Walmart is discounting its Walmart+ membership for customers on government assistance. Here's how to apply.

• Walmart said on Thursday that it would offer its Walmart+ membership at half price to some customers.
• Customers on government assistance programs like SNAP would qualify for the promotion.
• Amazon has had a similar promotion for its Prime memberships since 2017.

Walmart is offering Walmart+ membership at half price to customers on government assistance programs. 

The retailer's latest move, announced Thursday, comes amid a broader push to get more people to sign up for the membership program. It also comes at a time when other retailers — like Amazon and Target— are working aggressively to expand their own membership pools.

Walmart+ offers members perks like free shipping with no order minimums and a Paramount+ subscription. A full-price membership costs $98 a year.

In 2017, Amazon announced a similar program for its Prime memberships, called Prime Access. Customers on government programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid can access a Prime membership for $6.99 per month, less than half the full price of $14.99 per month. 

"We wanted to make our everyday selection, convenience, and savings more accessible," a spokesperson for Amazon told Insider, adding that Prime Access customers get "all of the benefits of a Prime membership at 50% of the cost." 

The number of Amazon Prime memberships dropped for the first time last year, according to one estimate. Amazon still had around 168 million Prime members in the US and 200 million members globally at the end of 2022.

A Walmart spokesperson declined to provide membership statistics for Walmart+ or to comment on projected enrollments in the half-price program but said that about a quarter of its current Walmart+ members rely on EBT payments. 

The discounted rate for the membership will be available to shoppers who use any one of a wide range of government programs, including SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income, or  SSI.  The company also accepts SNAP payments in stores and online across the US.

Here's how to apply

Both current and new Walmart+ members can apply for the discounted rate by verifying their eligibility on Walmart's website. Current members who qualify for the discount will also receive a prorated refund.

While Walmart has become increasingly appealing to wealthier shoppers amid high grocery prices and inflation, the brand is best known for its "everyday low prices."  

Walmart is among the companies with the most employees who qualify for and receive government assistance like Medicaid and SNAP, according to a 2020 government study commissioned by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Walmart+ is already free for employees, though the retailer has strongly encouraged its workers to join the club.

Around 64% of Americans shop at Walmart regularly, according to a recent study from payments analysis firm PYMNTS. The study added that around 28% of customers had made a purchase from Walmart's website recently.