NEW YORK: The battle for online supremacy is on as Walmart announced Tuesday the coming launch of a membership program that provides free delivery as the world's biggest retailer takes direct aim at e-commerce behemoth Amazon. The long-discussed Walmart+ will start September 15, charging $98 annually or $12.95 a month to provide free delivery as soon as the same day along with discounts on fuel and other features.

The service will compete with Amazon's "Prime" program, which offers free delivery within two days with a comparably-priced subscription that also provides free and premium-priced video and entertainment offerings. Walmart's announcement highlighted the need to meet consumer needs in a fast-evolving economy especially amid the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic that has fueled a surge in tech adaptations for the work- and shop-at-home world.

"Life feels more complicated than ever. Walmart+ is designed to make it easier - giving customers an option not to have to sacrifice on cost or convenience," Walmart chief customer officer Janey Whiteside said. "We have always been a champion for the right item at the right price, but now it's more than that. We have the right shopping solutions at the right time, too."

The launch of Walmart+ comes as the global retail giant has teamed with Microsoft in an effort to acquire TikTok, the Chinese-owned short-form video app that has come under fire from President Donald Trump.

The app has been at the center of a diplomatic storm between Washington and Beijing since Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance.