Dick’s Sporting Goods plans a $99 “ScoreCard+” membership, adding pressure to Amazon Prime and Walmart+ shoppers

Dick’s Sporting Goods is joining the growing list of retailers testing paid membership programs that promise faster value for shoppers. According to a report by TheStreet, Dick’s is rolling out “ScoreCard+,” a new membership that carries a yearly $99 price tag and is designed to offer “guaranteed rewards” and other benefits.

The decision indicates how retailers are trying to compete in a market where customers increasingly expect perks to be bundled into subscriptions. For Amazon and Walmart, paid memberships have already become a routine part of shopping behavior, with Prime and Walmart+ offering a steady stream of shipping and savings benefits. TheStreet’s framing suggests Dick’s wants to redirect spending toward its own ecosystem by making rewards feel more predictable and subscription-like.

ScoreCard+ is being positioned as more than a standard loyalty program, with the key appeal described as guaranteed rewards. The practical goal, as implied by the report, is to create an always-on reason to shop with Dick’s instead of comparison shopping across retailers that do not offer membership-aligned benefits.

TheStreet also notes the challenge Dick’s faces: shoppers may already be paying for Prime or Walmart+ memberships. In other words, adding a new $99 subscription increases the risk of “subscription fatigue,” where customers weigh whether an additional membership meaningfully improves their real-world costs or convenience.

For retail and consumer-facing technology companies, paid memberships have become an important data and retention tool. Membership fees can help underwrite discounting and promotions while giving companies a clearer view of who is willing to pay for an ongoing relationship. Over time, membership tiers can steer customers toward particular categories, store channels, and digital experiences.

The broader playbook is not limited to Amazon and Walmart. A separate earlier report cited by web research described Target’s “Target Circle 360” as a $99 per year membership program, reinforcing that retailers across different verticals see subscriptions as a way to stabilize demand and increase repeat purchasing.

Still, key details were not provided in the available reporting, including exactly how ScoreCard+ defines “guaranteed rewards,” what benefits are included beyond rewards, and how customers qualify for those rewards in day-to-day shopping. Customers will also want to understand whether benefits vary by purchase type, location, or delivery method, and whether Dick’s plans to align the program with seasonal promotions.

What to watch next is how Dick’s markets the program relative to existing memberships and what it discloses about the economics for both sides. If ScoreCard+ benefits are strong enough, the program could deepen loyalty and shift more spending into Dick’s channels. If not, it may serve as another example of retailers testing paid perks in an increasingly crowded subscription marketplace.