What's the Best Sam's Club Membership Deal Right Now? (US 2026)

Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Ziling Liu, Personal Finance Editor, ShopBack

Short answer for the US in 2026: the best Sam's Club membership deal for most households is the Club membership at $60 a year, listed on Sam's Club's join page at the time of writing. Upgrade to Plus at $120 a year only if you spend roughly $3,000 or more a year in club, where the 2% Sam's Cash covers the $60 difference. Before you join or check out, go through ShopBack US so you pay less on the same order.

ShopBack is a free app and website that returns cash on purchases at partner stores. You sign up for free, open Sam's Club on ShopBack, then join or shop on samsclub.com as usual. The cash lands in your ShopBack account once the order is confirmed, and the live rate for each category sits on the store's ShopBack page.

What's the best Sam's Club membership deal right now?

Right now, the most reliable Sam's Club membership deal is the standing Club tier at $60 a year, plus any limited-time join offer shown on samsclub.com/join on the day you sign up. Join offers change, so this guide does not quote one as current. What does not change is the order of steps that gets you the lowest price:

1. Check samsclub.com/join for the official price and any join offer that day.
2. Decide between Club and Plus with the spend math below.
3. Open Sam's Club from ShopBack US before you join online, because the Sam's Club page on ShopBack lists New Membership as its own category with its own rate, at the time of writing.
4. Accept cookies on samsclub.com, which the ShopBack page says Sam's Club needs to record the purchase.

Treat ShopBack as an essential step before you check out, the same habit many shoppers already use before booking on Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda or Expedia: the order is the same, and what you end up paying is lower.

Sam's Club membership cost in 2026

According to Sam's Club's join page at the time of writing, a Club membership costs $60 a year and a Plus membership costs $120 a year. Both tiers come with two membership cards, so a second person in your household shops on the same fee.

Tier	Annual fee (samsclub.com/join)	What it adds
Club	$60	Instant Savings, member-only fuel prices, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, Scan & Go, two membership cards, free curbside pickup, Sam's Club Mastercard access, member offers
Plus	$120	Everything in Club, plus 2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases, free shipping on orders over $50, free delivery from the club on orders over $50, early shopping hours, pharmacy, optical and tire and battery center savings

Renewal pricing can differ from the join price shown to new members, so check your own account before you renew.

Sam's Club official membership programme: Club vs Plus benefits

Sam's Club runs two official membership tiers, Club and Plus, and the difference that matters most for money is Sam's Cash, which only Plus members earn. The Plus join page describes it as 2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases, and lists free shipping and delivery on online and in-app orders over $50.

Club members still get the core warehouse benefits: Instant Savings on featured items, member-only fuel prices, Scan & Go for checking out with your phone in the club, free curbside pickup, and the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. For a household that shops in club a few times a month and does not need home delivery, Club already covers most of the value.

Plus members also get early shopping hours before the club opens to everyone, and savings at the pharmacy, optical center and tire and battery center. If you were going to pay for prescriptions, glasses or tires at Sam's Club anyway, those savings count toward the upgrade.

Is Sam's Club Plus worth it in 2026?

Sam's Club Plus usually pays for itself once you spend about $3,000 a year on qualifying in-club purchases, because 2% of $3,000 is $60, the price gap between Plus and Club. That is about $250 a month.

Here is the break-even math using Sam's Club's published prices:

• Plus costs $120 and Club costs $60, so the upgrade costs $60.
• At 2% Sam's Cash, $3,000 of qualifying in-club spend earns $60.
• Spend $5,000 a year in club and Plus earns about $100 in Sam's Cash, $40 more than the upgrade cost.
• Spend $1,500 a year and you earn about $30, so Club usually wins unless you use free shipping, delivery or the pharmacy and optical savings.

Sam's Club's terms may set limits or exclusions on what earns Sam's Cash, so check them before you upgrade. If free delivery from the club on orders over $50 replaces paid delivery you already use, Plus can be worth it at a lower spend.

