Walmart offers loyalty discount for assistance recipients
Walmart is making membership in its paid loyalty program more affordable for those on government assistance.
The discount giant is launching Walmart+ Assist, a program that offers customers on government assistance 50% off a monthly or annual Walmart+ paid membership plan. The standard price is $98 annually if paid upfront or $12.95/month.
Initially introduced in in September 2020, Walmart+ offers unlimited free delivery on orders of $35 or more, gasoline discounts of up to five cents a gallon and access to the chain’s Scan & Go app, which allows shoppers to avoid checkout lines by scanning items in the store and checkout using Walmart Pay.
The new program is available to all eligible new and existing Walmart + members. Existing members who qualify and sign up will receive a prorated refund and the new price will start immediately. Once members verify their eligibility through the SheerID marketing identity verification service, they can sign up for a Walmart+ Assist membership at the new price of $6.47 per month or $49 per year.
Chief Walmart rival Amazon has formally offered a similar discount membership in its Prime subscription program, known as Prime Access, since October 2022.
“Walmart+ Assist was designed to do exactly what’s in the name: assist those who need it most,” Venessa Yates, senior VP and GM, Walmart+, said in a corporate blog post. “We’re making it easier and more accessible for government-assisted customers to become members and take advantage of the full suite of savings Walmart+ has to offer them.
Walmart has added a number of perks and promotions in the three years since it initially launched the program, including free access to the “essential” tier of the Paramount+ subscription streaming offering and six free months of the Spotify Premium content streaming service.
Walmart reaches out to SNAP recipients online
Walmart has previously been involved in efforts to make online products and services more accessible to customers participating in government assistance programs. The discounter was one of several retailers (including Amazon) that participated in a pilot with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allowing consumers who receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits — typically referred to as food stamps — to purchase groceries online for home delivery.
The multi-year rollout that has taken place since the initial pilot enables customers to pay with their SNAP benefits online, giving them access to conveniences like pickup and delivery. With the recent addition of Alaska into the program, Walmart is now the first retailer to accept SNAP benefits online in all 50 states.
Headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart Inc. operates more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries.