Costco Reviews

Here are the top 10 alternatives to Costco:

1. Walmart: A multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores.
2. Amazon: A global powerhouse in the eCommerce sector, offering a vast selection of products through its online platform.
3. Target: Offers a wide range of products, from electronics and clothing to home goods and appliances.
4. Home Depot: A home improvement retailer offering a range of products found at Costco, including appliances, tools, and home furnishings.
5. Tesco: A British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues.
6. Walgreens: An American company that operates as the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States.
7. Kroger: An American retail company, it is the United States' largest supermarket by revenue.
8. Best Buy: A multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota.
9. Aldi: A German family-owned discount supermarket chains with over 10,000 stores in 20 countries.
10. BJ’s Wholesale Club: An American membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the East Coast of the United States and the states of Ohio and Michigan.

These alternatives offer a variety of options to consider for competitive pricing, convenience, or specialized product offerings.

To open an account on Costco.com, follow these steps:

1. Select Sign In / Register in the top right corner of the Costco.com homepage.
2. Select Create Account, then enter your e-mail address, a password, and — if you’re a member — the number found on your membership card.
3. Once you select the Create Account button, your account will be created.

Please keep in mind that being an active Costco member does not automatically register you on Costco.com. Your membership number is not linked to your account until you add it, either when you register or you update your Account Details in your Costco.com Account.

The cost of a Costco membership varies depending on the type of membership. The Gold Star Membership and the Business Membership each cost $60.00 annually. The Executive Membership costs $120.00 annually, which includes a $60 membership fee and a $60 upgrade fee. Each membership includes a free Household Card and is valid at all Costco locations worldwide. The Executive Membership also offers an annual 2% Reward on qualified Costco purchases, additional benefits and greater savings on Costco Services, and extra benefits on select Costco Travel products. Please note that these prices are subject to applicable sales tax..

To become a member of Costco, you have three options. You can visit any Costco warehouse and sign up in person at the membership desk. Alternatively, you can sign up online through the Costco website. Lastly, you can call 1-800-774-2678 to speak with a Membership specialist over the phone. Costco offers different types of memberships, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Once you've chosen your membership type, you can start enjoying the benefits of being a Costco member. These benefits include shopping at all Costco warehouses and online at Costco.com, additional benefits and discounts on many Costco services, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Costco will cancel and refund your membership at any time if you are dissatisfied.

At Costco, the price you see is the price you pay. They offer a range of products from electronics, computers, furniture, outdoor living, appliances, jewelry, and more. They also provide various services such as installation, haul away, and extended warranties. Costco's membership prices are based on a tiered structure. The Executive Membership costs $120 per year, the Gold Star Membership and Business Membership each cost $60 per year. However, Costco doesn't advertise or quote product pricing for their warehouse locations over the phone or online. You would need to visit your nearest Costco warehouse to get product pricing info..

Yes, you can shop at Costco without a membership. There are a few ways to do this. One way is to use a Costco Shop Card, which is a gift card that can be used at Costco. You can use it just like dollars at the checkout for any purchase. However, the Costco Shop Card needs to be purchased and refilled by a current Costco member. Another way is to shop with a member. While the member must be the one checking out and paying for the products, you are more than welcome to tag along and reimburse your Costco-member buddy. Lastly, you can shop via Instacart. The prices will be higher than if you have a membership card, but you can shop their aisles using the Instacart app. The minimum purchase is $35. Please note that there is no free Costco membership, shopping pass, day pass, trial pass, guest pass, trial membership, or other trial period where you can walk up to the door, walk in, and buy whatever you'd like. Also, please be aware that there are additional fees and surcharges when shopping at Costco.com and Instacart without a membership.

Costco is a wholesale retailer known for its variety of products and consistently great pricing on bulk items. The inventory changes frequently, both in-store and online, and includes everything from everyday items like paper towels to high-end diamond jewelry. Some of the most popular products at Costco include their toilet paper, which they sell over a billion rolls of each year, and their $4.99 rotisserie chicken, of which they sell hundreds of millions every year. Other top items include Costco's bacon, hot dog and soda combo, and their gas. Costco also offers a wide selection of organic foods, including large bags of frozen berries that are significantly cheaper than at other stores. They also carry a range of authentic Italian ingredients, such as good quality olive oil from Italy and organic Castelvetrano green olives. In the baking aisle, you can find bulk flour, sugar, spices, and baking chocolates at some of the best prices around. Another popular item is 100% organic maple syrup, which is of good quality and priced well. Please note that not everything sold at Costco stores is available for delivery through its website, and inventory varies regionally. Items can sell out quickly, but that can be part of the fun. Prices may be lower for members, and members get free two-day delivery. Non-members will be charged a 5% surcharge at check out. There are two tiers of consumer memberships with annual dues: Gold ($60) and Executive ($120), which offer varying benefits and discounts.

A Costco membership offers several benefits. For an annual fee of $60, you can shop at any Costco store worldwide and access its services. The membership includes one free Household Card. Costco accepts all Visa® cards, as well as cash, checks, debit/ATM cards, EBT, and Costco Shop Cards.

There are different types of memberships, such as the Executive Membership and Business Membership, each with its own set of benefits. The Executive Membership costs an additional $60 upgrade fee a year and includes an annual 2% Reward (up to $1,000) on qualified Costco purchases.

