The Sam's Club Mastercard works at Walmart, but with limits on the rewards you earn

Yes, you can use the Sam's Club Mastercard at Walmart. The card is a standard Mastercard, so it works anywhere Mastercard is accepted — including all Walmart locations, online at Walmart.com, and at other retailers. However, the card's rewards structure is built around Sam's Club purchases, so you will earn a lower cash-back rate at Walmart than you would at Sam's Club.

The Sam's Club Mastercard earns 5% cash back on Sam's Club and Sam's Club Gas purchases, 1% cash back at Walmart and Walmart.com, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. This means using it at Walmart gives you the same return as using it at any non-Sam's Club merchant — not the premium rate you get inside the club itself.

If you shop at both stores regularly, the card can still make sense because you get the higher rate where you spend the most (Sam's Club), but you should compare that 1% Walmart rate against other cards in your wallet that might offer 2% or higher on all purchases or on specific categories like groceries.

Key Takeaways

  • The Sam's Club Mastercard earns 5% cash back at Sam's Club locations and gas stations, but only 1% at Walmart and other retailers.
  • You can use the card anywhere Mastercard is accepted, including Walmart stores and Walmart.com, with no restrictions.
  • The card has an annual fee (currently $45 for the standard version, $110 for the Plus version), which you should weigh against the cash back you actually earn outside Sam's Club.
  • If you rarely visit Sam's Club but shop at Walmart frequently, a flat-rate cash-back card or a Walmart-specific card may give you better returns.

How the rewards structure works across different stores

The Sam's Club Mastercard's cash-back tiers are tied to where you shop, not what you buy. The 5% rate applies only to purchases made inside Sam's Club warehouses or at Sam's Club Gas stations. Once you step into Walmart, Target, Amazon, or any other retailer, the card drops to 1% cash back, regardless of what category the purchase falls into.

This is different from cards that offer tiered rewards based on purchase category — for example, a card that gives 3% back on groceries everywhere, or 2% at gas stations nationwide. With the Sam's Club card, the merchant location is what matters. A grocery purchase at Walmart earns 1%, but the same grocery purchase at Sam's Club earns 5%.

The 1% rate at Walmart applies to both in-store and online purchases at Walmart.com. There is no bonus for buying groceries, gas, or any other category at Walmart — it is a flat 1% across the board.

Comparing the Sam's Club card to other options for Walmart shopping

If Walmart is your primary shopping destination, the Sam's Club Mastercard may not be your best choice, especially if you do not have an active Sam's Club membership. The card requires a Sam's Club membership to open an account, and the membership itself costs money (Plus membership is $110 per year; standard membership is $45 per year). On top of that, the credit card carries its own annual fee.

A flat-rate cash-back card — such as the Citi Double Cash (2% back on all purchases) or the Capital One Quicksilver (1.5% back on all purchases) — will earn you more at Walmart without the membership or card fees. If you spend $5,000 per year at Walmart, a 2% card earns you $100, while the Sam's Club card earns you $50. Even after accounting for the cash back you might earn at Sam's Club, you need enough Sam's Club spending to make up the difference.

The Walmart Rewards card (a store card issued by Synchrony) offers 3% cash back on Walmart.com purchases and 2% back on Walmart gas station purchases, but only 1% in-store at Walmart. This card has no annual fee, which makes it worth considering if you shop at Walmart frequently but do not have a Sam's Club membership.

When the Sam's Club card makes financial sense

The Sam's Club Mastercard is most valuable if you are already a Sam's Club member and do a significant portion of your shopping there. The math works like this: if you spend $10,000 per year at Sam's Club, you earn $500 in cash back at the 5% rate. If you also spend $5,000 per year at Walmart, you earn an additional $50 at the 1% rate, for a total of $550.

Subtract the $45 annual card fee (or $110 for the Plus version), and you net $505 (or $440 for Plus). Compare that to what you would earn with a flat-rate 2% card on the same $15,000 in spending: $300 total, with no annual fee. The Sam's Club card wins because of the high 5% rate at Sam's Club, not because of the Walmart purchases.

The card also makes sense if you use Sam's Club Gas, which earns the same 5% rate as in-warehouse purchases. If you fill up at Sam's Club regularly, that compounds the value. The card becomes less attractive if you shop at Sam's Club only occasionally or if your Sam's Club purchases are small.

What happens if you do not have a Sam's Club membership

You cannot open a Sam's Club Mastercard without an active Sam's Club membership. The card is tied to your membership account, and the membership is a separate cost. If you are considering the card solely for Walmart shopping, you would need to pay for a Sam's Club membership you may not use, plus the card's annual fee, which makes the math work against you immediately.

If you already have a Sam's Club membership and are thinking about adding the card, the decision is simpler: you are only paying the card's annual fee, not the membership fee. In that case, you need to calculate whether the 5% cash back at Sam's Club exceeds the card fee plus any difference in rewards at other stores where you shop.

Using the card for online purchases and special situations

The Sam's Club Mastercard works for online shopping at Walmart.com and earns the standard 1% cash back. It also works at Sam's Club's online store, samsclub.com, where it earns 5% cash back — the same rate as in-warehouse purchases. This is useful if you order groceries or household items online for pickup or delivery.

The card is accepted at any merchant that takes Mastercard, so you can use it at restaurants, gas stations (outside Sam's Club), pharmacies, and anywhere else. All non-Sam's Club purchases earn 1% cash back. There are no restrictions on where you can use the card, only on the cash-back rate you receive.

Some cardholders use the Sam's Club card as a backup card for situations where they do not have their primary card, or they rotate it into their wallet for Sam's Club trips specifically. This approach lets you maximize the 5% rate where it matters most without relying on the card for everyday Walmart shopping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Sam's Club card earn bonus cash back on groceries at Walmart?

No. The card earns a flat 1% cash back on all Walmart purchases, regardless of category. Groceries, household items, and clothing all earn the same 1% rate. The 5% bonus rate is only available at Sam's Club locations and Sam's Club Gas stations.

Can I use the Sam's Club card at Sam's Club if I do not have a membership?

No. The card is tied to your Sam's Club membership account. You must maintain an active membership to use the card at Sam's Club. You can use the card at other retailers like Walmart without a membership, but you lose access to the 5% rate at Sam's Club.

What is the difference between the standard and Plus versions of the Sam's Club card?

The Plus version has a higher annual fee ($110 versus $45) and offers additional benefits like a $50 annual Sam's Club credit and travel protections. The cash-back rates are the same on both versions. The Plus card is worth considering only if you use the $50 credit and value the travel benefits.

Does the Sam's Club card work at Sam's Club Gas stations?

Yes. Sam's Club Gas stations earn the same 5% cash back as in-warehouse purchases. This is one of the card's strongest features if you fill up regularly at Sam's Club locations.

What happens to my cash back if I cancel my Sam's Club membership?

Your card will be closed if you cancel your membership, since the card is linked to your membership account. Any pending cash-back rewards should be paid out before closure, but you should confirm this with Sam's Club before canceling.