When you sign up as a Sam’s Club member, you’re only committing to one year of membership. But what happens after that year is over?
Does Sam’s Club automatically renew your membership? What happens if your membership expires? Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions and more!
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What Happens When Your Sam’s Club Membership Expires?
Sam’s Club is an amazing place to find great prices, member perks, and even some unexpected services like eye exams and low prices on prescription medications.
But without a Sam’s Club membership account, you won’t get access to the full extent of these amazing services and yearly savings.
The first thing to know about Sam’s Club membership expiration and renewal is that all new Sam’s Club members are automatically enrolled in the auto-renewal program.
So, unless you opt out of this program, your membership will not expire. It will be renewed on your renewal date each year (the same day you purchased your membership originally), and the payment will be withdrawn from the card or payment method saved in your account.
For more information about Sam’s Club membership auto renewal, click here.
If you have opted out of the auto-renewal program, then your membership will expire one year after you purchased or last renewed your membership.
When this happens, your account does not disappear. It simply becomes “inactive.” With an inactive account, you can still log in to SamsClub.com to view your purchase history receipts, check account details, or renew your membership, but you will not be able to take advantage of any of the other benefits of membership.
According to the Sam’s Club Terms and Conditions, a renewal initiated within 60 days of your membership expiration date will extend your membership for 12 months from the date of expiration. In other words, whether you renew your membership right when it expires, or you wait a month to renew, your membership will still expire on the same day the following year. You will not receive more time on your membership based on how long you waited to renew.
However, if you wait longer than 60 days to initiate your renewal, then Sam’s Club has discretion to extend your membership for 12 months from the date of renewal. In other words, while they aren’t beholden to this, Sam’s Club might agree to grant you a full year’s membership from the date of renewal if you wait longer than 2 months to renew.
How Does Sam’s Club Membership Renewal Work?
Sam’s Club membership renewal works in a couple of different ways.
The most common way that Sam’s Club memberships are renewed is through auto renewal. All new Sam’s Club members are automatically enrolled in the auto-renewal program at signup. If you have not opted out of this program, then your membership will be automatically renewed 12 months after you purchased or last renewed your membership.
However, for those club members who have opted out of auto renewal, you will need to manually renew your membership if you decide you’d like to remain a Sam’s Club member.
Renewal can be initiated online through SamsClub.com, by mail, by phone, or by visiting a Sam’s Club location in person.
Keep reading to find out exactly how to renew your Sam’s Club membership
How Much Is Sam’s Club Membership Renewal?
Your Sam’s Club membership renewal will cost the same amount as your original membership fees.
If you have a standard Sam’s Club membership, your renewal will cost $45.
If you are a Sam’s Club Plus member, your renewal will cost $100.
That said, you can always downgrade or upgrade your account when you renew (or at any time). So, simply put, your renewal will cost either $45 or $100 depending on what level of membership you want to have for the subsequent year.
To find out how to downgrade your membership, click here. To upgrade your membership, click here.
How To Renew Sam’s Club Membership
Believe it or not, there are five different ways to renew a Sam’s Club membership!
- Auto-Renewal – This is the most common way to renew your Sam’s Club membership, as you will be automatically enrolled in the auto-renewal program when you sign up for your account. Auto-renewal does not require any work on your part, and the renewal fee will be charged to the card you have saved on file with your account.
- Renew online at SamsClub.com – If you opted out of the auto-renewal program, the next most convenient way to renew is by logging in to your Sam’s Club account on SamsClub.com. From there, navigate to the Membership header, then select “Renew my membership” and follow the prompts.
- Renew in person at Sam’s Club – One of the easiest ways to renew your Sam’s Club membership is by doing it in person. Simply visit any Sam’s Club location, visit the Membership Desk, and let the employee know you would like to renew your membership. They will walk you through the steps of renewing.
- Renew over the phone – To renew your Sam’s Club membership over the phone, simply call 1-888-433-7267 and follow the prompts for membership renewal. Make sure you have your account information, including your membership number and credit card information, ready when you call.
