Walmart Plus is dropping its $35 shipping minimum just in time for the holiday season

walmart store — Orders from Walmart stores will still come with a $35 shipping minimum.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Walmart's answer to Amazon Prime is doing away with one key hurdle customers face when using its new membership service.
The Arkansas-based retailer's Walmart Plus offering is now nixing its $35 shipping minimum for online orders.
"It feels like a life hack is needed now more than ever and Walmart+ is here to help," chief customer officer Janey Whiteside said in a statement.
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Walmart Plus is cutting its $35 shipping minimum for online orders on Walmart.com, just in time for the holiday season.

The change to the subscription service's next-day and two-day shipping policy will take effect on December 4. When it comes to delivery of products purchased inside Walmart stores, like groceries, Walmart Plus members will still need to meet a $35 minimum.

"Customers have been clear — they want this benefit," Janey Whiteside, Walmart's chief customer officer, said in a statement. "Being able to toss an item into your cart, regardless the total, and checkout right away lets them knock little things off their to do list in no time."

The new Walmart Plus benefit is just the latest move the Arkansas-based retail giant has made to further compete with Amazon. Walmart Plus, a subscription service that sees members shelling out $98 annually or $12.95 on a monthly basis, is viewed throughout the retail industry as the company's answer to Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime has helped to pioneer concepts like free two-day shipping, free same-day shipping, and free two-hour delivery.

Meanwhile, Walmart has embraced e-commerce and last mile innovation by acquiring peer-to-peer delivery service JoyRun and entering into partnerships with a trio of drone companies and a self-driving car business for various fulfillment pilots.

"It feels like a life hack is needed now more than ever and Walmart+ is here to help," Whiteside said in a statement.

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