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Costco differs from other stores in that you need to be a paid member to be able to walk in the door. At a regular supermarket or big-box retailer, that concept doesn’t apply.
But even if it doesn’t make sense for you to pay for a membership, that doesn’t mean shopping at Costco is off the table. Non-members are allowed to place orders on Costco.com.
While certain online items are designated as members only (meaning, you can’t buy them as a non-member), the bulk of Costco’s online inventory is available to anyone willing to pay — member or not.
But shopping at Costco.com without a membership will cost you extra money. If you’re placing online orders frequently, it could make sense to spring for a membership.
You’re going to pay up as a non-member
Costco uses the revenue it collects in membership fees to offset its costs. As a non-member, you’re not contributing there, so Costco’s policy is to allow non-members to place orders online, but add a 5% surcharge to anything purchased on its website (other than prescription drugs).
Here’s what that might mean. Let’s say you buy $100 worth of products on Costco.com. You’ll be charged $105 if you aren’t a paid member.
If you place a $100 order three times a year, then it makes financial sense to pay for those 5% surcharges. Your total cost there is $15, compared to having to spend $60 for a basic membership. Also, the cost of a basic membership is increasing to $65 starting Sept. 1.
But once your online spending reaches a certain threshold, it makes more financial sense to spring for an annual membership than to keep paying extra for your orders. Since we’re getting pretty close to Sept. 1, we’ll use $65 as our basic membership cost.
This means that if you order more than $1,300 worth of products from Costco.com in a single year, you’ll spend more on surcharges than a basic membership. So you’ll need to figure out which option makes the most sense.
Costco benefits beyond online savings
You might assume that it makes sense to save your money and shop at Costco.com as a non-member, even if that means incurring surcharges. But keep in mind that joining Costco offers benefits beyond lower prices online.
First, Costco’s in-store prices are typically even less expensive than the deals you’ll see online, because Costco builds the cost of shipping and handling into its online prices. So the difference between what you’re paying as a non-member on the site versus a member using the store may be more significant than you’d think.
Imagine you buy a $20 case of popcorn bags online as a non-member. When we add in the surcharge, your cost rises to $21. But that same case of popcorn bags at an actual Costco store might cost you only $17.
Now, multiply that bigger price difference across 40, 50, or 90 items that you might buy over a year. When you think about it that way, getting a membership could pay off.
Plus, Costco members can benefit from lower-cost gas, food court access for cheap meals (non-members can no longer access the store’s food courts), and an auto center that sells affordable tires that basically come with free lifetime maintenance. And these are just a few examples.
Before you assume that you’re better off sticking to Costco.com and paying surcharges as they come up, consider all of the perks you might be missing out on by not having a membership.
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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.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
