Walmart+ Travel boosts cash back on hotels, rentals and activities

Walmart gave Walmart+ a more visible summer pitch on June 10, lifting the rewards on eligible hotels, car rentals and activities booked through Walmart+ Travel powered by Expedia to as much as 10% Walmart Cash. Flights still earn 2%, and vacation packages continue to qualify for blended cash back, which makes the perk feel less like a side feature and more like part of the membership’s core value stack.

That matters inside stores because Walmart+ has spent the past several years moving beyond delivery and fuel. Walmart launched the membership nationwide on September 15, 2020, at $98 a year or $12.95 a month, then added travel in July 2023 with a 5% Walmart Cash rate on hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals and activities, plus 2% on flights. At the time, Walmart said members could book through an Expedia-powered platform with access to more than 900,000 properties, 500-plus airlines, 100-plus car rental companies and thousands of activities. Travel cash is not instant, though. It becomes available 30 days after travel is completed, which means the real value is in the post-trip rebate, not the booking moment.

For associates and their households, the practical question is whether that extra cash back changes summer behavior. Walmart already leans on a broader membership bundle that includes up to 10 cents per gallon in savings at participating Walmart, Exxon, Mobil and Murphy stations, plus member pricing at Sam’s Club fuel stations where available. It also pairs Walmart+ with non-grocery tie-ins such as 25% off Burger King digital orders every day and a free Whopper every three months with a qualifying purchase. The company is clearly trying to make the membership feel like a household savings plan, not just an online-shopping add-on.

That wider strategy fits the travel market Walmart is chasing. Expedia’s Unpack ’26 Summer Travel report, released May 21, said domestic travel is dominating summer planning, with social conversation about domestic vacations rising 77% year over year globally and doubling in the U.S. That lines up with a measured, value-first consumer, the kind who may still take the trip but wants to stretch every dollar along the way.

In Walmart terms, that can show up at the register and on the sales floor. Stores may see more demand for luggage, snacks, electronics, travel-size toiletries, road-trip essentials and last-minute convenience buys as households prepare to leave town. For department managers and assistant managers, the upgrade is a reminder that Walmart+ is now trying to influence the whole trip economy, from booking the hotel to stocking the cooler before departure. The real test is simple: if members actually use the travel savings, Walmart+ becomes a stronger everyday value proposition; if not, it stays a marketing layer on top of the membership.