3 Surprising Costco Rules You May Not Know About

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When I first joined Costco , I was surprised by some of its rules. For example, I would've thought you'd need a receipt to make a return, but it turns out, you don't. Costco can look up your purchases using your membership ID number and give you a refund even if your receipt is long gone.

I was also surprised to learn that shoppers can help themselves to as many free samples as they want. Granted, I'm usually the type to steer clear of free samples because crowds tend to congregate near those booths and I don't like being swarmed by people. But it's an interesting policy nonetheless.

But while these Costco rules may be pretty well-known, some of the store's policies are more surprising -- in a good way. Here are three rules you should be aware of.

1. You can cancel your membership at any time -- even if it's been almost a year

Costco guarantees your satisfaction with any purchase you make at the store. And that extends to your membership itself. If you buy a membership and it doesn't end up meeting your needs, you can cancel at any time up to the one-year mark and get a refund. So technically, you can shop at Costco for 364 days and then cancel and receive your money back.

Of course, whether that's the right thing to do is a different story. And don't plan on canceling at the 364-day mark and renewing a day or two later. Costco is aware of that trick and it won't let you renew right away.

But if you're new to the store and you find that your membership isn't working out after 30 or 60 days, just cancel it. You won't be blacklisted for life.

2. You can get your money back for an Executive membership that doesn't work out

The benefit of upgrading to an Executive membership is getting to earn cash back on your purchases. But there's a spending threshold you need to meet to make the upgrade fee worth it.

Starting Sept. 1, the cost of an Executive membership will be $130 a year, which is double the $65 a basic (Gold Star) membership will cost at that time. Since you can earn 2% back on your purchases with an Executive membership, it'll take $3,250 in annual Costco spending to break even on your upgrade cost. So you might assume that if you only spend $3,000, you'll lose money.

But that's not the case. Another lesser-known Costco rule is that if you downgrade your Executive membership, Costco will make you whole on your upgrade fee. So if you spend $65 to upgrade but only get $60 back through your purchases, at the time you go back to a basic membership, Costco will also refund you $5. This makes the Executive membership upgrade completely risk-free.

3. You can return partially eaten food you don't enjoy -- with a catch

There's no question that Costco will refund food purchases when there's an obvious quality issue. For example, say you buy a case of berries with a sell-by date of Aug. 15, only by Aug. 12, they're completely moldy. In that case, you'll clearly be eligible for a refund.

But did you know that Costco will also give you a refund for food you simply don't like -- even if you've already eaten some? It's true.

Say you bought bread at the bakery you're not enjoying. If you bring back the bulk of that loaf, Costco will give you your money back. Similarly, if you buy a rotisserie chicken, eat a few pieces, and find that the taste seems off, you can return it and get your money back.

One thing you need to know is that if you're going to return partially eaten food on the basis of taste, you need to bring back at least 50% of it to get your money back. In other words, you can't buy a Costco cake, eat the majority of it, and bring back a few slices because it's not tasting right. But if you buy a large cake and return it with a few slices missing, Costco shouldn't give you a problem.

You might also run into an issue if you establish a pattern of repeatedly bringing back food you claim doesn't meet your standards, taste-wise. But the occasional return won't be a problem.

It's important to familiarize yourself with Costco's rules to make the most of your shopping experience. And if you're ever unsure about a given policy, just ask customer service. Those representatives are well-versed in those rules, and they'll be happy to explain what you can and cannot do.

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