Did you know you can shop at Costco without a membership? These tips will help you enjoy a bit of shopping while deciding if a yearly membership is right for your family!
Is a Costco membership right for you?
Well, I can’t say for sure… but since the membership is only around $60, it will cost you just slightly more than $1 per week (at least that’s how I like to think of it).
Thankfully, if you’re unsure, there are several ways you can shop at Costco without taking the leap and buying a full-year membership!
Also, it’s worth noting that Dave and I have the Executive Membership — which costs $120 instead of $60, BUT they give you $60 back at the end of the year (so it’s really a no-brainer as we get lots of extra perks with the Executive Membership).
If you’re curious, ask someone at the service desk and they will give you all the info!
How to Shop at Costco Without a Membership
1. Shop with a Friend
Of course, the most logical and obvious way to shop at Costco is to go with a friend who already has a membership (if you have any friends at all, one with a membership should not be difficult to find).
One thing to note, if you go with a friend, the friend will need to pay for your things with her membership card and credit card (unless you bring enough cash to cover your total). However, they will do a sub-total of the bill in between orders.
2. Prescriptions and Immunizations
Costco is one of the cheaper places to fill prescriptions in our area — so I often sent our prescriptions to Costco, even before we had a membership.
Just tell the person at the front of the store that you’re picking up a prescription and they should let you walk right in.
Costco also offers their immunizations to anyone — even those without a membership. There will most likely still be a fee for the actual immunization.
3. Hearing and Vision Tests
You can get your ears and eyes checked at Costco without a membership — but you can not buy glasses, contacts, or hearing aids without the membership.
Dave and I have both utilized the hearing and vision tests over the years — and we did end up buying glasses for Dave after we got a membership.
4. Alcohol & Tobacco
Although I’m not advocating for any of these purchases, I know non-members can purchase alcohol and tobacco from Costco.
5. Enjoy the Food Court
Costco’s food court is extremely cheap and, although they have a limited selection of foods, it’s a fun spot to stop for a quick lunch every once in a while (especially with kids).
6. Shop with a Costco Gift Card
If you know someone with a Costco membership, ask them to buy (or reload) a Costco Cash Card (gift card). You can pay them for the card with cash, check, or Venmo, and use the Cash Card at any Costco location (and any Costco gas station) — no membership needed.
7. Shop Online
Select items are available at Costco.com without a membership or a Costco Cash Card — however, you may need to pay a 5% higher “non-member” price and shipping.
Keep in mind that if you purchase a big-ticket item online, the 5% surcharge might be more than the price of a membership.
8. Shop on Costco Guest Days
Costco has special Guest Days a couple of times each year where anyone can shop, even without a membership.
These days are usually quite busy, but they are excellent opportunities to stock up without committing to a yearly membership.
9. Window Shop
You should be able to walk into any Costco location any time they are open and tell the greeter that you’re there to window shop.
Get an application from the front desk and tell them you are considering a membership but want to take a look around first.
While you’re there, you can enjoy all the yummy samples set up around the store!
Our Favorite Costco Buys
We’ve had a Costco membership since 2017, and I make monthly trips to pick up our favorites.
Here’s a long list of all the things we regularly buy at Costco.
Our Costco Pool
One of the first things we purchased from Costco was a small above-ground swimming pool. We used and LOVED that pool for 3 full summers before we put in a more perminant pool in 2020.
If you’re curious about getting one of the Bestway Costco Pools, I wrote a massive post about it.
I’d love to hear from you:
If you currently have a Costco membership, I’d love to know what you love (or don’t love) about it.
Also, if you don’t have a Costco membership, have you utilized any of the non-membership deals and discounts listed above?
Mary Crans says
We love Costco as well! And, yes, we have our list of must-haves. We actually are closer to a Sam’s Club, so we have a membership there as well. When we need gas and can’t make it to Costco, it comes in handy. We also love McDonald’s K-cups, which aren’t consistently available at Costco.
One question … I thought I heard recently that Costco was cracking down on non-members using the food court. As members, we’ve not had a problem, but if that’s true, that’s no longer an option. m.
Andrea says
I’m honestly not sure about this Mary. I’ve seen lots of high school kids using the food court and I doubt they are all card-carrying members. It might be based on your location?
Mary Crans says
We were at Costco today (in Grand Rapids). They are now scanning membership cards on entry and when I specifically asked about the food court, the answer was only members are allowed. I think this is a relatively new process, so there might be some surprised high school kids! m.
Andrea says
ok good to know! Thanks for circling back to leave this updated comment.
Jessica says
My parents have a membership and I don’t but I love going just to get paper products such as TP & paper towel… get it in bulk so you don’t have to keep going to the store all the time… bulk produce and stuff li ke that doesn’t make sense for just 1 but household stuff does.
Raquel says
Thanks for the info. We have debated a Costco membership for years (Sams and Amazon Prime also). I just wonder if I would use it enough to justify the $55 membership fee. I will have to look into those guest days.
