Best Buy currently offers two paid membership tiers: My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total. Plus costs $29.99 per year, while Total costs $199.99 per year. Both provide member savings, rewards, extended returns and free 2-day shipping, but Total adds product protection, tech support and other services.
That $170 annual price difference makes the choice fairly simple for some shoppers and much harder for others.
If you mainly want member prices, shipping and a longer return window, Plus may provide the benefits you actually need. If you regularly buy expensive electronics, want protection included with eligible purchases or expect to use Best Buy's technical support and repair benefits, Total may offer substantially more value.
Here's how the two memberships compare.
My Best Buy Plus vs. Total at a Glance
| Benefit | My Best Buy Plus | My Best Buy Total |
|---|---|---|
| Annual price | $29.99 | $199.99 |
| Member prices and deals | Yes | Yes |
| Rewards on qualifying Best Buy purchases | 1% back | 1% back |
| Free 2-day shipping | Yes | Yes |
| Extended 60-day returns | Yes | Yes |
| Product protection | No | Yes, on eligible purchases |
| AppleCare+ on eligible Apple purchases | No | Included benefit |
| 24/7 tech support | No | Yes |
| In-store and remote computer/tablet services | No | Yes |
| Repair labor savings | No | 20% off eligible repair labor |
| Exclusive sales/events | Yes | Yes |
Best Buy describes Total as including everything in Plus along with protection, 24/7 tech support and additional services.
How Much Do Best Buy Plus and Total Cost?
My Best Buy Plus: $29.99 per year.
My Best Buy Total: $199.99 per year.
That means Total costs $170 more per year than Plus at the currently listed prices.
Both memberships automatically renew, and Best Buy says members can cancel at any time under the applicable terms.
The price difference is the most important part of this comparison because the two memberships share many everyday shopping benefits.
If your main goal is simply to get member pricing, rewards, free 2-day shipping and extended returns, paying for Total may not make sense.
The additional cost becomes easier to justify when you expect to use Total's protection and support benefits.
What You Get With My Best Buy Plus
My Best Buy Plus is the lower-cost paid membership.
Best Buy currently lists these core benefits:
Exclusive member prices
Exclusive savings and offers
1% back in rewards on qualifying Best Buy purchases
Bonus reward opportunities
60-day returns and exchanges on most products
Free 2-day shipping
Access to exclusive sales and events
For a regular Best Buy shopper, that can already cover the most useful everyday membership benefits.
Plus is particularly straightforward if you do not need product protection or technical support.
Plus Can Be Enough for Frequent Shoppers
Consider a shopper who buys electronics several times a year but is comfortable handling repairs independently and does not need additional protection coverage.
For that shopper, Plus provides the shopping-oriented benefits without the $199.99 annual Total price.
The membership can also provide access to member-only product prices and special offers. Best Buy's current member-deal pages show that Plus and Total members can receive exclusive product and partner offers.
What You Get With My Best Buy Total
Total includes the Plus benefits and adds a much broader service and protection package.
Best Buy currently lists:
Product protection on eligible purchases
AppleCare+ on eligible Apple purchases
24/7 tech support
Free in-store and remote computer/tablet services
20% off eligible repair labor
Dedicated member support
Exclusive member pricing and sales
Free 2-day shipping
60-day returns on most products
1% back in rewards on qualifying Best Buy purchases
The protection component is one of the biggest differences between the memberships.
Best Buy says Total can provide up to 24 months of product protection on eligible purchases while the membership remains active. The program also includes AppleCare+ for eligible Apple purchases.
Total's Biggest Advantage: Product Protection
If you buy expensive electronics, protection may be the factor that changes the calculation.
Best Buy says Total includes protection plans on eligible purchases, including AppleCare+ for eligible Apple products. Coverage can extend up to 24 months while the membership is active, subject to the applicable terms and eligibility requirements.
Total also includes coverage features that can apply to accidental damage on certain portable products.
That makes Total fundamentally different from Plus.
Plus is primarily a shopping-benefits membership.
Total is a shopping, protection and support membership.
If you rarely need protection, the additional annual cost may be difficult to justify. If you regularly purchase expensive devices and would otherwise buy separate protection plans, Total deserves a closer look.
Total Also Includes Tech Support
Another major difference is technical support.
Best Buy currently lists 24/7 tech support as a Total benefit. It also includes in-store and remote computer/tablet services.
Best Buy lists several services that are included with Total, including:
Virus removal and operating-system repair
Data backup or transfer
PC tune-up and cleaning
PC or tablet setup
Hardware installation
These services have separately listed values on Best Buy's membership page.
If you regularly need help setting up, troubleshooting or maintaining technology, these services can make Total more valuable than the membership's shopping benefits alone suggest.
Both Memberships Earn Rewards
Plus and Total members currently earn 1% back in rewards on qualifying Best Buy purchases.
This is important because rewards are not an exclusive Total benefit.
If rewards are the main reason you are considering membership, Plus already provides that benefit.
