1-Year Costco Gold Star Membership + $30 Digital Costco Shop Card

JoM3686

May 12, 2023 5:25 AM

52 Comments

Joined Aug 2017

JoM3686May 12, 2023 5:25 AM

52 Comments

Quote from kafkaesque

:

the one rule that usually disqualifies me from getting a discounted Costco membership is that it regularly requires automatic renewal with a Visa card, which I don't have. I don't see that requirement here.

If you have a Visa branded debit card, that will work also I believe.

JoM3686

May 12, 2023 5:26 AM

52 Comments

Joined Aug 2017

JoM3686May 12, 2023 5:26 AM

52 Comments

Quote from Trixster24

:

May be a stupid question, but I've been the secondary member for my household, would I qualify as a new member or does that 18 month rule count for me as well? Thanks

Last time I tried to use one doing that, it said you would not qualify, as they consider that still a member. I tried anyway, and they refused to give me my gift card that would discount the membership.

wendellzhu

May 12, 2023 5:58 AM

17 Comments

Joined Nov 2016

wendellzhuMay 12, 2023 5:58 AM

17 Comments

can you buy two certificates to upgrade to a executive membership?

TimelessJoe

May 12, 2023 11:50 AM

136 Comments

Joined Jan 2023

TimelessJoeMay 12, 2023 11:50 AM

136 Comments

Quote from kafkaesque

:

the last time I tried to sign up for a membership (either with Groupon or Living Social), I went to the membership desk to complete the sign up & they wanted to see the card I used to pay, they refused to accept anything other than a Visa credit card, which I didn't have. I was given a refund by Groupon.

I'm looking to get eyeglasses. I was told that I can make an appointment to see the optician, but I need to be a member to purchase eyeglasses.

Wow, I just went in yesterday to get my card. I handed him the printout of the email with my confirmation membership and all he asked for was my Driver's license then tried to get me to sign up for thier credit card and when I said no he took my picture and that was it.

Nevermind, I paid with a visa credit card laugh out loud

TimelessJoe

May 12, 2023 11:53 AM

136 Comments

Joined Jan 2023

TimelessJoeMay 12, 2023 11:53 AM

136 Comments

Quote from allenkey

:

That's why the suggestion was to get $20 GCs and pay the difference at check out. 3 months worth is $60 if you shop once a month.

BTW, paying 20% APR on a credit card is not at all such slick. Don't do it.

Oh I get what you are saying now, the GC is only to get through the door and start the purchase then pay another way. I thought you were suggesting just using another payment form to top off the transaction that the GC's didn't cover.

cs_guy

May 12, 2023 4:53 PM

72 Comments

Joined Jul 2016

cs_guyMay 12, 2023 4:53 PM

72 Comments

are household card recipients considered members? I had a gold membership under my name 6 months ago. Gave the free household card to my brother.

can he now sign up for this deal and add me as his free household member?

1

Ryson11

May 12, 2023 5:00 PM

2K Comments

Joined Sep 2018

Ryson11May 12, 2023 5:00 PM

2K Comments

Quote from TimelessJoe

:

Oh I get what you are saying now, the GC is only to get through the door and start the purchase then pay another way. I thought you were suggesting just using another payment form to top off the transaction that the GC's didn't cover.

So no need to buy a membership? Just buy let's say $10 GC x 12 = $120 for year and just use those throughout to pay checkout and another form of payment?

1

Wakeupsidd12345

May 12, 2023 9:41 PM

247 Comments

Joined Jan 2022

Wakeupsidd12345May 12, 2023 9:41 PM

247 Comments

Quote from claydeaux

:

For everyone here who is stealing memberships by using someone else's card.... places like this run on memberships. Imagine selling one membership and allowing 10 people to use it. Lost revenue.
Imagine a musician releasing an album. One person buys it, then makes 10 copies for friends. Lost revenue. Now imagine you own Costco, or you released the album, and all the lost revenue is money not in YOUR pocket. Stop stealing, one day it may be you being stolen from.

Musicians and Costco makes a lot of money from middle class people and I don't think its a big deal for them :-)

1

tacomaguy20

May 12, 2023 9:42 PM

346 Comments

Joined Jan 2018

tacomaguy20May 12, 2023 9:42 PM

346 Comments

Quote from IndigoStove5818

:

I love Costco but sometimes, man, they need to give customers a break. My boyfriend has a card and we live together, he didn't have time to go with me and add me to get the 2nd card yet but I borrowed the card one time to go buy some household stuff for us. I went to self checkout and with a CARTFUL of items but the guy turned me away saying sorry you can't use someone else's card and we can revoke this membership if you break this rule. Like dude, what a power trip. lol I had to leave the cart there

I've been to self checkout with someone else's card (similar situation) and I just scanned the card on the self checkout and the guy was over helping someone else. I don't even think I spoke to anyone that day. Are they auditing the self check out line to see if your card is yours now?

