Walmart+ launches new travel benefit, offering up to 5% Walmart Cash on your trip purchases
For anyone looking for a savings opportunity while traveling, the nation's largest retailer has just launched a new booking platform for its members that can help with just that.
Walmart+ Travel (powered by Expedia) is now live, allowing members to book flights, rental cars, hotels, vacation rentals, activities and more. But the best part? You can get up to 5% Walmart Cash on these purchases.
This new benefit adds to an already lucrative lineup of benefits for Walmart+ members.
Here's everything you need to know about this new offering.
Overview of Walmart+ Travel
As noted previously, Walmart+ Travel is powered by Expedia, and it's available through your Walmart+ account and at WalmartPlusTravel.com. It's a great way to get extra benefits on virtually all aspects of a trip. When you book directly with Walmart+ Travel, you'll receive Walmart Cash on your travel purchases at the following rate:
- 5% Walmart Cash on hotel bookings, vacation rentals, rental cars and activities.
- 2% Walmart Cash on air travel.
If you book a vacation package that includes two (or more) of these items, you'll earn Walmart Cash at a blended rate (e.g., 2% on the air travel part of the purchase and 5% on the other parts).
Your Walmart Cash will appear as "pending" in your Walmart+ account before becoming available within 30 days of the completion of your trip. You have the option of using it for future Walmart purchases or receiving it as cash back in your pocket.
Walmart+ Travel is available now for existing Walmart+ members as well as new ones. You'll even have access to it if you sign up for a free 30-day trial of the program — allowing you to test it (and the many other benefits of Walmart+) before committing to a full membership.
How to use Walmart+ Travel
To access Walmart+ Travel, simply visit walmartplus.com and sign in to your account. You'll find the Walmart+ Travel tile in your member hub. Simply click "Book a Trip," which will take you to the Walmart+ Travel site, which is powered by Expedia.
From there, search for your desired travel arrangements — including flights, rental cars, hotels, vacation rentals and packages. You'll clearly see the amount of Walmart Cash you'd get for each type of booking.
Select the reservation(s) you want, then follow the on-screen instructions to finalize the booking.
Once you receive the confirmation, you'll see your Walmart Cash listed as "pending" in your Walmart+ account within 48 hours.
Thirty days after the completion of your booking, your Walmart Cash will change to "redeemable" and can be applied to future Walmart purchases — or received directly as cash back.
Remember that airline tickets purchased through a third-party platform like Walmart+ Travel are typically treated like normal revenue tickets and thus are eligible to earn points or miles. You should also enjoy any elite status perks you have with the given airline — though this often isn't the case with major hotel and rental car programs.
Using Walmart+ Travel with other member benefits
Of course, Walmart+ Travel is just the newest benefit for members, and it adds even more value for those taking to the skies (or hitting the roads) this summer.
For example, Walmart+ members enjoy free shipping with no order minimum (excluding most Marketplace items and certain location and freight charges). This allows you to stock up on travel essentials ahead of a trip you book with Walmart+ Travel — and you can even use any available Walmart Cash for these purchases.
For example, for those without a Walmart+ membership, these packing cubes would require a trip to your local Walmart for in-store pickup or cost $6.99 to ship.
However, Walmart+ members could have these shipped directly to their home address — and most items will arrive within one to two days.
If a road trip is in your future, you can also leverage Walmart+ fuel savings at more than 14,000 stations nationwide. This can give you 10 cents off every gallon of gas at participating locations (5 cents in Alabama and Oklahoma; subject to change).
Finally, when you arrive at your destination and settle into your hotel or vacation rental, you can launch your included Paramount+ streaming subscription (Essential plan only; separate registration required).
How to join Walmart+
If you're not currently a Walmart+ member, you can become a member by visiting the Walmart+ website and clicking the link at the top to start your free 30-day trial.
Remember that holders of The Platinum Card® from American Express can receive a statement credit each month when they charge the monthly cost of a Walmart+ membership ($12.95 plus applicable taxes) to their card (enrollment required; Plus Ups not eligible).
As soon as your account is activated, you'll be able to start receiving Walmart Cash for bookings through Walmart+ Travel — and access the various other benefits of membership.
Related: How to get Walmart+ with the Amex Platinum
Bottom line
Walmart+ Travel (powered by Expedia) is the newest benefit for Walmart+ members, offering up to 5% Walmart Cash on eligible bookings made through the platform. This enhancement allows Walmart+ members to save money on virtually every aspect of their travels, with Walmart Cash that can cover future Walmart purchases or be redeemed directly for cash back.
If you're not a member, join today — and then begin receiving Walmart Cash on your next trip.
Walmart+ has travel benefits—here's what you should know
Updated August 18, 2023
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
Find out more about the service and how it ties into existing Walmart+ offerings.
What is Walmart+ Travel?
Save on flights, hotels and more with Walmart+ Travel.
What is Walmart Cash?