Best Buy also says members who use the My Best Buy Credit Card can receive additional rewards, with the current combined rewards structure reaching 6% back when the applicable membership and credit-card conditions are met.
However, the credit-card rewards are a separate consideration from choosing Plus versus Total. Do not assume that getting Total alone produces the higher credit-card reward rate.
Both Offer Free 2-Day Shipping
Shipping is another area where there is little difference between the two paid memberships.
Both Plus and Total include free 2-day shipping on eligible products.
So if shipping is your primary reason for upgrading from Plus to Total, Total does not provide a fundamentally different paid-shipping benefit.
This is useful when deciding which membership to purchase.
If you want free 2-day shipping but do not need protection or tech support, Plus may be the more economical choice.
- Explore More: Best Buy Deals: How to Find Current Offers and Save
Both Have Extended Returns
Best Buy currently lists a 60-day return and exchange window on most products for both Plus and Total members.
This can be useful for shoppers buying products they want more time to evaluate.
However, "most products" matters. Return policies can have product-specific exclusions and conditions, so the membership benefit should not be interpreted as a universal 60-day return period for every purchase.
Check the applicable return policy for the product you are buying.
What About Member-Only Deals?
Both Plus and Total members have access to member deals.
Best Buy's current member-deal pages show examples including member rewards, exclusive savings, subscription offers and product-specific promotions.
These offers can change over time.
For example, Best Buy's current member listings include limited-time partner offers and product-specific reward promotions. That means membership value can vary depending on what you actually shop for during the year.
A shopper who regularly purchases categories represented in member deals may get more value than someone who rarely buys from Best Buy.
Which Membership Is Better for Electronics Shoppers?
For many electronics shoppers, the answer depends on the value of protection and support.
Plus may be better if you:
Want a low-cost paid membership
Mainly want member prices and deals
Want 1% back in rewards
Want free 2-day shipping
Value the 60-day return window
Do not need included protection
Prefer to handle technical issues yourself
Total may be better if you:
Frequently buy expensive electronics
Want protection included with eligible purchases
Buy eligible Apple products and value AppleCare+
Need 24/7 technical support
Expect to use computer or tablet services
Want repair labor savings
Prefer having protection and support bundled into one membership
Is Best Buy Total Worth the Extra $170?
There is no universal answer.
The Total membership costs $170 more per year than Plus at the current listed prices.
So the key question is whether you expect to receive at least that much additional value from Total's protection, technical support and service benefits.
For example, a shopper who buys one laptop and rarely needs technical support may find Plus more sensible.
A household that purchases multiple expensive devices and expects to use protection, support or repair services could potentially get considerably more value from Total.
The important distinction is that you should not count benefits you are unlikely to use.
If you never use tech support, never need repairs and do not value product protection, Total's additional benefits have limited practical value to you.
When Plus Is Probably the Better Choice
Plus is the easier recommendation when your needs are mainly about shopping.
You get the lower annual price while still receiving:
Member pricing
Exclusive offers
Rewards
Free 2-day shipping
Extended returns
Access to member sales and events
Best Buy itself describes Plus as a suitable choice for shoppers primarily interested in member pricing, the extended return window and free shipping.
For someone who wants the membership experience without paying for a broad protection and service package, Plus is the more economical starting point.
When Total Can Make More Sense
Total becomes more compelling when Best Buy is already a significant part of your technology spending.
A single purchase may not justify the upgrade. But multiple purchases, protection needs, technical support and repair services can change the calculation.
Total can also be attractive to shoppers who prefer predictable coverage rather than deciding separately whether to purchase protection on individual products.
Best Buy currently states that Total includes protection on eligible purchases while the membership is active, along with 24/7 tech support and included computer/tablet services.
My Best Buy Plus vs. Total: Simple Decision Guide
Use this shortcut:
Choose Plus if your priority is:
Deals + rewards + shipping + returns
Choose Total if your priority is:
Deals + rewards + shipping + returns + protection + support
Choose neither paid tier if:
You shop at Best Buy infrequently and the paid benefits are unlikely to exceed the annual membership cost.
The free My Best Buy account still provides benefits such as free standard shipping, purchase tracking and personalized shopping features.
Final Verdict
For most shoppers who primarily want member prices, rewards, free 2-day shipping and extended returns, My Best Buy Plus is the better value starting point at $29.99 per year.
My Best Buy Total is worth considering when you will actually use its additional benefits—especially product protection, AppleCare+ on eligible purchases, 24/7 tech support, included computer/tablet services and repair savings.
The $170 annual difference is too large to justify simply for shipping or rewards, because Plus already provides those core benefits.
Before joining, look at what you expect to buy during the next year and ask one simple question:
Will I realistically use Total's protection and support benefits enough to justify paying $170 more than Plus?
If the answer is no, Plus is likely the more practical choice. If the answer is yes, Total may provide substantially more value.
Membership benefits, prices and offers can change, so verify the current Best Buy terms before purchasing either plan.
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