Walmart+ Launches New Expedia Partnership That Puts Cash Back in Members' Pockets

What happened

Walmart has partnered with Expedia to introduce a new travel service. Starting in late July, Walmart+ members can book their getaways through WalmartPlusTravel.com and get access to deals on everything from airfare to lodging to rental cars. Best of all, travel bookings will put cash back in members' pockets.

So what

Many people have been eager to travel after spending much of the pandemic close to home. Walmart+ is now making it easier for members to access deals on travel and score free money at the same time.

Bookings through the Walmart+ portal will qualify for 5% Walmart Cash for hotels, vacation property rentals, car rentals, and activities. Airfare will qualify for 2% back in Walmart Cash, which is redeemable 30 days after travel and can be used to pay for future Walmart purchases or redeemed for actual cash in stores.

"We're bringing together the ultimate savings membership and vacation booking site to deliver a first-ever travel-focused benefit for Walmart+ members," said Venessa Yates, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+.

Now what

Costco members have long gotten to benefit from the warehouse club giant's travel services. Now, Walmart+ members will get similar travel benefits, including the top-tier customer service experience Expedia prides itself on.

But should this inspire you to sign up for a Walmart+ membership? At $98 per year, it's cheaper than Amazon Prime and allows you to enjoy free shipping on Walmart.com orders of any size.

Walmart+ members also get to enjoy free grocery delivery provided they meet a $35 order minimum (which isn't hard to do these days given inflation's impact on food costs) and free access to Paramount+. Walmart+ members can also save $0.10 per gallon at select gas stations nationwide.

If these sound like perks you'll get a lot of use from, then a Walmart+ membership could make sense for you. But if you don't tend to order groceries online and don't have a car, then a couple of the core benefits of the program will be off the table right there.

In fact, the introduction of Walmart+'s new travel program may not necessarily be a decision-maker for consumers so much as a nice new perk for those who are members already. But at a time when travel (and just about everything) has gotten expensive, scoring extra cash back certainly isn't a bad thing.

Now, Walmart+ offers new members a free 30-day trial. So if you're not sure you'll get much value out of it, you could always give it a test run before having to commit to it financially.

Walmart+ says it can help members save more than $1,300 each year based on two grocery delivery orders and two Walmart.com orders each week. See how many orders you end up placing during your free trial to determine if continuing with a membership is worthwhile.