Burger King is about to get a lot of Walmart customers without actually being in a Walmart.
The retail giant on Thursday announced a unique offer providing members of its Walmart+ program 25% off Burger King orders made through the chain’s mobile app or website. Those members will also get a free Whopper with any purchase every three months.
Both companies hope to gain key benefits from the partnership. For Burger King, that benefit is obvious: More customers, particularly at a time when industry traffic is weak. Many people are looking for lower prices.
It could also boost membership in Burger King’s own loyalty program, Burger King Royal Perks. Walmart+ members must be members of that program to get the discounts.
Walmart is no small company. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer has 29 million members in its Walmart+ program, designed to rival Amazon’s Prime membership program. Membership in that program grew in the double digits last quarter, Walmart executives told analysts last week, according to a transcript on the financial services site AlphaSense.
For Walmart, the deal could add to the benefits for members of that program, which could in turn drive growth. Customers pay $98 per year, or $12.95 per month, to be part of Walmart+, which includes a variety of other potential benefits such as free delivery and discounts on gas.
“The inclusion of a Burger King benefit in our Walmart+ membership portfolio is exciting,” Vanessa Yates, SVP and general manager of Walmart+, said in a statement.
Walmart+ members can activate the benefit by linking their Walmart+ and Royal Perks accounts. They then visit the offers tab on the Burger King app or website, add the offer to their cart and place their order.
“Burger King has long been known for offering guests high-quality products for a great value, an approach that’s shared by our friends at Walmart, making this program a natural fit,” Pat O’Toole, chief marketing officer for Burger King North America, said in a statement.
This isn’t the first such partnership between a restaurant chain’s loyalty program and that of another company in another industry. Starbucks, for instance, enables members of its Starbucks Rewards program to link their accounts with the loyalty programs run by Delta, Marriott and other companies.
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