Personal Finance

Walmart Expands Gas Discount Benefit for Walmart+ Customers

Those looking to save money at the pump may now have another option. Today, Walmart announced that it was upgrading and expanding the gas discount benefit offered as part of its Walmart+ subscription. While customers previously enjoyed discounts of between 5¢ and 10¢ per gallon at Walmart and Murphy’s gasoline locations, they’ll now also be able to save 10¢ per gallon at participating Exxon and Mobil stations. In total, this now brings the benefit’s reach to more than 14,000 locations — an increase of 600%.

According to a video shared by Walmart, customers will be able to take advantage of the fuel discount by first accessing the Walmart app and selecting the Services tab. Importantly, users will need to have their location services enabled. When a customer selects that they are at an Exxon or Mobil station, they’ll be prompted to enter their pump number in order to receive their discount. Meanwhile, those filling up at Walmart gas locations will scan a QR code and, at Murphy’s stations, customers will need to enter a discount ID code also found in the app.

The newly-expanded gas perk is particularly notable to consumers with the American Express Platinium Card. As of October 2021, a new feature of the Platinum is a monthly statement credit that covers the cost of a Walmart+ subscription. Thus, the $695 annual fee card effectively gains a money-saving benefit, albeit one that might fly under the radar of many cardholders.

Outside of this expanded gas benefit, Walmart+ subscribers continue to earn other perks, such as free delivery on orders over $35, free shipping with no minimum order, discounts on prescriptions, and more. Additionally, Walmart+ users can take advantage of the Scan & Go feature at participating locations. Currently, Walmart+ comes at a cost of $12.95 per month or $98 per year. However, a 30-day free trial is also available.

Announcing the new benefits, Walmart SVP and GM of Walmart+ Chris Cracchiolo said in a statement, “Ninety-one percent of our customers are aware of the increased prices at the pump and nearly half of those told us they are changing behaviors because of them. More access to a bigger discount will make a difference for our customers.” Cracchiolo added, “We want Walmart+ to help our customers save time and money, not only when they’re shopping with us, but throughout their day. We’re excited to continue to find new ways to deliver for them.”

Considering that Walmart+ costs at least $8 a month (if paid for a year upfront), consumers would need to be pumping a lot of gas in order for this new perk to actually save them money on its own. Thus, those interested in this offer should consider how much they’d be able to benefit from the other features of Walmart+ before signing up. At the same time, those who are already happy Walmart+ subscribers or who have the Amex Platinum may be the real winners here, as this is just a pure upgrade to the program. Meanwhile, with inflation impacting many Americans’ wallets, here’s hoping that this isn’t the last improvement to come to Walmart+.

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