Walmart and its sister company Sam's Club, are two of the largest retailers in the United States. If you're a regular at Walmart or Sam's Club, whether for the free samples or the seemingly endless aisles of possibilities, you might be considering applying for a Capital One® Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® or a Sam's Club® Mastercard® issued by Synchrony.
Both cards charge no annual fee but have cash-back categories where you may get 5% back on purchases and competitive rates on all other purchases.
With this card, you'll get 5% cash back on all purchases made at Walmart with Walmart Pay for the first 12 months following acceptance. Using your smartphone, you may pay for in-store purchases using Walmart's digital wallet, Walmart Pay.
When you open an account and spend a particular amount at Sam's Club within a certain period, the card may issue a statement credit of varying amounts.
Brand-name merchandise with rewards:
Buy anything from Walmart.com or the Walmart app and get 5% cashback. Online grocery shopping and other purchases made for in-store pickup or delivery are included. (No matter where they're bought, gift cards always earn a 2% cashback.)
You'll get 2% cash back on anything you buy in the store, including gas from Murphy USA and Walmart.
Get 2% cash back at eateries and on trips.
In addition, you will receive 1% cash back on all other transactions.
Benefits of Shopping at Warehouse Clubs:
Exclusively for Sam's Club Plus members: Receive up to $500 in annual benefits (3% cash back with the card and 2% with the membership) on all eligible purchases. A one percent rebate for regular Club participants.
At participating gas stations and EV charging stations worldwide, including those at Sam's Club, you'll earn 5% cash back (on up to $6,000 annually, then 1%) on your purchases.
There is a 3% rebate on meals. All other purchases earn a 1% rebate.
The Capital One® Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® and the Sam's Club® Mastercard® issued by Synchrony Bank are "open-loop" cards that can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. (Walmart and Sam's Club provide "closed-loop" shop cards, which can only be used at those specific retailers.)
There is no need to join.
There is no annual charge for the Capital One® Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® and no membership fees associated with obtaining this card.
However, to qualify for a Sam's Club® Mastercard®, cardholders must be Sam's Club® members. Club memberships start at $45 per year, while Plus memberships cost $100 per year.
The Capital One® Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® is unbeatable if Walmart is your go-to store and you conduct most of your shopping online. The 5% cash back applies to anything you buy on Walmart.com or through the Walmart app, no matter how much you spend. Wow, that's an excellent success rate.
The 5%, 2%, and 1% categories on the Capital One® Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® offer infinite cash back. You won't run into a prize ceiling, so that you can relax.
However, there is a yearly limit of $5,000 on how much you may earn with your Sam's Club® Mastercard®. The card also has a limit on the 5% category for gas and electric vehicle charging: Once you've spent $6,000 on gas this year, your rewards rate will drop to 1% for the remainder of the year, regardless of whether you use gas or an electric vehicle to get around town.
Extra incentives for vacationing
Regarding airfare, hotels, and auto rentals, the Capital One® Walmart RewardsTM Mastercard® comes out on top with a 2% cash back rate.
The Sam's Club® Mastercard® gives you only 1% cash back on travel purchases, regardless of your membership level. In January 2021, the card no longer awarded bonus categories for travel purchases.
Sam's Club Plus members can benefit greatly from using the Sam's Club® Mastercard®. When members reach that tier, they are entitled to 5% cash back on purchases made at Sam's Club— 3% back on purchases made with the card, and 2% back on purchases made in the club (up to $500 in rewards per year).
If you frequently fill up or charge an electric vehicle, the Sam's Club® Mastercard® is a great choice. Its 5% rate on gas purchases is competitive with, if not better than, the market's leading gas credit cards.
A maximum amount can be awarded, but it's safe to assume the typical American family won't even reach that limit.