Walmart launches a $10-a-month membership that bundles bulk and daily shopping

Walmart is launching a membership that costs $10 a month and is meant to cover both bulk shopping and everyday purchases. That comes to $120 a year. The pitch is simple: one plan for the big stock-up trip and the quick daily one.

What changed

Walmart is betting shoppers want a single membership instead of separate ones. A membership is a fee you pay on a schedule in exchange for perks. The Inc. story carries a headline claiming the bundle saves shoppers $100, but the material available does not say how that number is figured.

Who it affects

The move puts more pressure on Amazon and Costco, which sell memberships too. Anyone who shops at Walmart, Amazon or Costco could end up weighing three different plans against each other.

What is not known yet

• Exactly what the $10 membership includes
• When it starts
• How the $100 savings figure is calculated
• Whether it changes anything for current members

What to do

Do not sign up on the headline price alone. Look at what you actually buy in a typical month, then compare what each membership costs against what it would save you. A plan only pays off if you use it.