Best Buy Beta Vs. Amazon Prime Vs. Walmart+: Which Subscription Service Is Better?

Best Buy (BBY) is getting into the subscription service business and taking on its biggest retail rivals, Amazon and Walmart.

The tech retailer is piloting a new membership program dubbed Best Buy Beta that will offer customers perks, which it said will include exclusive member pricing and unlimited Geek Squad technical support for Best Buy and other tech products. It also features up to two years of protection on most product purchases, including Apple products.

The Best Buy Beta membership also comes with free standard shipping and delivery with no minimums, a 60-day extended return window, 10% off subscription services billed through Best Buy, and free installation on most products and appliances.

The cost of the membership is $199.99 per year or $179.99 per year for Best Buy credit cardholders.

Amazon Prime costs $119 a year and offers members an array of benefits, such as free two-day delivery on a number of eligible items and exclusive deals. Members also have access to two-day delivery on prescriptions and video, movie, TV, and music streaming from its content library. Amazon offers a 30-day free trial of the membership.

Walmart+ costs $98 per year and includes free shipping with no order minimum and free next-day and two-day shipping on items from Walmart.com with no order minimum. The membership also gives consumers free same-day delivery on orders of $35 or more and fuel discounts. It also comes with a 15-day free trial.

Best Buy said the membership also includes access to a 24/7concierge service that will only be available to members through phone, chat, email, or the company’s app.

“As we look to evolve our membership programs, the goal of Best Buy Beta is to create a membership experience that customers will love and to leave them feeling confident throughout their relationship with Best Buy,” Allison Peterson, Best Buy’s chief customer officer, said in a statement. “This pilot offers premium service, complete with support aimed at anticipating our customers’ needs.”

While Best Buy is currently only testing the Best Buy Beta membership in stores in Iowa, Oklahoma, and eastern Pennsylvania, it said it plans to expand the service to select stores in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee in April for a total of 60 locations.

The move by Best Buy comes as more consumers work from home during the pandemic and are stocking up on electronics to make the transition to home offices. The added technology has led to the need for additional tech support as remote workers were remiss of IT departments to handle their technical support issues.

For Best Buy, the membership would also allow it to generate a reoccurring revenue through subscription fees while supporting the tech needs of these customers, CNN reported.

The Best Buy Beta membership will add to its Total Tech Support membership, which costs $199.99 per year. It is anticipated to be replaced by the Best Buy Beta membership at full rollout, Bloomberg reported.