Everything you need to know about Sam's Club membership benefits
From fuel savings to free shipping, here’s what you actually get with a card
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Sam's Club
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You probably only associate Sam’s Club with buying bulk groceries and oversized packs of paper towels, but the true Sam’s Club membership benefits stretch well past the warehouse floor. Here at Reviewed, we’ve been fans of the warehouse club for years because you also get things like members-only gas prices, free car services, and pharmacy savings…just to name a few.
Whether you're weighing Sam's Club against other wholesale clubs or deciding between Club and Plus, here's everything worth knowing before you commit.
How much does a Sam's Club membership cost?
Sam's Club offers two membership tiers:
- Club Membership: $60 per year
- Plus Membership: $120 per year
In addition to the main membership card, both tiers include a complimentary household card for someone at the same address, and you can add extra cardholders at a discounted rate. Sam's Club also offers promotional pricing to new members throughout the year, so it's worth checking if there’s a deal available before you join.
For comparison, a basic Costco membership runs $65 per year, and BJ's Wholesale Club starts at $55—putting Sam's Club right in the middle of the warehouse club pricing landscape.
Sam's Club Plus vs Club membership
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A Sam's Club Membership allows you to score major savings on high-quality grocery items
The Club tier covers the essentials: in-store access, members-only pricing, fuel savings, Scan & Go, Curbside Pickup, and free tire and battery services. It's the right fit if you shop primarily in-store and want straightforward warehouse savings without the higher annual cost.
The Plus Membership unlocks everything in Club and then some. The biggest upgrades are free shipping on $50+ online orders, pharmacy and optical savings, and 2% back in Sam's Cash on qualifying purchases—up to $750 per year. Plus members also receive 20% more on Bonus Offers. For a deeper look at what the upgraded tier includes, check out our full breakdown of Sam's Club Plus membership benefits.
| Club Membership | Plus Membership | |
|---|---|---|
| Price / year | $60 | $120 |
| Bonus Offers Program | ✔ | ✔ |
| Instant Savings | ✔ | ✔ |
| Free Shipping | ✘ | ✔ |
| Curbside Pickup | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sam's Cash (2% back) | ✘ | ✔ (up to $750/yr) |
| Scan & Go | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pharmacy & Optical Savings | ✘ | ✔ |
| Fuel Savings | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tire & Battery Center | ✔ | ✔ |
Sam's Club membership benefits worth knowing about
Beyond the reduced members-only pricing you'd expect from a warehouse club, Sam's Club packs in a handful of perks that can offset the cost of your annual membership—and then some.
Fuel savings & car services
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Free flat tire repair, battery testing, and wiper blade installation come with every membership tier.
Every member gets members-only gas prices at Sam's Club fuel stations, and the per-gallon savings add up fast if you fill up regularly.
Tire and Battery Centers also offer free flat-tire repair, battery testing, and wiper-blade installation—services that would cost you $20 or more at a typical auto shop.
Scan & Go
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Scan & Go lets you skip the checkout line entirely and pay right from your phone.
One of Sam's Club's most underrated features, Scan & Go, lets you scan items with your phone as you shop and pay right in the app—no checkout line required. You can load credit and EBT cards onto your account, and at the pump, a quick QR scan replaces swiping a card entirely.
Sam's Cash, Bonus Offers & Instant Savings
Plus members earn 2% back in Sam's Cash on qualifying purchases, redeemable toward future orders. The earning cap was recently bumped to $750 per year (up from $500), meaning a household spending around $37,500 annually at Sam's Club could fully recoup the cost of a Plus membership in rewards alone.
Both tiers also get access to the Bonus Offers Program—Sam's Cash on dining, subscriptions, and shopping—with Plus members receiving 20% more.
On top of that, all members get access to Instant Savings—rotating, limited-time discounts on hundreds of items that apply automatically at checkout. No coupon clipping required; the savings just come off your total in-store or online.
Pharmacy & optical savings
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Plus members get savings on over 600 generic prescriptions starting at $4.
This one is Plus-only, but it's significant: savings on over 600 generic prescriptions starting at $4, 20% off a complete pair of eyeglasses, and free shipping on contacts. If anyone in your household wears glasses or fills regular prescriptions, this benefit alone could justify the upgrade.
Shipping & Curbside Pickup
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Plus members get free shipping on most online orders and fee-free Curbside Pickup with no order minimum.
Plus members get free shipping on most items ordered through the site or app with a $50 minimum order. Club members can still order online, but free shipping covers only select items.
Both tiers support Curbside Pickup—order from home, pull up, and load your car.
Is a Sam's Club membership worth it?
Yes, but it depends on what kind of shopper you are. For households that regularly buy groceries, cleaning supplies, and household basics, a Sam's Club membership can pay for itself within a few trips.
It’s also a smart buy when you consider fuel savings alone. With prices typically 5 to 25 cents per gallon below nearby stations, it makes a noticeable dent, and when stacked with the Bonus Offers Program, Instant Savings, and bulk pricing on essentials, it widens the gap further.
The Plus tier makes the most sense if you shop frequently online, use Curbside Pickup, or fill prescriptions. The 2% Sam's Cash back (now up to $750 per year) means members spending more than $3,000 annually at Sam's Club effectively earn back the $60 difference between the two tiers.
How to cancel a Sam's Club membership
Sam's Club offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. So, if you sign up but decide it’s actually not right for you, you can cancel at any time and receive a full refund of your current year's fee. Visit the Membership Desk at any Sam's Club location for an immediate cancellation and refund, or call to cancel by phone and receive your refund via a Sam's eGift Card, valid at both Sam's Club and Walmart.
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