Prices went up in May — both tiers. Whether the increase changes the math for your household depends on how you actually shop. Here is everything you need to decide, including the deals most people miss entirely.
The membership structure sounds simple until you start asking real questions — how much do you save on gas, does Plus actually pay for itself, can you get a refund, is there a senior discount. These are the answers people search for most, answered plainly.
1 How much does a Sam’s Club membership cost right now? Club: $60/year. Plus: $120/year. Both went up $10 on May 1. A household add-on card costs $55/year on top of the primary membership. ▼
2 Is Sam’s Club Plus worth the extra $60 a year over Club? For most households that shop there regularly — yes. The 2% cash back alone can cover the difference. Gas savings, free same-day delivery, and early shopping hours tip the math further. ▼
3 Is there a senior discount on Sam’s Club membership? Yes — for shoppers 50 and older. A 60% discount off Club or $50 off Plus through ID.me age verification. This is one of the most underused deals Sam’s Club offers. ▼
4 Can you get a refund if you join and decide Sam’s Club isn’t worth it? Yes — a full refund, any time, no questions asked. Sam’s Club’s 100% satisfaction guarantee applies to the membership fee. One refund limit per household per year on Plus. ▼
5 How much can you actually save on gas with a Sam’s Club membership? Members typically save $0.10–$0.30 per gallon compared to local average prices. A household filling up weekly can save $200–$300+ per year — often enough to cover the entire membership cost. ▼
6 Can you shop at Sam’s Club without a membership? In limited ways, yes. Non-members can use the Sam’s Club app to make one-time purchases at a 10% surcharge. Guests accompanied by a member can shop. The pharmacy and optical center accept non-members for services. ▼
7 Does Sam’s Club pharmacy save you real money on prescriptions? Yes — significantly. Over 600 generic medications are available for $10 or less. Plus members get 10 select generics at $0. For anyone on regular prescriptions without good insurance, this alone can justify the membership cost. ▼
8 What is the cheapest way to get a Sam’s Club membership right now? Check Sam’s Club’s own join page first — promotions like $35 off Club or $65 off Plus rotate regularly. Groupon and deal sites also offer deeply discounted first-year memberships for new members or those inactive for 6+ months. ▼
Two tiers, clearly different audiences. The $60 price difference between Club and Plus pays for itself quickly for regular shoppers — or not at all for occasional visitors. Here is exactly what you get at each level.
- ✅ Members-only warehouse pricing on all items
- ✅ Members-only fuel savings at Sam’s gas stations
- ✅ Free curbside pickup on eligible $50+ orders
- ✅ Scan & Go app shopping (skip the checkout line)
- ✅ Instant Savings events throughout the year
- ✅ Pharmacy member pricing (600+ generics from $4)
- ✅ Optical center member pricing
- ✅ Free tire rotation, balancing & flat repair
- ✅ Free battery testing & wiper blade installation
- ✅ Complimentary household card (1 person)
- ❌ No 2% cash back rewards
- ❌ No free same-day delivery (pays $12 per order)
- ❌ No early shopping hours
- ✅ Everything in Club, plus:
- 💰 2% Sam’s Cash on qualifying purchases (up to $750/yr)
- 🚚 Free same-day or next-day delivery on $50+ orders
- 🕗 Early shopping — 1 hour before regular hours open
- 🎯 Early online access to Doorbusters & Black Friday deals
- 💊 $0 prescriptions on 10 select generic medications
- 👓 20% off complete eyeglasses + 40% off 2nd pair
- 🚗 50% off tire installation
- ✅ Complimentary household card included free
- 📱 T-Mobile: $60 annual eGift Card with eligible activation
- 💸 20% more Sam’s Cash through Bonus Offer Program
If two adults in your household both need a membership card — to shop separately, not just as a guest — the math changes. With Club, the second card costs $55, bringing your real household cost to $115/year. Plus at $120/year includes the second card free. For two-adult households both shopping independently, Plus is effectively only $5 more than Club-with-a-household-add-on — at which point the 2% cash back, free delivery, and pharmacy perks make Plus the straightforwardly better value.
The two memberships share most of the core warehouse shopping experience. The differences that matter are in delivery, cash back, pharmacy, and early access. Here is the full comparison.
