Walmart+ subscription officially goes live to take on Amazon Prime

Earlier this month, Walmart introduced its own subscription service called Walmart Plus (officially known as Walmart+). The service takes on Amazon Prime, offering similar pricing to give subscribers unlimited free grocery deliveries, among other things. Walmart+ officially opened to signups this week, meaning you can now create an account, claim the free trial period, and then sign up on a monthly or annual basis if you want to keep using it.

Walmart has taken a page out of Amazon's book and is giving interested customers two options to pay for the service: monthly for $12.95 and annual for $98. As Walmart promised earlier this year, signups for the service went live yesterday, September 15, with a free 15-day trial of the service for new customers.

Walmart Plus is kind of like the retailer's alternative to Amazon Prime — those who sign up can get free unlimited deliveries from their nearest store, including everything from gadgets to groceries. The deliveries can be made as soon as the same day, according to Walmart, assuming the order is placed early enough.

In addition, subscribers can use Scan & Go, an unlockable feature in the Walmart app that allows customers to scan items while in the store and pay directly in the app, eliminating the need to stand in line. Likewise, subscribers get fuel discounts that can be used at supported fueling stations like Sam's club and Murphy Express.

Walmart teases that it will offer additional benefits to subscribers in the future, though it doesn't say what it may have in the pipeline. Those who don't want to pay for the subscription service can instead continue to place orders online and either pick them up in person or pay a fee to have them delivered.