Melissa Q says
Costco is for me what Meijer is for you — I buy nearly all my groceries there, maybe heading to the grocery store for about 6-10 items in a month’s time. In fact, I have this fantasy about being on a reality show where I have to furnish an entirely empty house from Costco AND buy everything I need for an entire year’s time exclusively there. Seriously, I’m sure I could do it easily 🙂
We upgraded our membership to their Executive level, which gives you 2% rebate at the end of your year for your Costco purchases. We easily recoup the additional $50 this executive membership costs, plus it allows us to have their AmEx card where we get around $300 in rebates every year. The bulk of this is earned through their 3% back on gas purchases – which are NOT limited to Costco gas centers.
Big fan, big fan 🙂
And as a side note, what I love most about your site’s approach is that it echos my thought “you do what works for you”.
Lisa says
You can also buy the Costco cash cards thru their online site. I can’t remember if you have to be a member to do this (we are.) We buy the gift cards because we can use our rewards VISA to pay for them online and then use them to shop in the store. (The stores only take debit or AmEx.)
Kerry says
I used to have a Costco membership but swapped for a BJ’s one when I found out the BJ’s near me had gas–the Costco near me does not. With the gas, it’s worth the cost of the membership. Without, I would probably do the trial memberships or the occasional trip with friends.
JoDi says
We’ve been Costco members since 1988! Do I get a prize? LOL
We LOVE Costco and have saved a ton of money there over the years. I now work closer to a BJ’s Wholesale and we belong to that club too. There are different things I buy at each club that more than save us the membership fees for both clubs each year. Even if I never shopped at Costco, I would keep the membership for the discount on auto and home insurance alone. I price check with other companies every couple of years, and our rates are always lower by a few hundred dollars a year.
Chris k in Wisconsin says
We, too, love Costco! I am retired, and my husband is semi-retired, so it is just the 2 of us. It is always fun to go to Costco, and as someone else mentioned, they do have samples every day, not just the weekends. Their gardening supplies and plants and shrubs are wonderful. The bakery and produce is excellent. It is the only place I will buy ground beef. Never have the layer of grease with their ground beef. At Christmas their assortment of books for all ages is superb. AND, best of all, they pay their employees well, which is obvious in the excellent Customer Service we always receive!
Amy O says
I am a very frugal consumer, but I wholeheartedly endorse having a Costco membership. They offer such a great deal on contacts and glasses, it pays for our membership every year. (We are a very nearsighted family – both my husband and I and two of our kids need contacts and/or glasses.) They have great deals on a lot of other stuff too. They have a cheap deal on gas, and there are many food items from there we like. Their customer service is top notch. If you ever don’t like an item, they will reimburse you. We love Costco!
Becky says
We are huge Costco fans – got the membership as a wedding present twelve years ago. Diapers, formula, and wipes are super cheap and great quality. Good deals on tires, with free rotation and cheap road hazard warranty. Batteries are cheap, as well as all food staples. We buy lunchmeat, bread, cheese, milk, eggs, juice, and know that we’re getting good prices, without having to do all the legwork and coupon/flier hunting. Also, they do a lot with fair and safe buying practices, and continually evaluate their sources to be sure of quality and best prices. I really can’t say enough about Costco. I, too, am glad that you didn’t advocate continuously using giftcards or mooching off friends. If people want to use Costco’s services, they should do it in an ethical way. Thanks!
Rebecca G says
Costco also sells non-food items through Amazon (and on ebay) – I buy things like Costco’s Kirkland generic Zyrtec 365 tables for $12 on Amazon – amazing prices if you already have a Prime membership. (And it’s $5 cheaper than in Costco itself!)
Pam says
Costco is a favorite shopping destination for our whole family. We have used Costco to rent cars for vacation. We just rented a car in Florida for $187.00 for seven days. Can’t find a cheaper price any where. Again, we love Costco!!!
Rabecka says
We have a Costco membership (for the last 14 years) and we love it! We shop there twice per month. I’ve tried enough Kirkland brand products over the years to trust that they will always be high quality. We love the low gas prices and always fill up there when we are close by. And a biggie for me is the Photo Center. You can store and organize all of your digital photos on their site indefinitely for free! Printing is cheap cheap cheap, even for larger format printing. And most recently, I’ve utilized their photobook service. It was easy to use since my photos are already stored on their site and the book came out beautifully.
Rabecka says
Also, they ALWAYS have gorgeous dresses for my little girl at Christmas and Easter time for under $20!
Kelly says
Great tips – I didn’t know most of these!
In addition to the items you listed in the food court – their pizza is GREAT. If we’re picking up pizzas for a birthday party or whatever, they are a great option. You can’t get “gourmet” flavors (if it’s just my husband and I, maybe we’ll splurge for Papa John’s with lots of toppings), but for basic cheese/pepperoni/etc., I really like the taste of Costco pizza – much better than Pizza Hut or Domino’s. I’ve heard you can get them to double-cut it into extra small pieces for kids, too. Like the other food court items, no membership necessary, and you can call ahead to reserve it for later in the day (or, I imagine, maybe later in the week).
