Sam’s Club Membership Cost and What Plus Adds
A Sam’s Club membership costs $60 a year for Club and $120 a year for Plus.
Both tiers went up $10 on May 1, 2026, the first fee increase since 2022.
The harder question is the $60 gap between them. Plus earns it back in Sam’s Cash once a household spends $250 a month in the club, and most of its other perks only matter to some members.
Sam’s Club membership fees
Sam’s Club charges $60 a year for a Club membership and $120 a year for Plus. The Plus sign-up page totals $120, with an estimated sales tax line added on top at checkout.
| What you get | Club | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly fee | $60 | $120 |
| Second card for your household | Included | Included |
| Each add-on card | $55 | $55 |
| Sam’s Cash on in-club purchases | None | 2%, up to $750 |
| Delivery from your club | $12 per order | Free over $50 |
| Curbside Pickup | Free, from 9 a.m. | Free, from 7 a.m. |
| Shopping in the club | From 9 a.m. | From 8 a.m. |
There’s no monthly plan. Sam’s Club bills the fee once a year, and each membership runs for one year from the day it starts.
Both tiers include a second card for someone in your household. A third person costs $55 a year as an add-on, only $5 less than a Club membership of their own.
The May 2026 price increase
Sam’s Club raised Club from $50 to $60 and Plus from $110 to $120 on May 1, 2026, as Daily Meal reported that week. Plus members got one offset, since the yearly cap on Sam’s Cash rose from $500 to $750.
Nobody paid more on May 1 itself. Auto-renew charges the price in effect on your renewal date, so a member who renewed in April 2026 kept the old rate until April 2027.
The increase also landed unevenly. By my math, Club went up 20% and Plus about 9%, so the $60 gap between the tiers didn’t move at all.
That keeps the upgrade math where it was for most households. The bigger cap only helps above $25,000 a year of in-club spending, the point where the old $500 cap ran out at 2%.
What the extra $60 buys with Plus
Sam’s Club Plus keeps every Club perk and adds cash back, free delivery and a handful of service discounts. Sam’s Club’s own comparison lines them up.
Both tiers carry the same 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, the promise behind Sam’s Club’s return policy. Here are the Plus-only extras with the fine print that decides what they’re worth.
- 2% Sam’s Cash on in-club qualifying purchases, up to $750 a year
- Free delivery from your club on eligible orders of $50 or more, where Club members pay $12 an order
- Free shipping on eligible online orders over $50
- Early shopping from 8 a.m., an hour before Club members
- Early online access of up to 12 hours for events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- $0 prescriptions on up to 10 select generic medications
- 40% off additional pairs of glasses for the same person
- Free tire installation when you buy four or more tires
- 3% back with the Sam’s Club Mastercard at Sam’s Club, against 1% for Club members
Sam’s Club ties the 2% Sam’s Cash to in-club purchases. A household that mostly orders shipped items online should judge Plus on free shipping and delivery instead.
Curbside Pickup is free for every member
Sam’s Club’s own help center still mentions a $50 order minimum for Club members. Its Curbside Pickup page is the current word, and it says pickup is always free for all members.
The only tier difference is the clock. Plus members can pick up from 7 a.m., Club members from 9 a.m., and both until 8 p.m., the same split that runs through Sam’s Club’s daily hours.
Where Plus breaks even
Sam’s Club Plus pays back its extra $60 at $3,000 a year of in-club qualifying spending, or $250 a month. That’s my math, dividing the $60 difference by the 2% rate.
Below that line, delivery can close the gap. A household spending $150 a month earns $36 and falls $24 short, which two delivery orders at the $12 Club fee would cover.
I’d decide on Sam’s Cash and delivery alone. The pharmacy, optical and tire discounts are real, but most households won’t use them in a typical year, and counting them inflates the case for Plus.
At the other end, the $750 cap fills at $37,500 a year, about $3,125 a month. Very few households get there.
When Club is the better deal
Club is the cheaper choice for a household that spends under $250 a month in the club and rarely orders delivery. At that level, Plus returns less than it costs.
It also suits members who buy mostly through shipped online orders, since those don’t earn the 2%, and members who come mainly for gas. Member fuel prices come with both tiers, so the $60 fee already covers them.
Discounts for new members
Sam’s Club discounts first-year memberships for groups that verify through ID.me. Its membership offers page lists the military, teachers, students and alumni, first responders, seniors 60 and older, medical professionals and people in programs such as SNAP, TANF and SSI.
The offers are for new members only. Anyone who held a membership in the past six months is out, renewals don’t qualify, and each group sees its price only after verifying.
Military members who already belong get a smaller perk at renewal, $10 in Sam’s Cash for active and retired service members and their spouses who renew by January 31, 2027.
Costco charges a little more
Sam’s Club is the cheaper warehouse club at both levels. Costco charges $65 for Gold Star and $130 for Executive, against $60 and $120 at Sam’s Club.
Costco’s reward reaches further, though. Executive members earn 2% on qualified Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel purchases up to $1,250 a year, while Sam’s Club Plus pays 2% on in-club purchases up to $750.
Costco’s own table puts the Executive payback at $271 a month in purchases. The same math lands at $250 for Sam’s Club Plus, so a family that shops in person reaches 2% back for less at Sam’s Club, while heavy online and travel spenders get more from Costco.
Joining, upgrading and canceling
You can join online at SamsClub.com or at any club’s membership desk, as long as you’re 18 or older. Club members can move up to Plus from the upgrade page in their online account, and the card works at every Sam’s Club in the country, not only the one where you joined.
Auto-renew charges the card on file each year at the current price. To stop it, switch it off at least 24 hours before your renewal date in one of three places.
- The auto-renew settings in your SamsClub.com account
- The membership desk at any club
- Member Services at 888-746-7726
Prices, fees and policies were checked when this guide was last updated and can change without notice. Sam’s Club Tips is an independent site and is not affiliated with Sam’s Club or Walmart Inc.
