The One Big Drawback of a Sam’s Club Plus Membership

I’ve been renewing my Sam’s Club Plus membership for years, and overall I’ve been happy enough with it that I, you know, keep renewing. My membership has a permanent line item in my favorite budgeting app.

That said, there’s one thing I’d absolutely change if I could — and I bet most members feel the same: Sam’s Cash. Specifically, how you can earn it.

Upgrading to a Plus membership costs $110 a year, which is $60 a year more than the regular Club membership that gets you in the door. One of the marquee benefits of that upgrade is that Plus members earn 2% back in Sam’s Cash on eligible purchases.

You don’t earn bonus Sam’s Cash for online purchases

My problem? Online purchases made from samsclub.com aren’t “eligible purchases.” You don’t earn any of that 2% in Sam’s Cash for shopping online, only in stores.

Since my “local” Sam’s Club is an hour away, I get most of my Member’s Mark staples shipped. Losing out on that 2% bonus is a big bummer that definitely impacts the value of a Plus membership for my household.

I do get some solace from the fact that Sam’s Club doesn’t have any silly rules about which credit cards I can use (seriously, Costco, why?). This makes it easier to use my Sam’s Club purchases to earn high-value welcome bonuses.

Plus members do get free shipping and curbside pickup

Without the 2% bonus, it’s a lot harder to justify the extra $60 for a Plus membership — but not impossible. For us, that extra cost is made up for thanks to the other Plus benefits.

Primarily, we get our money’s worth out of free shipping every year. Most of our orders are placed online, and we like that Sam’s Club’s online prices are the same as the in-store ones. While Sam’s Club recently added a $50 minimum to the free shipping for Plus members, the size of most of our orders makes this a non-issue.

If you want to pick up in-club only items but don’t want to spend your time in the store, Plus members also get free curbside pickup on eligible orders. This can easily shave an hour off your Sam’s Club experience.

Costco Executive earns Rewards, but offers less online

At this point, you might be wondering if Costco has the same issue with its top-tier membership; after all, Costco Executive memberships have a similar 2% Reward that you can earn on Costco purchases.

Well, Costco Executive members will be happy to know that costco.com purchases absolutely do qualify for the 2% Reward. Of course, most of the items on Costco’s website are significantly more expensive than they are in the store, so you may not come out as far ahead of a Sam’s Club member as you think.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Costco limits you to Visa or Mastercard credit cards online (and just Visa credit cards in the store). You can still earn great rewards on Costco purchases, but you’ll be more limited in your options.

Pick the membership level that works for you

Folks who do most of their shopping in Sam’s Club stores will probably get a good deal out of upgrading to a Plus membership. Here’s what 2% back on your spending looks like:

Data source: Author’s calculations

If you don’t shop in store, or you won’t order enough online to make the free shipping valuable enough, then simply stick with a regular Club membership. You can still save a ton of money on your everyday essentials without wasting money on a membership upgrade you don’t need.