Andrea says
Thanks Kelly — is the pizza from the food court or bought in store (like a deli pizza that you need to bake at home?)
Kelly says
From the food court 🙂
Becky says
The pizza you buy (but would need a membership or gift card, I guess) is also amazing! We use it for Friday pizza night all the time and it’s occasionally on sale for $3.00 off! Freezes well, too. 🙂
Jennifer says
We have a basic membership and recoup our membership fee in diapers alone. We use their check printing services for my husbands business and our household finances as well and have not found a place that has cheaper prices for this..
Pamela says
We LOVE Costco. We are a small family (2 adults, 3 young kids) but still think it TOTALLY worth it to buy in bulk. I especially love Costco’s prices on organics. We’ve also purchased clothing, tires, cutting boards, small appliances, flowers, etc… in addition to weekly groceries. And their return policy is awesome. Can’t say enough good about Costco! I find it interesting (and pleasing) that they don’t play music. It’s the only store I can think of that doesn’t have music playing/blaring in the background.
Thanks for another great post, Andrea. Yours is the first blog I read every day! Can’t wait to see the finished mudroom pics!
Kelly in Oregon says
I was nervous when I read the title of this article, because Costco makes basically all of their money from membership fees. Their markup on items is extremely low and basically just pays for overhead like the lighting in the stores, etc. If everyone just started shopping with friends, they wouldn’t make any money and then they wouldn’t be in business anymore. But I think this blog is extremely well written – you specifically point out that these things shouldn’t be done forever (especially the shop with a friend or Costco cash card), but they are a great way to try out Costco and see if it’s for you! I am a Costco member, there are only 2 of us in my household but we still love it. We are there at least once a week and buy everything from strawberries to storage bins to everything in between. LOVE Costco.
Debbie says
When we first got married we didn’t think we needed a Costco membership because there’s only 2 of us. I didn’t like the idea of stocking our freezer, pantry. or fridge and then forgetting all the things we already have. Then we realized we could be saving by going there to get gas so we bought the basic membership. We used it to buy not only gas but food when we have parties, getting our wedding photos developed, a flat screen tv, plants, gifts, clothing, and eventually some produce and groceries. We ended up buying so much that it was a no brainier to upgrade the membership to gold and opening an American Express card. So now we get cash back credit on our American Express and another rebate coupon from Costco every year. We pay off our credit card so we don’t incur any interest. I do think its worth it.
stephanie says
Seriously? You can go in just for the food court? MY KIDS WOULD LOVE THIS!!! I wish I had known this all 2 years ago. The Kirkland brand of formula is by far the cheapest, and so similar to popular name brands.
Andrea says
yes, the food court is open to all 🙂
Verity says
Great article! Before our wedding, we shopped with a friend at Sam’s Club and saved a lot. But it never seemed worth it to purchase a membership. I didn’t know about these various options!
Kadie says
We have had a costco membership since 2006. We have the credit card as well. The credit card does not have an annual fee because the fee is the membership fee. With the points we earn from the credit card and the executive membership points we end up getting between $400-500 back each year. This has dropped a bit since we no longer need diapers and formula. Coscto gas is the cheapest in a 30 mile radius, unless we have points from our local grocery store. I shop at costco every 2 weeks. Their brand Kirkland Signature is of higher quality than most brand name products. They have a lot of organic and natural products at great prices compared to a grocery store. Those food stands are out all the time not just on weekends. They take great pride in their selection of furniture as well. Everything is high quality.
Also you don’t need a membership if you know someone who can buy you gift cards. You can enter by showing the gift card and pay for your items with those cards. I just read that on another blog.
Andrea says
Wow — I’ve heard great things about their credit cards. That’s awesome how much cash back you got!
And I’m not sure if you saw, but my #5 is the gift card / cash card option 🙂
Ann says
I totally agree with every point that Kadie explained.I also have their American Express card that I use for everything like a debit car and pay monthly (interest is a little high if you don’t plan to use it like me) definitely love Costco, last year I got back $438 -$50 if you deduct the membership is a pretty good deal. One thing I think is pretty good they offer and insurance car if rent a car when you travel. Customer service for this car is great any issues related and also returns at Costco, even food can be return. I usually goes twice a month. We are a family of 4, three adults one kid. Oh Kids cloth is very good quality and cute.
Hope this help you decide, I have also help friends shop with my card, no always works but it does sometimes 🙂
Note:I just found this blog and love it, this doesn’t have to do at all with this article but would really like to know how to manage so well with the cutler since I’m a working out of home Mom . Would really appreciate tips and how to keep everything organize without still have some time to relax on a daily basics
Debbie W. says
These are great tips! We live too far away from Costco (or Sam’s Club which is where I used to shop) to justify a membership, so this information is really great for me to know. So far the only tip on this list that I’ve tried is to shop with a friend. I’ve also asked friends who were going there to pick an item or two up for me. I’ve done that several times in order to get a few things that are definitely cheaper (like yeast for baking bread). I wonder how many of these tips apply to Sam’s Club? Thanks for sharing!!