Is Sam’s Club Plus Worth It?
This graphic provides a quick visual breakdown of Sam’s Club Plus membership value. It compares the most useful Plus benefits against common situations where upgrading may not make financial sense, helping shoppers decide whether the higher-tier membership is worth the annual cost.
Updated June 22, 2026
Quick answer
Sam’s Club Plus is worth it if you shop at Sam’s Club often enough to use the 2% Sam’s Cash, free shipping, free delivery from club, early shopping hours, pharmacy, or optical perks.
It is probably not worth it if you only visit occasionally, mostly buy gas, rarely order online, or do not want another annual membership quietly renewing in the background.
The current Plus membership is $120 per year, according to Sam’s Club’s official membership benefits page. The regular Club membership is the simpler option if you mainly want warehouse access without chasing perks.
What you get with Sam’s Club Plus
Sam’s Club says Plus includes all regular Club benefits, plus premium perks like:
2% Sam’s Cash on qualifying in-club purchases, up to $750 per year.
Free shipping on eligible online orders of $50 or more.
Free delivery from club on eligible local orders of $50 or more.
Early shopping hours at many clubs.
Early access to some online savings events.
Extra pharmacy and optical benefits where available.
You can see the current list on Sam’s Club’s benefits page.
The break-even math
The biggest simple-money perk is 2% Sam’s Cash.
If Plus costs $120 per year, you would need about $6,000 in qualifying purchases to earn $120 back at 2%.
That does not mean everyone needs to spend $6,000 for Plus to make sense. Free shipping, delivery, pharmacy savings, optical discounts, and early shopping access can add value too. But if you are looking at Plus as a rewards-only upgrade, $6,000 is the rough yearly break-even point.
Sam’s Club Plus is most likely worth it if…
You shop there every month
If Sam’s Club is part of your normal grocery, household, or business shopping routine, Plus has a better chance of paying for itself. The membership works best when you are already spending there, not when you are trying to invent reasons to use it.
That is the subscription trap to watch: a “savings” membership can become expensive if it nudges you to buy more just to feel like you are getting value.
You order online often
Plus members get free shipping on eligible orders of $50 or more, while orders under $50 have a flat fee, according to Sam’s Club’s Shipping FAQ.
This can be valuable if you regularly order pantry items, household basics, paper goods, diapers, pet supplies, office supplies, or other bulky items online.
You use delivery from club
Sam’s Club says Plus includes free delivery from club on eligible local orders over $50, while Club members pay a delivery fee for that benefit, according to Sam’s Club’s membership benefits page.
This is one of the stronger Plus perks if you live near a club and actually use delivery. If you never order delivery, it is just a nice bullet point on a sales page.
You care about early shopping hours
Plus members can shop up to an hour early in-club at participating locations, with some exclusions. That can matter if your club gets crowded, you shop before work, or you like getting in and out before the Saturday cart parade begins.
You use pharmacy or optical benefits
Sam’s Club lists pharmacy and optical-related Plus perks, including prescription delivery promotions and optical savings where available. The exact value depends heavily on your prescriptions, insurance, location, and what you actually buy. Check Sam’s Club Pharmacy and your local club before counting this as guaranteed savings.
Sam’s Club Plus is probably not worth it if…
You only go a few times a year
If you use Sam’s Club for occasional party snacks, seasonal items, or one big paper towel run, Plus may be overkill. A regular Club membership may give you the access you need without turning the membership into a math project.
You mostly buy gas
Sam’s Club fuel prices can be a reason to keep a membership, but Plus is not automatically better just because you use the fuel station. If your main use is gas, compare the regular Club membership first.
You rarely order shipping or delivery
A lot of Plus value lives in convenience perks. If you shop in person, do not use delivery, and rarely order shipped items, you may be paying extra for benefits you admire from a distance.
You forget about annual renewals
Sam’s Club memberships can renew automatically if you are enrolled in auto-renew. Sam’s Club says auto-renew charges can happen approximately one day before the end of the membership term, and turning off auto-renew is separate from canceling the membership itself, according to Sam’s Club’s terms and conditions.
Translation: check your renewal date before Future You gets surprised.
Before you upgrade
Before paying for Plus, ask yourself:
1. How much did I spend at Sam’s Club last year?
Look at your purchase history, receipts, or credit card statement. If you spent nowhere near $6,000 and did not use shipping, delivery, pharmacy, or optical benefits, Plus may not have paid off.
2. Will I use delivery or shipping at least a few times?
If yes, Plus gets more interesting. If no, the value leans mostly on Sam’s Cash and convenience.
3. Am I upgrading because I need it, or because it sounds like a deal?
This is the quiet subscription trick. The best memberships fit habits you already have. The worst ones create chores you now have to perform to “save money.”
4. Is auto-renew turned on?
You can manage auto-renew from your Sam’s Club account. Sam’s Club’s help page says to sign in, go to Manage Membership, and follow the prompts to disable auto-renew if you do not want the membership renewing automatically: How to change Auto Renew settings.
How to downgrade or cancel Sam’s Club Plus
If Plus is not worth it anymore, you do not necessarily have to leave Sam’s Club completely. You may be able to downgrade to a regular Club membership instead.
Sam’s Club says membership cancellation can be handled in clubs or by calling 1-888-746-7726, and members generally keep access until the end of the membership year unless they receive a refund under the satisfaction guarantee, according to Sam’s Club’s terms.
If you only want to stop the next renewal, turn off auto-renew and save confirmation.
How to confirm you are not overpaying
After changing, downgrading, or canceling anything:
Check your membership status.
Look for the expiration or renewal date.
Save a screenshot.
Watch for a confirmation email.
Check whether auto-renew is still on.
Review the card linked to your Sam’s Club account.
Do not rely on memory. Recurring billing loves confidence.
The Not-Subscribed verdict
Sam’s Club Plus can be worth it for frequent Sam’s Club shoppers, online orderers, delivery users, and families or small businesses that already spend heavily there.
It is not automatically worth it just because it has more perks.
The smart move is to treat Plus like any other subscription: check the renewal date, estimate your real usage, and make sure the membership saves you money without quietly encouraging extra spending.
Cancel smarter. Subscribe slower.