Being a member of a platform or store can sometimes be a must if you want to shop at that particular store or if you want to use the services of the platform. Platforms like Netflix require you to pay for your subscription and don’t offer free use of their services. On the other hand, platforms like Spotify let you use their services without paying any fee but won’t provide you with the benefits of a paid subscription. In the same case, almost every retail stores need you to be a member of their chain store or give you more benefits and privileges if you become their member. Retail stores like Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and Costco all have a membership system. While you can shop at certain retail stores without being a member, several retail stores need you to be a member to shop at their stores. Let’s know Can You Shop at Costco Without a Membership?
Most retail stores work with a membership system and Costco is one of them. Membership is needed to be able to shop at Costo but there are some ways where you can shop at Costco without paying for a membership. The most popular option is to shop with someone who has a Costco membership. Another popular option is using a Costco Shop Card which also includes the help of a member. One more way to shop at Costo is to use the business account of your employer and lastly, you don’t need to have a membership if you wish to shop on Costco’s website.
How to Shop at Costco Without a Membership
Shopping at Costo without paying the annual membership fee can be done in several ways. You can ask for a Costco member to shop with you, you can get a Costco Shop Card, you can use your employer’s business account, and you can shop at Costco.com.
Shopping with a Costco Member
Costco membership card is non-transferable but the customers with the membership card can bring a maximum of two customers to Costco stores to shop. You can simply just select the products you want to buy, give the total amount of the purchase to the Costco member, and the Costco member can pay for the products you selected during the checkout. The Costco member who is also the account manager of the membership can add people to the membership by assigning them to their free household card, with the condition of the members living in the same house. There can be a max of two-person sharing the membership card, the primary member and the customer who is added by the primary member.
Using Costco Shop Card
Costco Shop Card can be bought by a Costco membership with a balance between 25$ to 2.000$ for you. You can use the Costco Shop Card to shop at Costco without being a Costco member and ask for the Costco member to load the card each time you use it. In this manner, Costco Shop Card is kind of like a gift card. There is also the Digital Costco Shop Card and the member can also transfer it to a non-member. Although it is a useful option that saves you from paying a membership fee on specific products, you need to contact the Costco member each time you need to check the balance of the Costco Shop Card.
Using Your Employer’s Membership
Provided that your boss has a Business Membership, you can ask your employer to add you to the Costco business membership. Your employer can give you the membership by going to the Costco website and adding you as a cardholder, by calling the Member Services of Costco, or by faxing the request to Member Services. Even though they most likely have all the needed information, you might need to give additional information to your employer to fasten the process.
Shopping at Costco’s Website
Although you can freely shop online without being a Costco member, there are three disadvantages that you should consider. First of all, a 5 percent surcharge is what you need to pay if you want to buy your products online. Secondly, your shopping experience won’t be the same as shopping at the store since a lot of products aren’t available in Costco’s online store. Lastly, there can be a high difference between the prices online and prices at the store, the prices online being higher.
Conclusion
All in all, although there are some methods by which you can shop at Costco without a membership, most of the reviews state that it is more convenient to shop with a Costco membership card.
FAQ
What are some products I can buy without a Costco membership?
Some of the products you can buy are prescription drugs, alcohol, paper and cleaning products, and sparkling water.
How much do I have to pay for the Costco membership?
The annual membership fee is 60$.
