What Deal Seekers Should Know About Sam's Club's 2024 Membership Cost

Top Deals at Sam's Club

What types of products Sam's Club carries

Sam's Club is a warehouse membership club that offers limited items for exceptional value. Instead of stocking every item in all of the brands, Sam's Club stocks select products in large quantities in order pass savings onto customers.

Sam's Club carries:

• groceries in bulk

• meat

• produce

• household items in bulk

• computers and electronics
• select furniture
• prescription medication

• gasoline

• tires

Sam's Club does NOT carry:

• every item in every available brand

• smaller quantities of items as you would find in regular grocery stores

What's the benefit of shopping at Sam's Club?

The benefits of shopping at Sam's Club can depend on the type of membership. Club Membership (normally $50/year) offers members-only pricing, bonus offers, curbside pickup, Scan and Go, fuel savings, tires, and car batteries. Plus Membership (normally $110/year) offers everything at the Club level plus free shipping, Sam's Cash, and pharmacy and optical savings.

Membership grants access to all of the retailer's items in stores and online. Items include produce, meat, traceable seafood, Sashimi-grade salmon, USDA Prime Beef, homemade meal solutions, baked goods, and more.

What is unique about Sam's Club?

Sam's Club maintains a simple shopping environment in order to keep costs low. Plus Members enjoy a variety of benefits, including free shipping, Sam's Cash, early shopping, and extra savings on medications in addition to Club membership benefits. All members benefit from Sam's Club Credit, Instant Savings, free health screenings, daily "Tastes and Tips" sampling demonstrations, and members-only savings on fuel.

Is Sam's cheaper than Walmart?

The short answer is yes. Sam's Club prices are lower on nearly all identical or similar products offered at Walmart. Exceptions may include coupons, which Walmart accepts while Sam's does not.

Is Sam's Club worth it for a single person?

Single shoppers can benefit from purchasing bulk items if they have enough storage space to store things like household cleaning essentials, toiletries, frozen food, and anything with a long shelf life. Gas and gift cards are other discounted items at Costco that may be of interest single shoppers.

If you don't live near a club, if your home doesn't have much storage space, or if you don't eat frozen foods, a club membership may not be right for you. Perishable items may spoil too quickly, so buying these items in large quantities may not work out with fewer people around to consume them before expiration.

What is the best day to shop at Sam's Club?

Weekends can be very busy at Sam's Club, so if you prefer to stay away from crowds, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are probably your best option. Fresh meat and and produce shipments come in during the week, so you're most likely to find the best stuff well before the weekend. You'll also find markdowns on goods that are close to their sell-by date during the week.

FAQs

• How Much Does a Sam's Club Membership Cost?

A Base Club Membership costs $50 annually. The Plus Membership annual cost is $110. The Plus membership includes free shipping on most online items, free curbside pickup, extra pharmacy and optical discounts, 2% back on qualifying purchases with Plus Rewards, and early shopping hours.

Base membership includes access to Instant Savings and Scan and Go, but you'll pay for shipping and curbside pickup. Base members also miss out on pharmacy and optical discounts, as well as early shopping hours and Plus Rewards.

• How to Earn Cash Back with a Sam's Club Membership

Sam's Cash is available to all Sam's Club members. Log in to your account to see your current Sam's Cash balance in the Sam's Club Dashboard.

Plus members earn 2% Sam's Cash on purchases made in clubs (not online). You can earn up to $500 annually on qualifying purchases. Exclusions apply.

• What Makes a Sam's Club Membership Worth It? 

• What If You Live in a Smaller Household?

Smaller households can still benefit from buying in bulk if they have the necessary storage space to store pantry ingredients, frozen foods, and other items that keep for long periods of time. Even infrequent trips to Sam's Club can result in significant savings on flat tire repairs, fuel savings, pharmacy and optical deals, and low prices on large items like appliances with savings in one transaction that amount to more than the price of a year of membership.

• Can You Shop at Sam's Club Without a Membership?

Online shoppers can create a guest membership as they check out online, but there's a 10% surcharge. Members may bring guests to the store, but only the member can purchase items.

• How does shopping compare in-store vs online?

• How to save the most at Sam's Club

Take advantage of the Scan and Go feature through the app for exclusive deals. Maximize your Sam's Cash with a Plus membership, and by using the Sam's Club Mastercard. Shop sales, including the Instant Savings offers. Finally, compare Sam's Club prices to other stores before you buy to ensure you're getting the best price. Not everything you see at Sam's Club will be the lowest around, but many items are. Shop strategically to save as much as you can.