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| Benefit | Club ($60/yr) | Plus ($120/yr) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members-only warehouse pricing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Both tiers |
| Gas station member pricing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Save $0.10–$0.30/gal typically |
| Free curbside pickup | ✅ Yes ($50 min) | ✅ Yes (always free) | Plus has no minimum |
| Same-day / next-day delivery | $12 per order | ✅ Free ($50 min) | Saves $12/delivery |
| 2% Sam’s Cash rewards | ❌ No | ✅ Up to $750/yr | Break-even: ~$3,000/yr spend |
| Early shopping hours | ❌ No | ✅ 1 hr early | Hours vary by location |
| Early online deal access | ❌ No | ✅ Up to 12 hrs early | Black Friday, Doorbusters |
| Generic prescriptions | From $4 (600+ drugs) | $0 on 10 select generics | Plus gets $0 tier |
| Optical savings | Member pricing | 20% off + 40% off 2nd pair | Plus discounts deeper |
| Tire installation | $20/tire | 50% off installation | Plus saves ~$10/tire |
| Complimentary household card | ✅ 1 included | ✅ 1 included free | Add-ons: $55/card both tiers |
| Scan & Go (skip checkout) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Both tiers |
| Refund guarantee | ✅ Full refund anytime | ✅ Full refund anytime | 1 Plus refund/yr limit |
Sam’s Club keeps some of its best discounts quiet. Most people eligible for these never claim them because they assume the sticker price is the only price.
Members aged 50 and older qualify for a significant discount verified through ID.me — 60% off Club (bringing it to about $24/year) or $50 off Plus (reducing it to $70/year). This is one of the best-kept secrets in warehouse shopping and applies on an ongoing basis, not just for the first year. If you are eligible and currently paying full price, the time spent on ID.me verification is worth real money every single renewal. Verification takes approximately 10 minutes and requires uploading a government-issued ID confirming your birthdate.
Active duty service members, veterans, National Guard, and Reserves qualify for up to 50% off their first year of membership, also verified through ID.me or SheerID. The discount applies to both Club and Plus tiers. Some promotions combine military verification with first-year introductory pricing, so verifying your status when joining can stack savings significantly. Like the age discount, this is not prominently advertised on Sam’s Club’s main join page — you need to navigate specifically to the discount verification portal or ask at the Member Services desk.
College and university students with a valid .edu email or enrollment documentation qualify for up to 50% off their first year of membership through verified student status. Students on government assistance also qualify for Walmart+ at 50% off, which gives an indirect path to Sam’s Club pricing through the broader Walmart family of benefits.
Sam’s Club is running a promotion through September 30 offering new members $35 off Club (bringing it to $25/year) or $65 off Plus (bringing it to $55/year). This requires joining as a true new member or having been inactive for at least 6 months. Members who canceled or let their membership lapse and are now returning are sometimes treated as new members for promotional purposes — check your account status if this applies to you. These promotions rotate, so if this specific offer has expired by the time you read this, the next one is likely within a few weeks.
Groupon regularly lists first-year Sam’s Club memberships at significant discounts — deals of 50–70% off are common throughout the year, occasionally dropping below $20 for Club or $60 for Plus. These deals are for new members only (or those inactive 6+ months) and require redeeming the Groupon voucher at a Sam’s Club location or online within the promotional window. Checking Groupon before joining at full price takes two minutes and can save $30–$50 on the first year alone. Historically, the deepest discounts appear during Black Friday and back-to-school promotional windows.
Both are warehouse clubs with annual memberships and similar product categories. The real differences come down to location, what you specifically buy, and which membership perks actually match your life.
