How to Shop at Costco Without a Membership
It’s undeniable that Costco has some pretty lucrative deals on some things – and with the pandemic and nationwide surge in new cases of COVID-19, there has certainly never been a better time to bulk buy. However, if you don’t have a membership, the requirement for store memberships worth over $ 60 a year can seem like a huge deterrent, especially this year – how often do you really want to visit a crowded warehouse store right now ? You can still get some non-membership Costco products through services like Amazon Now , but if you want to get to the store it’s membership or crash. Or is it?
Sure, you can join your friend with a Costco membership from time to time, but we have one more tip on how to get to the store without a membership: buy a gift card.
As noted in this Travel + Leisure article, if you have one of the Costco gift cards (known as “Costco Cash”), you can use it at any Costco to shop, even if you don’t have a membership. You can also use the cards to shop at Costco online.
As with most things, there is one catch: the Costco Cash card must be purchased by a Costco member. But if you can’t arrange for a friend to pick one up for you or accompany you while you shop, gift cards can also be purchased online. If you can get the logistics right, you can buy that discounted toilet paper pack without having to go for an annual subscription. This article was originally published on July 14, 2018 and was updated in July 2020. Changes included checking and updating information, adding links and editing ledges.