Most Costco shoppers find that the cost of their membership is far outweighed by the annual savings that come with shopping in bulk at a discount warehouse club. Here’s how much Costco’s memberships cost, what they get you, and how you might be able to get one free or at a discount.
Costco’s 2 membership options and how much they cost
Costco offers two different membership tiers for personal and business members alike:
- Costco Gold Star Membership: $65 per year
- Costco Executive Membership: $130 per year
Both membership tiers grant shoppers access to Costco’s brick-and-mortar warehouse stores, food courts, gas stations, and online store.
Costco Gold Star vs. Executive Membership benefits explained
Costco Gold Star members, who pay $65 per year, get two Costco cards they can use to access the company’s stores, along with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, meaning they can cancel their membership at any time for a full refund.
Costco Executive members, who pay $130 per year, get these same benefits, plus the following:
- 2% cash back on all Costco purchases (capped at $1,250 cash back per year)
- Exclusive early shopping hours (9-10 a.m. Sunday–Friday, 9:30–10 a.m. Saturday)
- $10 monthly credit on purchases of $150 or more when ordering from Costco via Instacart or sameday.costco.com
How to get next year’s Costco Executive Membership for free
If you purchase a Costco Executive Membership for $130, then spend at least $6,500 at Costco over the course of the year, your year-end 2% cash back voucher will be worth $130 or more. You can then use that voucher to purchase another year of Executive Membership.
Does Costco offer discounted memberships?
Costco does not usually discount its membership fees (although its biggest rival, Sam’s Club, sometimes does). That being said, Costco occasionally offers incentives like gift cards to certain new members, like students, seniors, or military personnel.
In September 2025, for instance, Costco partnered with UNiDAYS, a student discount platform, to offer students who sign up for a Gold Star or Executive Membership a $20 or $40 Costco Shop Card, respectively, essentially lowering the cost of membership.
How to get a Costco membership
To purchase a Costco Membership in-store, visit your nearest Costco warehouse club, and enter through the door where shoppers exit, telling the receipt checker you want to speak with customer service (if they ask). At the customer service desk, you can purchase a Costco Gold Star or Executive Membership using any of the following payment methods:
- Cash
- Check
- Costco Shop Card
- Debit card
- Visa credit card
- Apple Pay or other digital wallet (so long as the underlying payment method is a debit card or Visa credit card)
You can also purchase a Costco membership online; however, your payment options will be limited to debit card, Visa credit card, or Costco Shop Card, as Costco.com does not accept cash, check, or digital wallet payments.
You cannot purchase a Costco membership on the Costco smartphone app.
