How to Get the Most Out of the Walmart Rewards Mastercard

For true-blue Walmart fans, the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® is a value magnet, whether you shop with the retailer in-store or online. After all, you're earning rich rewards on many already discounted items.

Those rewards include:

• 5% back on Walmart.com and Walmart app purchases.

• 2% back on in-store purchases at Walmart (including at Murphy USA and Walmart fuel stations).

• 2% back on travel and restaurants.

• 1% back on everything else.

Here’s how you can make the most out of the $0-annual-fee Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard®.

Download the Walmart app

When you use Walmart's mobile app in tandem with the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard®, you'll earn the same rich 5% back on purchases that you do at Walmart.com. But having the app comes in handy regardless, as it's a useful shopping tool on its own.

You can create a shopping list, view the store's weekly ad, get a price check with the barcode scanner, initiate returns, easily reorder your must-have items, refill Walmart pharmacy prescriptions and more.

You can even apply for the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® via the Walmart app after sending a text from your mobile device. What's more, if you're approved for the card and your ID is verified, the Walmart app offers immediate access to the card for Walmart.com purchases, without having to wait for the physical version to come in the mail. (You can use the card immediately inside physical Walmart stores, too, if you've also signed up for Walmart Pay, a digital wallet accessible via the Walmart app).

Use Walmart Pay for rich introductory in-store rewards

Speaking of Walmart Pay, sign up for it when you get the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard®. That's because the card offers Earn 5% back on purchases in Walmart stores when you use this card in Walmart Pay for the first 12 months after approval. That's far better than the ongoing 2% rate you'll otherwise get with the card inside brick-and-mortar Walmart stores.

Walmart Pay allows you to expedite the checkout process while shopping inside Walmart. Instead of using your physical card, the mobile wallet stores your account information, which allows you to check out with your smartphone at the register.

» MORE: How to find and use Walmart coupons

Buy online, pick up in store

We get it: Maybe you're suffering from digital wallet fatigue, and maybe you're not fully sold on an online-only shopping approach. Sometimes you just have to browse a store's physical aisles, whether to inspect those oranges yourself or make sure those shoes actually fit.

Lucky for you, you'll still earn 5% back with the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® if you order items online and later head to the store to pick them up. True, it's not as easy as having products shipped directly to you. But if you're already planning to step out and run errands anyway, why not place at least a portion of your order ahead of time, skip any kind of shipping charges, and get the highest rate back for those purchases while you're at it.

This strategy can come in especially handy on big-ticket items such as pricey electronics. If you're in need of a new flat-screen TV, you could buy it in a physical Walmart and get 2% back — or you could buy it online, pick it up in your local store, and snag 5% back on it.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit cards for online shopping

Make Walmart your grocery store (if it makes sense)

If you're willing to make Walmart your exclusive grocer and you don't mind letting someone else do the actual shopping for your food, the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® can make it worth your while. That's because the card's 5% rate also applies to the Walmart Grocery Pickup and Delivery service.

This may not be a practical option for everyone: You'll have to spend a minimum of $30 for all Walmart Grocery orders. And while pickup won't cost you anything extra, delivery is neither free nor available at every Walmart location.

Still, an unlimited 5% back on groceries is stellar, so the extra effort could be worth it.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit cards for groceries

Look first to Walmart fuel stations

You can find cards that offer higher rates on gas purchases, but if you're using the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® as your everyday card, 2% back on gas at Murphy USA and Walmart gas stations still adds up. And it's better than the 1% back you'd earn at any other fuel stations.

Specifically at Murphy USA stations, be on the lookout for savings throughout the year when you pay for gas with a Walmart gift card or Walmart-branded credit card. You can guzzle even more rewards via the Murphy Drive Rewards app. It earns additional points on gas that can be redeemed for purchases at Murphy locations.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best gas credit cards

Treat yourself to dinner

The ability to earn bonus rewards on Walmart groceries is nice, and nicer still is the ability to earn elevated rewards at qualifying restaurants. You have to eat, after all — and any time you do so at cafes, bars, fast-food chains, bakeries and other eligible dining establishments, the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® will earn you 2% back.

That's a decent rate and it makes the card even more valuable for everyday use. But keep in mind that if restaurants represent an outsize portion of your budget, other cards can serve up a larger side of rewards with your meal.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit cards for restaurants

Pay for travel (and book it via Capital One)

Better credit cards exist for frequent travelers, but the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® is an adequate option if you don’t get away all that much.

It earns 2% back in a broad range of travel categories including airlines, hotels, car rentals, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, taxi services, and rail and bus rides, to name a few.

It also travels well abroad. There are no foreign transaction fees, and as a Mastercard it's widely accepted internationally. Travel benefits such as travel accident insurance, baggage delay insurance, car rental insurance, trip cancellation insurance and others can also save you money if unexpected events derail your vacation plans.

On the redemption side, you can use the points you earn on the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® to book trips through the Capital One travel portal. (Points are always worth a penny each, regardless of how you redeem.)

» MORE: NerdWallet's best travel credit cards

Take advantage of the card’s retail benefits

The Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® also includes protections for your purchases. For example, extended warranty doubles an original manufacturer’s warranty and store-brand purchased warranty of 24 months or less for a total of up to 48 months.

You'll also get price protection — a rare benefit these days — which reimburses you the difference if you find a lower advertised price within 120 days for an item you purchased. Terms apply.