An Amazon Prime subscription offers access to a variety of services now, including but not limited to music and video streaming, but it started out as a two-day free delivery service for members who paid an annual fee. Amazon Prime still offers that for $99 per month and now retail giant Walmart is taking aim at the online behemoth by launching a $49 two-day shipping service.
Walmart started experimenting with a three-day shipping service called ShippingPass last year. Members have to pay $50 per year and they’re provided free three-day shipping on their orders, but Walmart has made a change that makes it directly take on Amazon Prime.
Walmart’s website offers a selection of more than seven million items to customers out of which more than one million items are ShippingPass supported, the retailer will obviously cover more items under this program down the road. ShippingPass now promises delivery in two days or less while there are no minimum requirements to be eligible for this free shipping service, free returns are supported too.
The retail giant hasn’t opened up ShippingPass to everybody just yet, those who are interested in trying it out can sign up here for the pilot program. Walmart has been testing this service since last year and so far it hasn’t disclosed how many people signed up during that period or how revenues from ShippingPass have contributed to the company’s bottom line.
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