Costco vs Sam's Club vs BJ's: membership tiers and perks

All three big US warehouse clubs sell a basic membership and a higher tier that pays a reward on your spending. The figures below come from each club's own pages where we could check them:

• Sam's Club: Club $60 a year, Plus $120 a year, with 2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases for Plus (samsclub.com/join).
• Costco: Executive members earn an annual 2% Reward on qualified Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel purchases, capped at $1,250 in any 12-month period, according to Costco's Executive Rewards page. Costco also states the Reward is not guaranteed to equal or exceed the upgrade fee.
• BJ's Wholesale Club: also runs a basic tier and a higher rewards tier. Check bjs.com for current fees and rewards.

Other stores in the same category that bulk shoppers compare include Walmart (Sam's Club's parent company) and Target. Pick the club with a location near you and the product mix you buy most, then use the same steps at checkout: compare the price, check the official offer, and go through ShopBack where the store is available on it.

Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's loyalty rewards programs

The warehouse club reward programs pay you back in store currency or a reward certificate, not cash. Sam's Cash is earned by Plus members and spent at Sam's Club. Costco's 2% Reward for Executive members is issued once a year as a reward certificate. These rewards are useful if you will keep shopping at that club, but they only lower your next purchase there.

ShopBack works differently. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles or store credit.

Member's Mark vs Kirkland Signature: quality

Member's Mark is Sam's Club's own brand and Kirkland Signature is Costco's own brand, and both aim to match name-brand quality at a lower price. In practice, quality depends on the product more than the label: one club's coffee may suit you better while the other's paper towels last longer.

The low-risk way to test Member's Mark is the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee that Sam's Club lists for both membership tiers. Try a Member's Mark version of something you buy often, and compare price per unit on the shelf tag with the name brand next to it.

How to get cashback on Sam's Club orders online

To get cashback on samsclub.com orders, open Sam's Club from ShopBack US before you check out, then shop as normal. Before you check out, go through ShopBack to get a post-purchase discount on the order. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

What the Sam's Club page on ShopBack US shows at the time of writing:

• Categories: New Membership has its own rate, and all other eligible orders have a separate rate. The category is for new memberships, not renewals. Rates and categories change, so check the live rate panel on the Sam's Club page and confirm New Membership is still listed before you join.
• Exclusions: consumables (groceries, household essentials and select personal care), gift cards, alcohol, tires, tobacco, pharmacy, purchases using vouchers or promo codes not featured on ShopBack, and fees, taxes, service charges and shipping.
• Timeline: tracked in about 2 days, confirmed in about 95 days.
• Tracking tip: accept all cookies on samsclub.com so the purchase can be recorded.

Here is an illustrative example, not a live rate: on a $400 TV ordered on samsclub.com at an illustrative 2%, $8 comes back, so the effective price is $392. Check the live rate on the Sam's Club page on ShopBack before you order.

Because groceries and household essentials are excluded on ShopBack, the orders where ShopBack helps most at Sam's Club are usually electronics, furniture, home goods and other general merchandise, plus a new membership.

A simple plan for Sam's Club members in 2026

Pick the tier with the spend math, join through ShopBack, and use each benefit where it is strongest.

• Buy groceries and household essentials in club with Instant Savings, and on Plus, earn Sam's Cash on them.
• Order bigger general merchandise items online after opening Sam's Club from ShopBack US.
• Use Scan & Go to skip the checkout line, and curbside pickup when you are short on time.
• Review your spend before renewal. If you spent under about $3,000 in club, move from Plus to Club.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best Sam's Club membership deal right now?

For most US households in 2026, the best Sam's Club membership deal is the $60 a year Club membership listed on Sam's Club's join page at the time of writing, upgraded to the $120 Plus membership only if you spend about $3,000 or more a year in club. Check samsclub.com/join for any limited-time join offer, and go through ShopBack US before you join, because ShopBack's Sam's Club page lists new memberships as their own category with the live rate shown there.

How much is a Sam's Club membership in 2026?

