This post can be edited by most users to provide up-to-date information about developments of this thread based on user responses, and user findings. Feel free to add, change or remove information shown here as it becomes available. This includes new coupons, rebates, ideas, thread summary, and similar items.
Once a Thread Wiki is added to a thread, "Create Wiki" button will disappear. If you would like to learn more about Thread Wiki feature, click here.
Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
expiredcitan359 | Staff posted Nov 27, 2025 1:43 PM
Top Comments
Want a loophole? Get a friend to buy you some Costco gift cards, smallest available denomination (which used to be $25 per card). Your gift card is now your entry pass. When you want to buy something, show the checkout person and ask them to ring you up as a non-member (used to be member 99). Pay using your card and they'll let you use a different card to pay the remainder.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
175 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
The only thing better at Sam's club is scan and go and curb side pick up. Other than that Costco is better. Sam's club charges high shipping for online items and even as a plus member you still have to spend $50 to get free shipping. Costco has a much bigger appliance and furniture selections and much better deals on them
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
My experience is the customers are rude in and out of the store as well. Especially in the gas line I stopped using as a "benefit".
My 2 closest Sam's are much faster and the scan and go is, quite frankly, the best shopping experience ever. You can order a pizza in the parking lot, walk in and grab sushi and a bag of pistachios, and just grab the hot pizza on the way out. No stopping at the entrance and back in your car in like 10 minutes! Costco has a higher fee and some better pre packaged food choices. I actually cancelled my Costco but my wife's company just gave here a free membership so I used it today on a road trip. Probably the worst shopping experience I've had in the last year at any grocery store or gas station 🤷🏼 ♂️
You still need to show your card up to 4 times in one visit with at least 3 times now. At Sam's I don't even do it once and never wait in line. The Costco line is almost always long and inconsistent. My local one had self checkout but just got rid of it. The one I just went to in MA still had them(still a line). Weird and inconsistent.
There is definitely stuff I like at Costco more but the membership is like 3x the cost and gas would probably be the biggest ROI but I'm not waiting in that crazy line. Mine the phone doesn't work either you you have to dig out the actual card and they have some weird accordion thing that makes the gas stop pumping easily. This seems to also be a "feature" at all the Costco's. While I'm thinking about it, you have to pay with a credit card at Costco too so you need to pull out 2 cards. Probably why it takes so long. Sams you just scan your phone and pay in 1 second.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Absolutely LOVE the idea of only allowing members in the store to shop. A WIN-WIN for Costco and customers in filtering out the crowd.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!