Beyond offering access to wholesale prices on groceries and household items, your Costco membership provides much more. Additional benefits include discounts on gas, travel, insurance, prescription savings, tire services, and business services. Some services, such as home and auto insurance, deals on vehicles and auto services, bottled water delivery, and Costco gas stations, are also available.

Please note that terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to some of these benefits.

The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is a credit card designed specifically for Costco members. It offers cash back on all purchases and additional cash back on categories such as eligible gas and EV charging, restaurants and eligible travel, and purchases from Costco and Costco.com.

Cardholders earn 4% on eligible gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter. They also earn 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com, and 1% on all other purchases.

Cash back earned from your Costco Citi card will be provided as an annual credit card reward certificate once your February billing statement closes, and is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco Warehouses. The card also offers various benefits such as damage & theft purchase protection, no foreign transaction fees, travel and emergency assistance, worldwide car rental insurance, travel accident insurance, and roadside assistance dispatch service.

The card can also be used as your Costco membership ID. There is no annual fee with your paid Costco membership. Please note that certain terms, limitations, and exclusions apply to these benefits.

Unfortunately, Costco.com does not accept PayPal as a payment method. The accepted payment methods on Costco.com are All Visa Cards, The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, MasterCard, Most PIN-based Debit/ATM Cards, and Costco Shop Cards. However, there are alternative ways you can use your PayPal balance to make purchases at Costco. For example, if you have a PayPal MasterCard, you can use that. Please note that this information might have changed after my last update in 2021.

To get a Costco Shop Card, you can purchase it either in-store or on the Costco website. The card comes in two formats: a physical card or a digital format through email. If you choose the digital format, the delivery of the Digital Shop Card is normally within 2 hours of receiving your Costco Order Confirmation email. However, it may take up to 24 hours in some instances. To gift a Digital Shop Card, select or create a new shipping address for your recipient on the checkout page. The Costco Shop Card can be used for making purchases of merchandise or gasoline at any Costco location in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, or on Costco.com and Costco.ca. The card can be reloaded with value at any Costco Warehouse. If your Costco Shop Card is lost or stolen, and you have proof of purchase, Costco will issue a replacement for the shown value on their records by visiting the membership desk at your local warehouse. To activate the card, call the toll-free number that will be included with your card. For individual card purchases, please have the ship-to phone number available at time of activation. For orders of two or more cards, please activate all cards prior to distributing to recipients. Please note that balances cannot be applied as payments to any account or redeemed for cash, except as required by law. Costco Shop Cards are mailed with a zero balance.

Costco.com offers a Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on both membership and merchandise. If you are dissatisfied with your membership or any product, Costco will cancel and refund your membership fee or refund your purchase price at any time. However, there are some exceptions:

• Electronics: Costco will accept returns within 90 days from the date the member received the merchandise for items like Televisions, Projectors, Major Appliances, Computers, Touchscreen Tablets, Smart Watches, Cameras, Aerial Cameras (drones), Camcorders, MP3 players and Cellular Phones.
• Diamonds: Members returning a diamond over 1.00ct must also present all original paperwork (IGI and/or GIA certificates) at which time they will receive a Jewelry Credit Memo.
• Cigarettes and alcohol: Costco does not accept returns on cigarettes or alcohol where prohibited by law.
• Special Order Kiosk and Custom Installed Programs: Custom products manufactured to our member’s personal and unique specifications cannot be returned or refunded, except for warranty repair/replacement due to failure to meet specifications.
• Airline and Live Performance Event items, Gold bullion, gold bars, silver coins, and Shop Cards are non-refundable.

Products purchased at a Costco location need to be returned at the returns counter at any Costco warehouse. Items ordered online can be returned at any Costco warehouse or you can initiate a return through costco.com.

As for the shipping policy, Costco.com offers several delivery options. Shipping on most items is included. They offer Standard Delivery, Standard Delivery w/ No Pre Scheduled Appointment, Curbside Delivery, Threshold Delivery, Room of Choice Delivery, and White Glove Delivery. For large items, you’ll be sent an email with additional instructions. Costco also offers in-home delivery with basic hookup and haul away for certain items. Costco Grocery Delivery is only available in select markets and is only available to Costco Members. Orders are limited to one address per delivery. Costco Grocery has two options: 2-Day Delivery which includes non-perishable items. Items marked 2-Day Delivery are subject to a $3 delivery surcharge per item. Each product on Costco.com has its own shipping fee attached (although many items are shipped at no additional charge). If there’s a shipping charge, you’ll find it on the product detail page to the right of the product picture. Most items on Costco.com are shipped directly from their vendors and manufacturers with whom they’re contracted. Each vendor and manufacturer has its own shipping charge, and it cannot be waived by Costco. There are cases when items may be shipped from different locations (even if the items are identical) depending upon inventory availability. Each item and any associated shipping fees are charged at the time that the item ships—this is why you might see multiple charges on your financial statement. For CostcoGrocery, products with 2-Day Delivery will have an additional delivery fee per item, unless the order total is over $75. For more information, visit their CostcoGrocery page..

To initiate a return through Costco.com, follow these steps:

1. Log into your account through Sign In / Register.
2. Select Orders & Returns.
3. Choose the Return Items button next to the appropriate order, and follow the prompts to complete your return or replacement request.
4. Receive your return label immediately or schedule a pickup (where eligible). For large items, you'll be sent an email with additional instructions.

Please note that these steps are for general returns. If you have a specific situation or item, the process may vary. It's always a good idea to check Costco's return policy for the most accurate information.