, and pharmacy and optical savings. You can also enjoy 20% more bonus offers and 3% cash back with a Sam's Club MasterCard as opposed to the 1% back you'd get with the Club Membership.
What are the benefits of a Sam's Club Membership?
Besides automatically receiving reduced members-only prices, the benefits of a Sam's Club Membership vary depending on whether you choose a Club or Plus Membership:
| Club Membership | Plus Membership | |
|---|---|---|
| Price / year | $50 | $110 |
| Bonus Offers Program | ✔ | ✔ |
| Free Shipping | ✘ | ✔ |
| Curbside Pickup | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sam's Cash | ✘ | ✔ |
| Scan & Go | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pharmacy & Optical Savings | ✘ | ✔ |
| Fuel savings | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tire & Battery Center | ✔ | ✔ |
Bonus Offers Program
A Sam's Club Membership includes tons of offers and Sam's Cash on dining, shopping, subscriptions, and more. With a Plus Membership, you can enjoy 20% more on any Sam's Cash you earn. Another added benefit of the Plus Membership? You'll receive 2% back of Sam's Cash up to $500 per year on qualifying purchases.
Free Shipping and Curbside Pickup
Another great bonus of a Plus Membership is free shipping on most items when shopping on Sam's Club's site or app. A Club Membership only includes free shipping on items marked with a "Free Shipping" label, which is a limited number of products. Memberships also allow you to order at home and use Curbside Pickup instead of spending time shopping in the store. Using Curbside Pickup will cost you a $4 fee if you're a Club Member, but it's completely free with a Plus Membership with no order minimum.
Sam's Cash
Sam's Cash is Sam Club's loyalty reward currency that you automatically accrue with each eligible purchase. You can then apply Sam's Cash to future orders to generate savings. You can receive additional Sam's Cash when you sign up for the Bonus Offers Program. There is no limit to the amount of Sam's Cash you can earn, and you can easily track your Sam's Cash by logging into your Sam's Club account either online or in the Sam's Club app. Keep in mind that you're only able to redeem Sam's Cash on a monthly basis.
Scan & Go
Sam's Club's convenient option allows you to skip checkout and pay on your phone using the Scan & Go feature in the Sam's Club app. When paying at the pump, you can just scan the QR code inside the app instead of using a card. You can also load your credit and EBT cards onto your account to pay with the app.
Pharmacy and Optical Savings
A Plus Membership allows you to score savings on over 600 generic pharmaceutical brands, starting at just $4. You also get 20% off a complete pair of eyeglasses and free shipping on contact lenses. A Club Membership doesn't include these benefits.
Fuel savings and car repair
All Sam's Club Members receive members-only gas prices at select pump locations along with free flat tire repair, battery testing, and wiper blade installation at Sam's Club's Tire and Battery Centers.
What can you buy with a Sam's Club Membership?
Having a Sam's Club Membership allows you to shop all of the retailer's items both in stores and online, but savings and additional perks vary between the Club and Plus Memberships. Sam's Club offers produce and meat that are always fresh, including traceable seafood, Sashimi-grade salmon, and premium USDA Prime Beef hand-cut by Sam's Club's expert butchers. Sam's Club also offers freshly made homemade meal solutions and a bakery with tasty baked goods that are also freshly made.
Who is eligible for Sam's Club Membership benefits?
Anyone can obtain a Sam's Club Membership to be able to enjoy its benefits. Before becoming a member, be sure to verify that there's a Sam's Club location in your area.
How much does a Sam's Club Membership cost?
A Club Membership costs $50 per year while the Plus Membership is $110 per year. Both membership tiers also include a complimentary membership for someone in your household and an additional Add-on Club membership at a discounted rate of $45 per year.
Can you sign up for a free trial?
Like most warehouse clubs, you need a membership in order to shop at Sam's Club with the exception of a 24-hour Guest Membership that allows you to shop without having an annual Club or Plus Membership. After the 24-hour period, you can decide whether or not you wish to become a Sam's Club Member. Keep in mind that the Guest Membership comes with a 10% service fee added to your order total and it's only eligible for online purchases. You can obtain a Guest Membership by creating a guest account during online checkout.
How to cancel a Sam's Club Membership
Sam's Club has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee/Return Policy which allows you to cancel your membership at any time if you're unsatisfied with it, and you'll receive a refund of the amount paid for your current year membership fee. For an immediate cancellation and refund, you can visit the Membership Desk at any Sam's Club location. You can also call 1(888) 746-7726 to cancel your membership and receive a refund via a Sam's eGift Card, which is valid at both Sam's Club and Walmart along with each retailer's site.
Should you buy a Sam's Club Membership?
If you enjoy shopping at warehouse clubs and tend to buy groceries and household products in bulk, then you'll probably benefit from a Sam's Club Membership. It'll cost you a bit less than some other warehouse memberships like Costco, which starts at $60 per year. All of the added benefits from gas savings and free tire repair to the Bonus Offers Program definitely make purchasing a membership worthwhile.
Which membership you should purchase depends on which benefits and services you think you'd need. If you plan on placing a lot of online orders or want to participate in Curbside Pickup, the Plus Membership would be best so you could take advantage of the additional savings. If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, you may also want to get the Plus Membership to be able to get those added optical perks. If you're still not sure if a Sam's Club Membership is right for you, you can place an online order and create a guest account to use the 24-hour Guest Membership.
Sign up for a Sam's Club Membership
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