While frequent sell-outs and scalping are still regular problems in the Pokémon TCG Community, Walmart is seemingly trying to find a way around by making early access to the White Flare & Black Bolt sets only available by having a paid Walmart+ membership.
Preorders for a variety of the usual TCG products for White Flare and Black Bolt, including Elite Trainer Boxes, Poster Collection Boxes, and Booster Bundles, will go live on June 18 at 9 PM ET. For the first three, however, only paid Walmart+ members will be able to place preorders while stocks last.
Then, if any are left, non-Walmart+ shoppers are able to buy from the set themselves. While the Walmart+ hub page does state there's a 30-day trial available, each early-access item's product page, like the $60 Black Bolt Trainer Box, does state that only paid members are eligible to purchase preorders during those early hours.
Standard Walmart+ memberships are available for $12.95 per month, or $98 annually, which equates to $8.17 per month instead. While it is a pain that you have to subscribe to a service just for a better guarantee you'll get a preorder in, Walmart+ does have added benefits too, including free delivery without minimums, a free Paramount+ membership, savings on fuel and Burger King, free tire repair, free pharmacy delivery, and more.
If you're a student or college graduate, then you're in luck, because you can get a membership at 50% off, $6.49 a month, or $49 for a year, with all of the same benefits as a standard subscription. As part of the verification process, previous student emails should qualify you.
The annoying part of the Walmart+ subscription process, if you want to buy early access items right away, is that you're only given the initial option to claim the 30-day trial. However, you can get around this by starting your free trial, cancelling it, and resubscribing for paid access.
If you're also a previous member of Walmart+, we've seen reports of users getting a limited-time offer that you can rejoin for just $1, making getting early pre-order access to White Flare and Black Bolt, with all of those other bonuses a great steal.
Our Black Bolt & White Flare preorder guide for Pokemon TCG players also notes that the sets have been popping up at other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy as well. Stock won't always be available, but it's a good page to bookmark for when you want to click through to each product page quickly on the fly.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
