Walmart will be testing an Amazon Prime-like service this summer that will allow customers to pay $50 a year for unlimited shipping of select online purchases. It will cost half the price of Amazon’s $99-a-year membership program. For hardcore Walmart shoppers, the service might seem like a no-brainer. But is it?
Many will have to wait to find out firsthand. Walmart's unlimited shipping service won't be open to the general public, at least not initially. Participation in the test phase will be by invitation only, says company spokesperson Ravi Jariwala. (Sign up for the waitlist here.) Customer feedback during testing will determine how the program evolves, he says. Assuming, though, that Walmart keeps the annual subscription fee at $50, whether it's ultimately worth the cost will come down to your online ordering habits, how you value Prime's non-shipping benefits and a bit of basic math.
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