- Renew by mail – Although it might not sound like the simplest option, renewing your Sam’s Club membership through the mail is totally possible! All you have to do is mail your membership information (first and last name, membership number, and phone number) along with your Sam’s Club membership fee to one of the following addresses:
- Standard Sam’s Club members should mail their payment to:
Sam’s Club
PO Box 659782
San Antonio, TX 78265
- Sam’s Club Plus members should mail their payment to:
Sam’s Plus
PO Box 659785
San Antonio, TX 78265
Note that renewing your membership by mail can take up to 14 days to process. For faster renewal, renew online, in person, or by phone.
Does Sam’s Club Membership Automatically Renew?
At sign up, all new Sam’s Club members are asked to provide card information to be saved on file. The reason for this is that all new Sam’s Club members are automatically enrolled in automatic membership renewal.
What this means is that 12 months after you first purchased your current membership, your card will be charged with the cost of another year of membership, and your account will be renewed.
The only way to prevent this from happening is to manually opt out of the program after initiating your membership. Members cannot opt out at sign up.
To opt out of Sam’s Club’s auto renewal program, follow these steps:
- Sign in to your SamsClub.com account
- Navigate to the Account Information page
- Under the Membership header, navigate to the Auto-renew settings option
- If you have not yet opted out of the program, you will see a checkbox that is checked
- Simply uncheck the box before signing out of your account
You can also opt out of auto renewal by visiting the membership desk at any Sam’s Club location or by calling Sam’s Club Membership Services at 1-888-746-7726.
How To Cancel Sam’s Club Membership
If you decide you no longer want to be a Sam’s Club member, you can cancel your membership in a few different ways.
Cancel your membership by visiting the membership desk at any Sam’s Club and letting them know you would like to cancel your membership, or by calling 1-888-746-7726.
When you cancel your membership, you will receive a refund for the amount you paid for your membership during that year. To receive an immediate refund to your original form of payment, you will have to cancel in person at a Sam’s Club Membership Desk.
If you cancel by phone, you will receive your refund in the form of a Sam’s Club eGiftCard, which can be used at Sam’s Club, SamsClub.com, Walmart, or Walmart.com.
FAQs
Does Sam’s Club offer discounts during membership renewal?
In some situations, yes. For example, if you are an active or former member of the US military, you can claim a $10 discount on any one in-club purchase of $10 or more when you renew your membership in 2022.
Can you renew Sam’s Club membership after it expires?
Yes. You will still be able to renew your Sam’s Club membership even if you have passed your renewal date. To find out when your membership expires (or will be automatically renewed if your account is set up for auto renewal), check the info on any of your Sam’s Club receipts or log into your SamsClub.com account to review your account details. For more information about Sam’s Club membership expiration, click here.
Can you pay your Sam’s Club renewal online?
Yes. You can renew your Sam’s Club membership online through your SamsClub.com account. By doing this, you will have the option of paying your renewal fee with accrued Sam’s Cash, any credit cards or debit cards you have on file, or by adding a new card. The receipt for your renewal will be available through your account purchase history.
Conclusion
Renewing your Sam’s Club membership is super easy, especially if you take advantage of the auto-renewal program. This feature automatically signs you up for another one-year membership by charging your default payment method on your renewal date. All Sam’s Club members are automatically enrolled in auto-renewal when they sign up for membership, but you can opt out of this program at any time.
If you opt out, then you will have to manually renew your membership through your online account, in person, by phone, or by mail. You can renew your membership at any time, but the date that your renewed membership takes effect will depend on how long you wait to renew. The cost of renewal is the same as your annual membership fee.
If you would like to cancel your membership instead of renewing, you can do this in person or over the phone, but only in-person cancellations are granted full refunds. Online cancellations are refunded in the form of an eGiftCard. But remember that the only way to keep accessing your Sam’s Club membership deals is by renewing your Sam’s club account every year!