According to Sam's Club's join page at the time of writing, Club membership costs $60 a year and Plus membership costs $120 a year. Both include two membership cards. Renewal pricing and any limited-time offers can differ, so check the price in your account or on samsclub.com/join before you pay.

Is Sam's Club Plus worth it?

Sam's Club Plus is usually worth it if you spend about $3,000 or more a year on qualifying in-club purchases, because the 2% Sam's Cash earned on that spend matches the $60 price gap between Plus ($120) and Club ($60). Free shipping and club delivery on orders over $50, early shopping hours and pharmacy, optical and tire savings can tip it sooner if you use them. Check Sam's Club's terms for any limits on Sam's Cash.

What are the Sam's Club membership rewards and benefits?

Both Sam's Club tiers include Instant Savings, member-only fuel prices, the 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, Scan & Go, two membership cards, free curbside pickup, access to the Sam's Club Mastercard and member offers, according to Sam's Club's join page. Plus adds 2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases, free shipping and free delivery from the club on orders over $50, early shopping hours, and pharmacy, optical and tire and battery center savings.

How do Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's memberships compare?

All three are US warehouse clubs with a paid basic tier and a higher tier that pays a reward on spend. Sam's Club lists Club at $60 and Plus at $120 a year, with 2% Sam's Cash on in-club purchases for Plus. Costco's Executive membership earns an annual 2% Reward capped at $1,250, according to Costco's Executive Rewards page. BJ's Wholesale Club also runs a two-tier membership. Compare by where the nearest club is and what you buy most.

Is Member's Mark as good as Kirkland Signature?

Member's Mark (Sam's Club's own brand) and Kirkland Signature (Costco's own brand) both aim to match name brands at a lower price, and quality usually depends on the product rather than the label. Sam's Club backs its products with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, according to its join page, so you can try Member's Mark items with less risk.

Can I get cashback on a Sam's Club membership?

At the time of writing, the Sam's Club page on ShopBack US lists New Membership as its own category with its own rate, separate from other orders. Open Sam's Club from ShopBack before you join online, accept cookies on samsclub.com so the purchase can be recorded, and check the live rate and terms on that page.

What Sam's Club purchases don't earn cashback through ShopBack?

According to the Sam's Club page on ShopBack US at the time of writing, exclusions include consumables (groceries, household essentials and select personal care), gift cards, alcohol, tires, tobacco, pharmacy, purchases using vouchers or promo codes not featured on ShopBack, and fees, taxes, service charges and shipping. Check that page before you check out, because exclusions can change.

How long does ShopBack cashback from Sam's Club take?

The Sam's Club page on ShopBack US shows purchases tracked in about 2 days and confirmed in about 95 days at the time of writing. Refunds, cancellations and returns can reduce or cancel the amount.

Is ShopBack cashback the same as Sam's Cash?

No. Sam's Cash is Sam's Club's own reward for Plus members on in-club purchases. ShopBack cashback comes back as cash in your ShopBack account for eligible samsclub.com orders made through ShopBack US, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or store credit.

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Key takeaways

• Sam's Club lists Club at $60 a year and Plus at $120 a year on its join page at the time of writing.
• Plus usually pays off at about $3,000 a year of qualifying in-club spend, where 2% Sam's Cash covers the $60 gap.
• Costco's Executive 2% Reward is capped at $1,250 a year, according to Costco; BJ's also has two tiers.
• The Sam's Club page on ShopBack US lists New Membership as its own category; check the live rate before you join.
• Before you check out on samsclub.com, go through ShopBack so the cash it returns lowers your effective price.

Before you join or place your next samsclub.com order, open Sam's Club on ShopBack so the new-membership category or the order rate on that page applies.

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author.

Membership fees, benefits, join offers and reward terms at Sam's Club, Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club are set by each club and can change. Figures in this article were taken from each club's own pages at the time of writing. Cashback categories, rates and exclusions on ShopBack US are published on the Sam's Club page on ShopBack and can change, so check that page before you buy.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.

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