Costco is a bulk-shopping chain that requires customers to have a membership in order to shop in their stores. There is no way to shop at Costco without having a membership. So, if you want to shop at Costco, you can get a membership to be able to access their products and discounts.
There are three different memberships: Gold Star Membership, at a price of $60.00 a year, and it’s valid in all the Costco stores all around the world (includes only one card). Business Membership, same price as the other, but can add affiliate cardholders for $60 each. And the Executive Membership, that’s $120 a year and includes a 2% cashback (a limit of $2,000), plus additional benefits and great savings that the other categories does not reach. By now, you can infer that the only way to shop at Costco is with a membership. Or… is there another way?
The trick to shop at Costco without a membership
With the aforementioned memberships, Costco allows itself to offer its customers ridiculously low prices, extremely competitive compared to the market average and that other chains can hardly reach. But there is a way to shop at Costco commitment-free: using Instacart, a home delivery application that works interconnected with Costco to sell to non-membership customers its products.
The Instacart platform gained popularity during the pandemic, and its service improved and grew over time. I not only delivers Costco products, but also takes orders for other chains such as Kroger, Aldi, or CVS.
The app is changing the game in terms of Costco’s members-only policy, because using it is practically free. Based on your order, same-day delivery on Instacart starts at $3.99 for orders over $35. If you are an Instacart+ member, delivery is free for orders over $35.
In addition to all that, if you are already a Costco member, you can get free Instacard+ for two months and a reduced membership if you are still active beyond that time. The only problem with all this is that Instacard prices can be slightly higher than Costco (if you bought in the store or on the web, being a member).
“If you’re not a member, you can shop directly from Instacart.com, but you’ll pay a higher price than members shopping on Costco Same-Day Delivery,” the chain says on its website. However, it might be worth it to dip your toes into the world of Costco commitment-free.
The benefits of a Costco membership
If you feel more confident buying with a membership, of course it has its advantages. Some benefits of shopping at Costco with membership include low prices on a wide variety of products, specially with the house brand, Kirkland Signature;, high-quality customer service, and access to exclusive products and special offers only available to Costco members.
In addition, Costco members can enjoy additional services, such as home delivery, financial advice and photo printing services. Overall, having a Costco membership can help you save money on your purchases and offer you a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience. Whether with or without membership, those of us who are fans of Costco know what we save with their good prices and their infinite stock.