1

tacomaguy20

May 12, 2023 9:51 PM

346 Comments

Joined Jan 2018

tacomaguy20May 12, 2023 9:51 PM

346 Comments

Quote from beans

:

That's a hard no. I have access to both and they're leagues apart. Costco is very much more premium and Sam's is just a supped up walmart. You're paying less because you're receiving less. Also, Sam's club pizza is straight garbage.

You don't need a membership to buy Costco pizza, just tell the guy at the front you're going to get pizza and go right in.

1

tacomaguy20

May 12, 2023 9:53 PM

346 Comments

Joined Jan 2018

tacomaguy20May 12, 2023 9:53 PM

346 Comments

Quote from TurtlePerson2

:

It's worth noting that Costco's mostly makes its money from memberships. Their TTM profits were about $8B and they have 64M memberships, which cost $60 each (assume that the higher cost memberships don't make more money). That's $4.1B in profits. And this is during the boom years for Costco, pre-COVID Costco made $4-5B in profit each year, meaning that almost all of the earnings for the business were memberships.

Put another way, Costco's whole business is predicated on the membership fee. If they don't get that membership fee, then they can't do the $5 rotisserie chicken or the $15 half-gallons of Kirkland liquor. Costco isn't for everyone, but criticizing them as being unfair to their loyal customers is unfair.

In some states you don't need a Costco membership to buy liquor, so you can still buy the cheap liquor regardless. The rotisserie chicken is off limits though. But the food court (Pizza, etc) doesn't require a membership either.

1

3

skinnytony

May 12, 2023 9:54 PM

141 Comments

Joined Aug 2018

skinnytonyMay 12, 2023 9:54 PM

141 Comments

Quote from Wakeupsidd12345

:

Musicians and Costco makes a lot of money from middle class people and I don't think its a big deal for them :-)

They are randomly checking cards now in the checkout lines. They were hitting up everyone in the self checkout lines on a couple of my recent visits.

skinnytony

May 12, 2023 10:00 PM

141 Comments

Joined Aug 2018

skinnytonyMay 12, 2023 10:00 PM

141 Comments

Okay, sorry for being stupid but how does this work? I just bought this on StackSocial. Do I hit the "redeem" button now or when I get to the customer service desk at Costco?

tacomaguy20

May 12, 2023 10:17 PM

346 Comments

Joined Jan 2018

tacomaguy20May 12, 2023 10:17 PM

346 Comments

Quote from claydeaux

:

For everyone here who is stealing memberships by using someone else's card.... places like this run on memberships. Imagine selling one membership and allowing 10 people to use it. Lost revenue.
Imagine a musician releasing an album. One person buys it, then makes 10 copies for friends. Lost revenue. Now imagine you own Costco, or you released the album, and all the lost revenue is money not in YOUR pocket. Stop stealing, one day it may be you being stolen from.

It's not about stealing memberships when they literally offer you an additionally membership for free. They just have the bullshit stipulation that it must be someone who lives in your same household. On many occasions, I have taken my friend shopping with me (I eat all of his food anyways) and I buy all his groceries under my membership and he just gives me cash or zelles me some money. The cashiers don't say shit either because for all they know we live in the same household, we don't but we could (and we share food enough that we practically do). The fact is that two customers equates to twice as much business for Costco and not every product is a loss leader, they are still making plenty of money off of me. Additionally, I've had Costco employees tell me I can add non-household members to my memberships too (although if they aren't there when you are signing up, don't expect the next Costco employee to honor that) because even the employees know it's the products sold, not the memberships that matter. It seems to me that Costco is just stingy. A free membership for someone else shouldn't matter if they are in same household or not. Sams Club understands this.

2

slackerrudie

May 13, 2023 12:18 AM

1.5K Comments

Joined Oct 2014

slackerrudieMay 13, 2023 12:18 AM

1.5K Comments

Do they have self scan with phone app like at Sam's. I never wait in line there.

4

1-Year Costco Gold Star Membership + $30 Digital Costco Shop Card

$60

$90

Editor's Notes

Original Post

Editor's Notes

Original Post

Community Voting

Top Comments

Join The Conversation

248 Comments

Join The Conversation

Related Searches

Popular Deals

Trending Deals