It’s a known fact that Costco can help you save significantly on bulk products, but there are a ton of other membership benefits beyond the in-store prices. A Costco membership includes perks like discounted travel packages (up to 20% off all-inclusive stays), cheaper gas, Costco coupons, and even discounted prescription glasses that don’t require an eye exam (which is also affordable at Costco).
📌 Did you know that there are 7 secrets about Costco prices?
You do need a membership to shop at Costco, but with all the perks and savings offered, the membership fee is definitely worth it in most cases. If you’re debating whether a Costco membership is worth it (or if you should choose Costco over Sam’s Club), take these benefits into consideration along with the potential savings on everyday items.
How Much Is A Costco Membership?
There are membership levels: Gold, Business, and Executive. Here’s the membership fee breakdown:
- Gold Star membership: $60 per year
- The Gold Star membership is Costco’s basic membership level. As a Gold Star member, you gain access to all Costco locations worldwide, including Costco Business Centers. Additionally, you can purchase “Member-Only” items online once you become a member.
- Business membership: $60 per year
- Costco Business Membership includes all the perks of Gold Star, plus it allows you to purchase products for resale and add affiliate cardholders for $60 each. You will need a Business identification (business license, resale certificate, or three pieces of business ID) when applying for a Business Membership.
- Executive membership: $120 per year
- Executive Membership primary cardholder earns 2% cash back on most purchases (with exceptions like Costco gas and a few other items). You can earn up to $1,000 annually, and these rewards come as a Costco rewards certificate a few months before your renewal date. Executive members also receive extra perks on Costco Travel and various other services.
Costco Membership Benefits
1. Cheaper Gas Prices
One of the best benefits of a Costco membership is actually outside of the store. Costco gas stations are exclusive to members, requiring a membership card swipe at the pump, and the savings are so substantial that members often go out of their way to fill up there.
A gallon of Costco gas is, on average, $0.11 cheaper than that of local competitors. This translates to a few dollars saved every time you fill up a 12-gallon tank!
What’s also important to note is that Costco is known for its rigorous quality control process for gasoline and diesel, ensuring you get high-quality fuel at a lower price compared to most other stations. Additionally, if you use the Costco Visa card, you earn 4% cash back on gas purchases.
For more savings on gas in general, check out the Upside App.
2. Discounted Travel Rates
Another significant advantage of a Costco membership is the ability to book vacation packages through the Costco site, often saving up to 20% on all-inclusive stays and international travel. Booking through Costco Travel usually results in lower rates compared to sites like Booking.com, Expedia, or even booking directly with the resort.
Certain packages also offer exclusive perks for Costco members, such as complimentary massages, free champagne, free transportation, and special resort credits. Some packages even include a Costco Shop card, which acts as a gift card, valued between $100 and over $1,500. Executive members enjoy additional exclusive travel benefits and earn 2% cash back on all travel purchases.
3. More Affordable Car Rentals
Whether you’re planning an exotic vacation or a business trip, Costco offers the most competitive rental car rates. You can book through the Costco Travel site, where you can see their rental car prices to be consistently lower than those from Enterprise, Budget, Avis, or Alamo.
With a basic Gold Star Costco membership, you could save 32% compared to booking directly with Avis.
Plus, Executive members receive an additional 2% back in Costco rewards at the end of the year.
4. Eye Exams & Glasses Discounts
Yet another lesser-known benefit of Costco membership awaits within the Costco Optical center. Not only can you undergo an eye exam in-store, but they also offer eyeglasses at prices up to 54% lower than those at other retailers.
The cost of an eye exam may vary depending on your location; however, in our local store, it’s priced at $89 without insurance (though they do accept vision insurance). Additionally, you can bring an existing prescription to Costco and purchase glasses without having to undergo a Costco eye exam.
Also keep in mind that, apart from the savings on eye exams, Costco members also gain access to exclusive pricing on primary care visits (starting as low as $29), weight loss programs (starting as low as $179), and virtual therapy visits (starting as low as $79) through their partner Sesame.
5. Affordable Photo Prints & Holiday Cards
While you may have caught wind of the closure of the Costco Photo Center in 2023, Costco members retain access to unique discounts on photos, prints, gifts, and cards.
Costco has since partnered with Shutterfly, extending a generous 51% discount on all regular-price purchases from Shutterfly to anyone with a Costco membership, alongside complimentary shipping on orders surpassing $49.
This Shutterfly discount can be applied to a lot of personalized projects, spanning from photo prints to home decor, with no restrictions on the frequency of use.
6. Costco Coupon Book
Costco offers a new batch of exclusive savings reserved solely for members approximately once a month. So whether you’re browsing Costco’s online offerings or loading up your cart in-store, it’s essential to glance through the most recent Costco Coupon Book prior to finalizing your purchase.
What’s particularly convenient is that you won’t need to clip coupons or carry any physical vouchers with you. Despite its name, the savings from the coupon book are automatically applied at checkout for every Costco member. Also, they often combine P&G sales with P&G products.
7. Costco Food Court
The store is renowned for its iconic food court offerings, and one of the most popular choices is the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo that has maintained the same price since its inception in 1984.
Aside from the budget-friendly Costco Food Court menu, they offer an amazing variety of freshly baked goods at unmatched prices from the Costco Bakery. E.g. Costco sheet cake is a lot of people’s top pick. At just $0.52 per slice, it’s a steal. After a bit of research, this translates to savings of 48% to 56% compared to sheet cakes from grocery stores like Walmart or Publix. Additionally, Costco provides catering services, with options available for as low as $1.67 per person.
You may be on the hunt for deals at Costco, but don’t forget food deals too.
8. Costco Next
This membership perk could easily be considered Costco’s best-kept secret. Costco Next serves as an online shopping platform exclusively available to members.
Here’s the deal: After entering your membership details, you gain entry to the site, where you’ll discover an array of third-party sales and deals negotiated by Costco. While Costco Next is accessible through the Costco app, the brand doesn’t heavily promote it, contributing to the preservation of low prices for exclusive deals.
When comparing prices on Costco Next, you can see that nearly every item is discounted 20% or more. In fact, certain name brand items were priced at 50% less than what you’d find on Amazon or at other retailers.
However, keep this in mind: it’s worth noting that purchases made through Costco Next are technically completed with the third-party seller, so they’re ineligible for cash back deals, price matches, or Costco’s return policy.
9. Kirkland Brand Products
Did you know that Costco’s trademark brand Kirkland items are often made by the same manufacturers as name-brand items? And the only difference is the price – Kirkland items are sold at a much lower price.
For example, when you compare Kirkland’s 12-piece cookware set and Ninja’s 12-piece cookware set, they’re like the same product. They look the same, are made from the same materials, and include all the same items. Nevertheless, Kirkland set costs $129.99, while the Ninja set costs $410.69 on Amazon. It’s the same with almost all Kirkland brand products:, including clothes and shoes.
10. Costco Business Center
Any Costco membership will also make you eligible to shop at Costco Business Centers. If you’re not familiar with these, they are members-only warehouses selling a huge variety of items including bulk groceries, electronics & more. These centers are intended for business owners who shop large amounts of stuff, but in reality they are open for everyone with a membership.
Costco Business Centers are a great way to save even more money than at regular Costco. Especially, for example, if you’re planning a huge event like a wedding or milestone birthday party.
Quick note that there are only 27 of these centers across the country. You can look them up here.
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