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As gas prices keep rising, I enjoy saving money wherever I can, so I have more money for travel. If that sounds like you, too, then buckle up, because I’m going to walk you through how to use the Walmart+ gas discount at the pump and save 10 cents per gallon. Don’t worry, I already scanned the unmarked QR code at the pump (big security no-no) and took the risk for you.
How to get started
I have a Walmart+ membership as a benefit of my American Express Platinum Card®, which saves me up to $12.95 (plus tax) per month, up to $155 in statement credits annually (enrollment required; subject to automatic renewal).
I occasionally use it for last-minute grocery orders when I don’t have time to head to the store. I also use grocery delivery on the way home from a trip so my family doesn’t come home to an empty fridge.
When I was recently at an ExxonMobil gas station near my home, I saw the Walmart+ sign that said members could save 10 cents per gallon on gas, and I started investigating on the app.
There’s a button at the bottom of the app labeled “Services.” If you click that, you’ll see the screen below, and then you can click “Gas savings,” and it will open up your camera and provide a redemption code at the bottom of the screen (needed for Murphy gas stations, but not ExxonMobil).
There’s even a map you can click to find the closest participating gas station near you. There are thousands of gas stations across the country, from Exxon, Mobil, Sam’s Club locations, Walmart Fuel locations and Murphy.
At the station
This is where it gets tricky. When I was at the pump, I saw the Walmart+ sign, opened the app and the camera within it. The next step stumped me, since there was nothing on the Walmart+ sign to scan. I tried entering the app’s code on the pump when it asked for “loyalty ID,” but that didn’t work (apparently, those are only for Murphy stations, and I was at an Exxon).
Though my friends think I’m the tech-savvy one, I’m embarrassed to admit what I did next. I looked around the pump and then accidentally also scanned the Exxon Mobil Rewards+ QR code on the sign on top of the pump (that’s a program for a different story — read more here).
The only other thing I saw was an unmarked blue QR code. Even though I know criminals like to put QR code stickers over legit codes in parking garages and other locations, this was the second station I’d been to in as many weeks, and I was not going to abandon my savings a second time. (That’s right, I paid full price at the pump last time because I couldn’t figure this out.)
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I finally decided to scan the blue, unmarked QR code in the app’s camera mode, even though there was no Walmart+ logo on it or any indication of its purpose. Was I sketched out? Yes. Did I scan it anyway for the sake of journalism and saving 10 cents per gallon? Also, yes.
The app is magic
Lo and behold, the app asked for my pump number. Once I entered that, the app synced to the pump, and I watched as my gas price dropped from $5.45 a gallon to $5.35 like magic.
Once I was finished filling up my gas tank, the Walmart+ app showed a thank-you screen recapping my transaction, and I could access my receipt in the app, which was another cool feature.
Bottom line
The Walmart+ gas discount is a nice perk, especially if you aren’t a Costco or Sam’s Club member or don’t live near one of those locations. There seem to be plenty of gas stations participating in the Walmart program, making it easy to find one. The signage and QR code at the stations I visited are a bit disjointed from the app process, and it takes some figuring out, but in the end, you too might be able to save some extra money the next time you fill up your tank.
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