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| Category | Sam’s Club | Costco | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic membership | $60/year | $65/year (Gold Star) | Sam’s Club |
| Premium membership | $120/year (Plus) | $130/year (Executive) | Sam’s Club |
| Cash back rewards | 2% up to $750/yr (Plus) | 2% up to $1,000/yr (Executive) | Costco (higher cap) |
| Age / senior discount | ✅ Age 50+ via ID.me | ❌ No senior discount | Sam’s Club |
| Scan & Go app checkout | ✅ Yes — skip the line | ❌ Not available | Sam’s Club |
| Private label quality | Member’s Mark | Kirkland Signature | Costco (Kirkland widely regarded higher) |
| Fresh food / produce quality | Good | Consistently rated higher | Costco |
| Online / app shopping | Strong app · Scan & Go | Decent website, no Scan & Go | Sam’s Club |
| Number of U.S. locations | ~600 locations | ~590 locations | Similar — check your area |
| Pharmacy generic pricing | 600+ generics from $4; $0 for Plus | Competitive generic pricing | Similar; Sam’s $0 generics for Plus members |
For most households, the location closest to where you regularly drive is the most important factor — warehouse club savings only materialize if you actually go. If both are equally accessible: Sam’s Club wins on upfront membership cost, senior discounts, and digital convenience (Scan & Go is genuinely useful). Costco wins on private-label product quality, fresh food consistency, and the higher cash back cap that matters if you spend over $10,000/year at the warehouse. For budget-conscious households, retirees, or anyone who qualifies for Sam’s Club’s age or group discounts, Sam’s Club is the clearer financial choice.
The right answer depends on how often you actually shop there and which specific benefits your household would realistically use. Here is a direct call for the most common situations.
- Upgrade from Club to Plus at any time, not just at renewal. When you upgrade mid-year, you pay only the prorated difference for the remaining months. If you join as Club and later realize Plus would pay off, the upgrade cost is not a full $60 — it is proportional to how much of your membership year remains.
- Check SamsClub.com/pharmacy pricing before assuming your insurance is better. Generic drug pricing through Sam’s Club often undercuts Medicare Part D copays on common maintenance medications. Looking takes five minutes and can save hundreds annually.
- Use Scan & Go on the app every visit. Scan items as you put them in your cart, pay in the app, and walk out. This saves 10–20 minutes of checkout time per visit and is available to all members including Club — a convenience benefit that is completely free and dramatically improves the warehouse experience.
- Set a calendar reminder 30 days before your renewal date to reassess whether the membership still pays off. If your shopping habits have changed, downgrading or canceling before auto-renewal avoids the charge entirely.
- Sam’s Cash does not expire. Accumulate it throughout the year and use it on a larger purchase for maximum effect rather than redeeming small amounts repeatedly.
- Paying for a household add-on card when Plus is almost the same price. If two adults in your house both shop, Club + one add-on card = $115/year. Plus = $120/year and includes the second card free plus all the upgraded benefits. Do the math before adding cards.
- Joining at full price without checking for current promotions. Discounted memberships — for new members or those inactive 6+ months — appear multiple times per year. A two-minute Groupon check before joining at full price has saved people $30–$50 on the first year repeatedly.
- Not turning off auto-renew if you plan to cancel. Auto-renew is on by default. To stop a charge, you must cancel at least 24 hours before your renewal date through Membership Settings online or by calling 888-746-7726. The refund guarantee means you can get your money back after the fact, but requiring an extra step to undo an unwanted charge is a predictable friction point.
- Assuming the 2% cash back excludes purchases you care about. Sam’s Cash on Plus does not apply to gas, alcohol, or gift card purchases — three categories that can represent a significant share of Sam’s Club spending for some households. Run the math on your actual shopping basket, not a theoretical average.
Most membership changes — upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds — can be handled online or in store without needing to call. Here is where to go for each.
- To cancel and get a full refund: Visit any Member Services desk in store for immediate cash refund, or call 888-746-7726 for an eGift Card refund usable at Sam’s Club and Walmart.
- To downgrade from Plus to Club: Request at the Member Services desk or call. You receive a prorated refund for the unused portion of the Plus upgrade cost — one downgrade refund allowed per household per year.
- To upgrade from Club to Plus mid-year: Pay the prorated difference at the Member Services desk or online — you only pay for the remaining months of your current membership year.
- To turn off auto-renew: Log in to your account at samsclub.com, go to Membership Settings, and disable auto-renew at least 24 hours before your renewal date. You retain access through the end of your paid year.
Sam’s Club membership pricing, benefits, and promotional offers change over time. All prices and benefits described reflect publicly available information as of mid-2026 and may have been updated since publication. Always confirm current pricing and terms at samsclub.com or at your local Sam’s Club Member Services desk before making a membership decision. Discount programs (age 50+, military, student) require verification through ID.me or SheerID and are subject to eligibility requirements. Promotional deals for new members require membership inactivity of at least six months in most cases. This article is not a paid advertisement for Sam’s Club or any related entity.