If you’re new to the concept of warehouse clubs, signing up for a Sam’s Club membership can feel a bit daunting. First, there’s the choice of membership type: do you start with the Club level for $50 a year, or jump right up to Plus at more than double the cost? Unless you’ve been a loyal Sam’s Club member for years, it’s okay not to know.
And then there’s the question of whether or not you'll take advantage of all the benefits of membership available to you, since the benefits change slightly depending on which level you get. Though you should know that you don't even need a membership to take advantage of cheap Sam's Club eye exams.
Whether you’re new to it all or deciding whether to upgrade to Plus, consider this your full guide to the Sam’s Club membership types and how they compare. And once you’ve made your decision, you'll want to read our guide about how to hack the Sam’s Club membership cost to save at least 50% on your first year.
Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app or text HACKS to 57299 for the latest money-saving tips, deals, and coupons.
How to Sign Up for a Sam's Club Membership
You can sign up for a new Sam’s Club membership either in person at the Member Service desk or online at SamsClub.com/Join.
If you’ve never had a Sam’s Club membership before (or it’s been at least six months since your last membership expired), I recommend signing up online rather than in person. That’s how you can take advantage of a new membership deal that will save you 50% - 72% on your first year.
We also see occasional Groupon deals that let you sign up for a new membership through the Groupon website.
No matter which way you sign up, you can start shopping immediately at any Sam’s Club location or on SamsClub.com.
KCL TIP: Sam’s Club stopped automatically sending out physical membership cards around 2022, but if you’d prefer a physical card instead of the digital version, just stop by the Member Service desk after you join to ask for one.
What are the different levels of Sam's Club membership?
Similar to Costco and BJ’s, Sam’s Club has two levels of membership. At Sam’s Club, the levels are called Club or Plus. You’ll need to choose a level when you join, but you can upgrade anytime and pay a prorated fee for the difference in cost.
The Plus level is more than double the cost of the Club level, but only the Plus membership lets you earn 2% on most in-club purchases. Let’s take a look at the major differences between the two levels.
Club Membership
Cost: $50 per year
What's included: Our favorite membership benefits include access to members-only prices, Instant Savings offers, discounted gas, one free additional membership for your household, and Sam’s Cash bonus offers. And starting Aug. 19, 2024, you'll get free curbside pickup on orders of $50 or more (instead of the usual $4 per-order fee).
Is it worth it? Considering a Sam's Club membership breaks down to about $4.17 per month, as long as you pocket savings of at least $4.17 per month by shopping at Sam's Club versus other stores, you’ll break even on the cost of a basic membership.
And saving at least $4.17 a month is pretty easy when you’re buying everything in bulk — especially when you compare each item's unit cost to other stores.
For example, we compared Sam's Club vs. Walmart and found you could save $18.98 on a custom sheet cake just by going with Sam's Club instead of Walmart. And ground beef prices were about $1.44 less per pound at Sam's Club. So buying just a few pounds of meat at the warehouse each month — or one custom cake — could make a basic membership worth it.
KCL TIP: If you need more than the standard two membership cards for your household, you can add on up to eight memberships at the Club level for $45 each. Compare that to Costco, where they limit you to two cards per household unless you have a Business membership.
Plus Membership
Cost: $110 per year
What's included: You'll get all of the benefits of the Club membership, plus 2% cash back on qualifying in-store purchases (up to $500 per year), early shopping hours, free curbside pickup with no minimums, pharmacy and optical savings, and 33% off same-day delivery fees on orders under $50 (you'll pay an $8 fee per order under $50 instead of a $12 fee per order).
Is it worth it? You’d need to pocket savings of at least $9.17 a month at Sam’s to make a Plus membership worth it (and essentially cover its cost). That’s easily doable if you shop at Sam’s Club more than a few times a month, or if you find you’re placing at least two curbside pickup orders under $50 a month.
It’s also worth upgrading to a Plus membership if you spend at least $250 per month at Sam’s Club. That’s because you’ll earn 2% back on your purchases, and those earnings will more than cover the $60 cost to upgrade.
Which Sam's Club membership has the best value?
This answer depends on how much shopping you do and whether or not you'll need to rely on Sam’s Club shipping or delivery to get your items. Here's the basic breakdown:
Club membership is a better value if any of the following are true for you:
You spend less than $250 a month or $3,000 a year in the warehouse.
You place less than 15 curbside pickup orders under $50 a year.
You place less than 15 same-day delivery orders under $50 a year.
You don't need to order items for shipping.
Plus membership is a better value if any of these are true for you:
You spend more than $3,000 a year or $250 a month in the warehouse (because your Sam’s Cash earnings will pay for the upgrade cost).
You place at least 15 curbside pickup orders under $50 a year (you’ll save $4 per order, or $60).
You place at least 15 same-day delivery orders under $50 a year (you’ll save $4 per order, or $60).
You take prescription medications like metformin, escitalopram, sertraline, or lisinopril (free with Plus).
You prefer early morning shopping hours with fewer crowds.
You live more than 15 miles from a Sam's Club and need to place orders for shipping.