Sam’s Club offers an upgraded membership level called Plus. But with a fee of $110 per year, it’s like you’re paying for two regular Sam’s Club memberships instead of one. That got me thinking — do the added perks of Plus really make it worth the extra $60?
And how do you decide if Sam’s Club Plus membership is worth it when you can’t get a free trial before you shell out the money to upgrade?
Rather than sell you on all the membership benefits you get at the Plus level, let me show you the math on the potential savings. And if the math doesn’t add up for your spending levels, you can feel justified in your decision to stick with the cheaper of the two Sam’s Club membership types.
For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.
How to Make Sam's Club Plus Worth It
Here's the hard truth: If you don’t make full use of all the Plus member benefits up for grabs, it might not be worth the $60 membership cost to upgrade to Plus. But for many people, the savings more than make up for the cost to upgrade.
Pro Tip: Don’t confuse a Sam’s Club Plus membership with a Walmart Plus membership, even though the two companies are related. Walmart Plus is a separate membership. However, a Walmart Plus account does get you access to member prices at Sam’s Club gas stations.
Earn 2% back in Sam's Cash.
This is probably the most widely known benefit of Plus membership — and also the easiest way to figure out if a Plus membership is worth it.
Consider how much you spend per year at Sam’s Club. If 2% of your yearly spend at Sam’s Club is at least $60, then Plus membership will be worth it. That’s because you’ll cover the cost to upgrade with your Sam’s Cash earnings.
"I have the Plus membership and I save the cash back to pay for my yearly membership." - Holly W., KCL reader
You can use your Sam’s Cash earnings to make purchases, renew your membership, or get paid in cash at the membership desk.
Annual / Monthly Sam’s Club Spend | Annual Sam’s Cash Earnings with Plus |
|---|---|
$500 per year / $42 per month | $10 |
$1,000 per year / $83 per month | $20 |
$2,000 per year / $167 per month | $40 |
$3,000 per year / $250 per month | $60 |
$5,500 per year / $458 per month | $110 |
$25,000 per year / $2,083 per month | $500 *maximum |
Maximize your Sam's Cash with a Sam's Club Mastercard.
If you have the Plus membership AND the Sam’s Club Mastercard, you’ll earn Sam’s Cash at a slightly faster rate than normal. So instead of earning 2% at the Plus level, you’ll get 3% back with Plus when you pay with the Mastercard.
That means you’d only need to spend $2,000 per year (or $167/month) to make a Plus membership worth it if you’re using your Mastercard at the club.
And purchases you make outside of the club will earn you Sam’s Cash, too. You’ll get 5% back on gas (up to the first $6,000 per year, then 1%), 3% on dining, and 1% on everything else.
"We have the Plus membership and credit card. We put all of our gas on the credit card, restaurants, and travel. We get about $100 a month in rewards back. Just make sure you pay the bill on time and in full." - Sharon H., KCL reader
Save $4 per curbside order — and score free shipping on most items.
With Plus, you get free curbside pickup, compared to the $4 per order fee you’d pay with a regular membership. So if you place at least 15 pickup orders a year, Plus is worth it. You also save $4 per order if you opt for Sam's Club delivery via their same-day service.
Additionally, most online items ship for free with Plus. I peeked at the shipping rates for a few recent Sam’s Club deals in my ZIP code (32720), and here’s what I found:
Shipping fee without Plus | Shipping fee with Plus | |
|---|---|---|
Hydro Flask 24 oz | Free | |
Member’s Mark Super Premium Paper Towels | Free | |
Gatorade Variety 24-Pack | $7.33 | |
Member’s Mark Purified Water, 40-pack | $8.06 | |
H2OGo! Triple Splash Water Park | Free |
KCL TIP: Some items have a shipping cost even with Plus, like bottled water and Gatorade, so always check the fine print. If you do see a fee, it might be worth picking up those items using curbside pickup instead.
Score free prescriptions for 10 generic medicines.
With Plus, you’ll get 10 popular generic medications for free — saving you $4 per prescription if you happen to need any of the meds on the freebie list below. And more than 600 prescriptions cost $10 or less with Plus.
Here are the scripts you can get for free with a Plus membership:
Amlodipine Donepezil Escitalopram Finasteride Lisinopril | Metformin Montelukast Pioglitazone Sertraline Vitamin D2 |
Save up to 20% with Plus optical discounts.
If you buy your sunglasses or prescription glasses in-store at Sam’s Club, you’ll save 20% with your Plus membership. Even if you go with the cheapest pair — like the $59 London Fog frames — that’s a savings of $11.80. And for a more expensive pair like these $199 Carrera frames, you’ll save up to $39.80.
You’ll also get free shipping on contact lenses, which saves you $6.95 per order under $45. (Contact lenses always ship free from Sam's for orders over $45.)
Add more members for just $45 each.
Unlike Costco, where you only get one free additional card for another person in your household, the Sam’s Plus membership lets you add up to 16 additional people.
Each add-on member costs $45, which is $5 cheaper than it would be if they joined on their own. Just keep in mind that free shipping isn't always offered to add-on members.
So ... is Sam's Club Plus worth it?
If you shop at Sam’s Club often enough to earn extra cash back, the extra cost pays for itself — and then some.
You can also factor in the intangible benefit of early shopping hours (and early curbside pickup hours) that help you avoid the crowds and get first dibs at doorbuster sales. Store hours may vary by location, but at my nearest Sam's Club, Plus members can shop two hours earlier than everyone else on weekdays, and one hour earlier on Saturdays.
And that's in addition to the tangible perks of free shipping ($5+ savings per order), free curbside pickup ($4 savings per order), discounted same-day delivery ($4 savings per order), 2% cash back, and discounts at the Optical department and Pharmacy.
Here’s a summary of how much you’d need to spend to cover the cost of an upgraded membership:
Spend $250 a month at Sam’s Club and you’ll earn $60 in cash back rewards after 12 months.
Order at least one item for shipping a month and you’ll save $60 per year in fees.
Place at least 15 curbside pickup orders (or 15 same-day delivery orders) a year and you’ll save $60 in fees.
But if you’re just a once-in-a-while Sam’s shopper, then the entry-level membership should suffice.