Walmart Cash is a form of loyalty currency available to Walmart+ subscribers. You can redeem Walmart Cash you earn through Walmart+ Travel on future purchases at Walmart stores or Walmart.com, including but not limited to purchases of home goods, tech, clothes, groceries, and more.
What are the benefits that come with Walmart+
Walmart+ comes with its own host of benefits for subscribers, including free delivery on orders, free same-day delivery on grocery orders, free shipping, streaming with Paramount+ and Pluto TV, fuel savings, easy returns, and more. Walmart+ subscribers can also take part in members-only sales events.
How much does Walmart+ cost?
Walmart+ costs $98 a year for an annual membership or $12.97 a month. The service has a 30-day free trial, in case you want to try out the various perks and offerings ahead of committing to your membership.
Walmart+ Travel functions as a perk of Walmart+, so there is no additional fee for using it as part of your Walmart+ membership.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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There’s a new option for booking travel that could help you save some money on everyday expenses, and it’s from a spot you might not have expected: Walmart.
The retail giant has launched a travel portal in partnership with Expedia.
Those who subscribe to Walmart+ can book activities, flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation rentals and travel packages. In return, they’ll earn Walmart Cash that can be used when shopping with the store.
Though it may not be the first choice for avid travelers who want to take advantage of travel loyalty programs, the portal is a way for your travels to help you offset expenses in your daily life; usually, this is done by using strategic everyday credit card spending to help you earn travel rewards.
This new travel portal is also a way travelers carrying The Platinum Card® from American Express can get more value out of their card and its $695 annual fee ( see rates and fees ): Cardmembers can receive a statement credit to cover the Walmart+ membership fee. Terms apply.
» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now
How do you use the Walmart travel portal?
Walmart+ members can access the company’s new travel portal at WalmartPlusTravel.com. It’s also available through the member benefits section of the Walmart+ app.
You can use the site to book numerous aspects of your trip. Because the site is powered by Expedia, you’ll be able to access the online travel agency’s vast network of hotels and vacation rentals. The site has access to more than 900,000 properties (including hotels, homes, apartments, etc.), as well as more than 500 airlines globally and more than 100 rental car companies.
You can also book activities using the Walmart travel portal.
» Learn more: The best credit cards to use at Walmart
Earning Walmart Cash for travel
A key benefit for Walmart+ members booking a trip through WalmartPlusTravel.com is the ability to earn Walmart Cash.
Members will earn:
5% Walmart Cash on hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals and activities.
2% Walmart Cash on flights.
If you’re booking a vacation package, you’ll receive a blended Walmart Cash rate: 2% for the flight portion of your trip, 5% for the accommodations element.
Once you confirm a booking, any Walmart Cash you earn will appear in your wallet. It will become available 30 days after you complete travel. You can apply it to future purchases or cash out in the store.
Using WalmartPlusTravel.com
To start using WalmartPlusTravel.com , head to the homepage and sign in using your Walmart+ credentials.
Let’s say you're hoping to take a family of four from Washington, D.C., to Rome in September 2023. Start by plugging in desired flights, like you would on any booking site.
Because it’s an online travel agency, the results turn up options on numerous airlines. You can see itinerary options aboard Delta Air Lines and Air France, among others.
Each itinerary option also shows how much you'd earn in Walmart Cash (again, 2% for flights). The cheapest option, $946, comes to $3,784 for a family of four and would earn $75.64 in Walmart Cash.
The site also points out times in which you might be able to save money by booking a vacation package, instead of choosing your trip elements a la carte.
Now that your flights to Rome are set, you need a place to stay when you get there.
Through the Walmart travel portal, you can put in “Rome” or even a landmark in your search terms. For example, let’s say you want to stay as close to the Pantheon as possible. Simply plug that landmark in and search.
In the search results, there's a rental property option with a loft that sleeps six people and is just steps away from the Pantheon. This property would set you back $447 per night, which means a total of $2,690 for your five-night stay (including taxes and fees). In this case, you would earn 5% Walmart Cash on the property rental — a total of $134.51 for the stay.
That means for just the stay and flights, you’d have $210.15 to spend (or cash out) at Walmart after arriving home.
Is Walmart travel good?
The best part about WalmartTravelPlus.com is the ability to earn money you can apply to your purchases at the store. That means earning cash back is simple and directly applicable to your everyday shopping. Plus, you could maximize your cash back by charging your booking to a travel credit card that earns points or a cash-back credit card that will accelerate your cash-back amount.
As always with online travel agencies , note that flight changes can be difficult, as is earning hotel points or using elite status benefits. However, it could provide a particularly handy return on investment when booking a rental property that’s not part of a major hotel loyalty program.
To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express , see this page .
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
[Limited Time] New Cardholders Can Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ Value
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
✈️ Our Nerds say it's "nearly a must-have for travelers " because of its big sign-up bonus, high-value points and money-saving perks like hotel credit and rental car insurance.
🤑 Better yet, it's offering one of the best bonuses ever right now, only for a limited time...
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