Sam's Club Membership Value: Is It Worth It?

What is Sam's Cash?

Sam's Cash is the rewards currency of the Sam's Club Rewards program. You can earn it through:

• Sam’s Club Plus Membership: Earn rewards on in-club purchases.
• Sam’s Club Mastercard: Earn cash back on purchases anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

Redeem Sam's Cash for:

• Purchases in-club or online at Sam’s Club.
• Paying Sam’s Club membership fees.
• Cash back in-club.

Earning Sam's Cash with Plus Membership

Sam's Club offers two membership types:

• Sam's Club Membership: Basic membership for in-club shopping, but it does not earn Sam's Cash on purchases.
• Sam's Club Plus Membership: A premium membership with added benefits, including the ability to earn Sam's Cash on qualifying purchases.

Key Benefits of Sam's Club Plus Membership

• 2% Sam's Cash on qualifying Sam's Club purchases
• Increased earnings with the Sam's Club Mastercard
• Free shipping with no minimum shopping online at samsclub.com
• Early shopping hours before the store is opened to the public (select stores)
• Free select prescriptions at the pharmacy
• 20% discount on eyeglasses and free shipping on contact lenses

Cost Comparison

Sam's Club Plus membership costs $110 per year whereas the basic Sam's Club membership will cost you $50. This is a net difference of $60, so you'll want to make sure you're getting enough value out of Plus membership to make the extra cost worth it.

If you frequently shop at Sam's Club, the Plus membership will pay for itself and more.

Earning Limits & Details

As a Sam's Club Plus member, you'll earn 2% back in Sam's Cash on qualifying pre-tax purchases minus any redeemed savings or discounts during a membership year with a maximum reward of $500 per membership per 12-month period. This means you can earn on up to $25,000 in spend per membership year.

Only the primary member or complimentary household cardholder (usually a spouse, roommate, etc.) can earn Sam's Cash on purchases. Add-On members will not earn Sam's Cash for the primary member nor will they earn rewards for themselves.

$60 more per year will grant you access to additional benefits and the ability to earn Sam's Cash.

Is Sam's Club Plus Membership Worth It?

Whether or not Sam's Club Plus membership is worth it will depend on how much you spend in-store at Sam's Club locations. It is worth it if:

• You Spend Over $3,000 Annually: If you shop in-club and spend more than $3,000 per year (or about $250 per month), the 2% Sam's Cash you earn can offset the extra $60 cost compared to the basic membership.
• You Value Additional Benefits Exceeding $60: The Plus membership offers perks like free shipping, early shopping hours, free select prescriptions, and various discounts. If these benefits provide more than $60 in annual value to you, upgrading makes sense.
• You Have the Sam's Club Mastercard: Plus members with the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® earn 5% back in Sam’s Cash on Sam’s Club purchases, while non-Plus members only earn 1%. If you already have the Mastercard, upgrading to Plus maximizes your rewards potential.

Earning Sam's Cash with the Sam's Club Mastercard

The Sam's Club Mastercard is a powerful tool for earning Sam's Cash, offering rewards on purchases wherever Mastercard is accepted. It’s especially valuable for Sam's Club Plus members, who can earn up to 5% back in Sam's Cash on Sam's Club purchases—making it the top card for frequent shoppers.

For basic members:

Basic Sam's Club members only earn 1% back on Sam's Club purchases, which is a relatively low return. Without a Plus membership, consider a flat-rate 2% cash back card like the Citi® Double Cash Card or Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card for better rewards on Sam’s Club purchases.

Why it's best for Plus members:

As a Plus member, the Sam's Club Mastercard offers unbeatable rewards with up to 5% back in Sam's Cash on Sam’s Club purchases—maximizing your savings and rewards potential. This is unobtainable with most leading rewards credit cards and is the best option if you frequently shop in-store and online at Sam's Club.

Earn even more Sam's Cash:

In addition to earning up to 5% back in Sam's Cash at Sam's Club, the Sam's Club Mastercard also earns:

• 5% back in Sam's Cash at Gas Stations (includes Sam's Club and Walmart gas stations, but not competitor gas stations like Costco and BJ's)
• 3% back in Sam's Cash on dining (includes fast food, bars, fine dining, and caterers)
• 1% back in Sam's Cash everywhere else Mastercard is accepted

Sam's Club Mastercard Limits:

Sam's Club Mastercard holders can only earn up to $5,000 in Sam's Cash in a calendar year. This is across all business and personal accounts attached to the Sam's Club membership. Once the cap is hit, you will earn no more Sam's Cash for the remainder of the year.

How much Sam's Cash can you earn?

Use our Sam's Cash Calculator to determine how much Sam's Cash you can earn spending in-club and online with Sam's Club. This will give you an idea of whether or not Plus membership is worth it. As a reminder:

• Plus members only earn Sam's Cash on purchases in-club while the Sam's Club Mastercard earns Sam's Club cash anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
• Plus members can only earn up to $500 in Sam's Cash per 12-month period—that's up to a total of $25,000 in pre-tax purchases per membership year.
• Sam's Club Mastercard holders can only earn up to $5,000 in Sam's Cash per calendar year and once the cap is hit, the card will earn 0% on all purchases.

Redeeming Sam's Cash Rewards

Sam's Cash earned with the Sam's Club Plus Membership and with the Sam's Club Mastercard is combined and kept track of in one place. Rewards can be redeemed towards purchases made in-club and online, to pay your membership fees, and for physical cash back in-hand in club.

Since Sam's Cash is worth face value, all of these redemptions will yield the same value.