Walmart is hoping additional discounts at the pump will sway people to sign up for its subscription discount program.
Starting Wednesday, members of Walmart+ will receive a discount of 10 cents per gallon at participating stations. That’s double the previous discount of five cents.
Walmart has also substantially widened the net as to where that discount can be enjoyed. Previously, Walmart+ subscribers were able to save only when they filled up at 2,000 Murphy gas stations and at Sam’s Club and Walmart stores with gas pumps. With Wednesday’s expansion, Walmart is adding another 12,000 Exxon and Mobil stations across the U.S.
The expansion of the gas discount comes as gas prices are off the highs they hit at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but still far above where they were before the conflict. The discounts are also a recruiting and retainment tool from the retailer to convince people the $98-per-year service is as valuable, or more valuable than Amazon Prime.
Beyond the fuel discounts, Walmart+ members get free shipping and skip the checkout line, by scanning items in brick-and-mortar stores using the app. They also, as of last month, get six free months of Spotify Premium.
Walmart doesn’t release membership numbers for its subscription program, but Deutsche Bank last September provided an estimate of 32 million. That’s far short of Prime’s numbers. In his letter to shareholders earlier this month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said more than 200 million people are Prime members.
