How to Get a Sam's Club Membership

Whether you need to buy bulk household items for your family or want to access special discounts on electronics and clothing, you'll need to purchase a Sam's Club membership to shop for most items in the store or online. You have a few membership options that come with different perks, and the Sam's Club family membership rules will provide a free extra card for another adult household member. You can apply either at your local Sam's Club or online, although finalizing your membership will require an in-person visit to receive your physical membership card.

Sam's Club offers multiple membership options for families, military members, college students and businesses. The most common membership options are the Sam's Club and Sam's Plus cards. Both of these allow you to make discounted purchases online and in the store and access the Sam's Club Tire and Battery Center. However, the Sam's Plus option comes with perks like early store hours, cash-back rewards, free shipping and discounts on items like glasses and prescriptions.

The Sam's Club family membership rules for the cards allow only the person named on the card to use it. So, you'll need to get additional cards for family members who want to shop at the club. The first additional card is free, but you'll pay for any additional ones.

You can visit the Sam's Club website and click the "Join" link on the header to fill out your membership application online. This will bring you to a page where you choose the type of membership you want. You can then fill in your contact information, set up an account password, name your complimentary cardholder allowed with the Sam's Club family membership rules, request any add-on members and then proceed with payment.

After submitting your Sam's Club membership application, you can begin to make purchases online right away and will get your membership number. However, you'll need to visit a local club location and go to Member Services with a valid photo ID and your membership number. The representative will take your picture for verification purposes, and you'll receive your physical membership card.

If you'd rather apply in person, you can go to your local Sam's Club's Member Services desk to ask for a membership application. You may fill out a paper form or an electronic application on a tablet provided. Either way, you'll fill it out to select the membership type you want, provide your contact information, name any additional cardholders and sign the application.

After you turn in the application, provide any other necessary documentation and pay for the membership selected, the representative will take your picture and give you a Sam's Club membership card. You can begin shopping in the store and visit the Sam's Club website to set up an online account

Your Sam's Club membership stays valid for one year, so you'll need to renew it and pay the yearly fee to maintain your membership. Sam's Club sets you up for an auto-renew service if you apply online or use a tablet to apply at the store, so you need to take no action to maintain your membership with these signup methods.

Otherwise, you can renew manually with one of these four methods:

• Visit your local club to renew either through the checkout lane or Member Services desk
• Log in to the Sam's Club membership portal and select the option to renew your account
• Mail in a renewal application and payment to either Sam's Club, PO Box 659782, San Antonio, TX 78265 (for regular Sam's Club members) or Sam's Plus, PO Box 659785, San Antonio, TX 78265 (for Sam's Plus members) **
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• Call 1-888-433-7267 to renew over the phone