Don't Feel Like Paying $65 for Your Costco Membership? Here's How to Shop There Anyway

Image source: Getty Images

Costco has such an amazing, dedicated following that people who are not even members like to shop there too. Ah, but you have to have a membership card to not only get in, but also to check out?

Au contraire!

The fact is, there are more than a few ways to shop at Costco , even if you are not a member. How can you shop at Costco without a membership? Here's how.

Shop online at Costco.com

If you think the choices are plentiful inside a Costco, just wait until you see what is available at Costco.com. Not only will you find all of the items that you would find inside your friendly, neighborhood Costco warehouse, but you will find a lot more, too. And yes, you can shop online at Costco.com without being a member.

However, you should be aware of a couple of small e-wrinkles. First, without a membership, Costco.com shoppers will pay an additional 5% surcharge on top of the checkout price. In addition, some items that you will find online will be available for "members only."

On the bright side, Costco.com also takes Mastercard credit cards -- in store, you can only use Visa credit cards .

Use a Costco Shop Card

A Costco "Shop Card" is Costco's version of a gift card. But there is a hitch: As a non-member, you cannot buy one. It has to be purchased by a member. But if you do get one (however you finagle that), then you can use it inside the store, and without a membership.

Here are two more cool facts about the Shop Card:

1. The cards are reloadable (by a member)
2. You can use them at Costco gas stations

Shop with a member

Costco allows members to bring two non-members with them into the store, so here is another way to shop Costco without your own membership. That said, non-members still cannot check out without a membership, so the Costco member who brings you would have to do the purchasing and you would need to reimburse them for those purchases.

Now let's look at three ways you can actually shop inside a Costco on your own.

Use the Costco pharmacy

Not surprisingly, the Costco pharmacy offers some amazing prices on pharmaceuticals (and here's a fun fact: the pharmacy even fills prescriptions for pets). That's great news for non-members because the pharmacy is one of the few departments that is open to the general public, including non-members. You can get prescriptions filled inside the store or online.

Get your eyes examined

Like the pharmacy, the Costco optical center is also open to the public. This is not to say you can buy glasses or frames there, as non-members cannot. But non-members are allowed to get their eyes examined by the Costco optometrist.

Buy alcohol

In the states below, Costco is legally forbidden from only selling alcohol to members. While a supervisor may need to approve the sale at checkout, non-members are legally allowed to buy alcohol without a membership card (but no other items).

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New York
• Texas
• Vermont

So yes, there are a few ways to work around the need for a Costco membership. But that also raises the question: If you like Costco and its prices so much, perhaps you should swing for a membership? It might be easier.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

We love versatile credit cards that offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco! This card is a standout among America's favorite credit cards because it offers perhaps the easiest $200 cash bonus you could ever earn and an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, even when you shop at Costco.

Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it's no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2025 $370 calls on Mastercard and short January 2025 $380 calls on Mastercard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .