Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Walmart is trying its best to make its paid membership program more appealing than Amazon Prime.
The grocery giant announced Thursday that members of Walmart+ will now get discounts at Burger King as part of a new partnership with the fast-food chain.
This includes 25% off digital orders at Burger King. From September, Walmart+ members can also claim a free Whopper with their order every three months.
"Offered at no extra cost to the Walmart+ membership, the Burger King benefit is the latest move by Walmart+ to give its members even more value," the company said.
But it's also likely a move to lure grocery shoppers away from Amazon Prime and into Walmart's membership program, which is massively overshadowed by its rival. Walmart+ costs $98 a year plus applicable tax, while Prime costs $139.
Amazon said in 2021 that it had 200 million Prime members globally.
Estimates vary on the number of Walmart+ subscribers. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported in August that the membership plan had about 8 million subscribers, of which around a million were Walmart workers who were offered free memberships.
In 2023, the payments news outlet PYMNTS estimated that Walmart+ had around 59 million members as of October 2022, while market research firm eMarketer said in 2023 that Walmart+ membership was set to grow to over 29 million subscribers.
Regardless, it seems the consensus is that Walmart has a way to go to catch Amazon.
Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
