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[[{“value”:”Image source: Getty ImagesA Costco Gold Star membership costs $65 a year, or $130 if you want to upgrade to an Executive membership that gives you 2% cash back on your purchases. And for many people, either fee is more than worth paying. But if these signs apply to you, you may be wasting your money by paying for Costco access.Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026
This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!
Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes. 1. Bulk groceries and supplies don’t work for youMaybe you’re a household of one. Or maybe you don’t have much physical space at home.In either situation, buying products in bulk may not make sense or be feasible. And since that’s a big reason to join Costco, you’ll need to ask yourself whether you’re using the store’s other benefits enough for a membership to make sense.To be clear, it can absolutely pay to be a Costco member even if you rarely buy groceries or 12 rolls of paper towels at a time. Booking a single trip through Costco Travel, for example, could save you more than enough money to recoup your membership fee.But if you know off the bat that buying in bulk doesn’t make sense, and you’re also not using Costco for the various services it offers, like travel, home improvement, and so forth, then you may be better off canceling your membership.You also don’t want to force yourself to buy groceries in bulk for the express purpose of feeling like you’re getting your money’s worth from your membership. If you save $12 on a week’s worth of groceries but throw out most of your haul, that’s not really saving anything.So if you don’t have room for bulk purchases or can’t justify them due to your household size, instead of paying for Costco, cancel and use the money you’re saving at a regular supermarket.You should also know that swiping the right credit card at the grocery store could help you save more on regular-sized items. Click here for a list of the best credit cards for non-Costco grocery purchases.2. You don’t have a carIt’s possible to benefit from a Costco membership if you don’t own a car. But without a car, shopping in person is going to be tough. And also, without a car, you miss out on many of the benefits Costco has to offer.One major perk of joining Costco is saving money on gas. Another big benefit is that Costco sells quality tires that come with free maintenance and a five-year road hazard warranty. But without a car, these aren’t things you can take advantage of.3. You only order from Costco.comMaybe you like Costco’s prices but can’t stand going to the store because of the crowds. If you pretty much only make purchases from Costco.com, then you may not need a membership.Costco does not require a membership for online orders, but what it does is tack on a 5% surcharge for non-members. But if you don’t order all that frequently, or your orders tend to be fairly small, it could make sense to pay that surcharge instead of a membership fee.It takes $1,300 a year in Costco.com purchases to rack up $65 in surcharges, which is the cost of a Gold Star membership. But if you spend $1,200 a year at Costco.com, you’re only paying $60 extra for your purchases, so you might as well save yourself the $5.That said, some Costco.com products are member-only. If you don’t pay for the membership, you lose access to those.Also worth considering is the fact that online prices are generally higher on Costco items (surcharge aside), than what you’d find in store. For example, you might pay $23.49 for Costco’s Kirkland Signature toilet paper online, and just $19.99 in store. And that $23.49 is before the surcharge is tacked on at checkout. That’s already about a 17.5% increase in price you’ll pay for ordering online. So, overall, if you’re primarily shopping online at Costco, member or not, you’re not reaping the kind of savings you could be by shopping in a warehouse store as a paying member.There are plenty of good reasons to keep paying for Costco access. But if any of these signs apply to you, you may want to consider canceling.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.
Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money 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.”}]] [[{“value”:”
Image source: Getty Images
A Costco Gold Star membership costs $65 a year, or $130 if you want to upgrade to an Executive membership that gives you 2% cash back on your purchases. And for many people, either fee is more than worth paying. But if these signs apply to you, you may be wasting your money by paying for Costco access.
Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026
This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!
Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.
1. Bulk groceries and supplies don’t work for you
Maybe you’re a household of one. Or maybe you don’t have much physical space at home.
In either situation, buying products in bulk may not make sense or be feasible. And since that’s a big reason to join Costco, you’ll need to ask yourself whether you’re using the store’s other benefits enough for a membership to make sense.
To be clear, it can absolutely pay to be a Costco member even if you rarely buy groceries or 12 rolls of paper towels at a time. Booking a single trip through Costco Travel, for example, could save you more than enough money to recoup your membership fee.
But if you know off the bat that buying in bulk doesn’t make sense, and you’re also not using Costco for the various services it offers, like travel, home improvement, and so forth, then you may be better off canceling your membership.
You also don’t want to force yourself to buy groceries in bulk for the express purpose of feeling like you’re getting your money’s worth from your membership. If you save $12 on a week’s worth of groceries but throw out most of your haul, that’s not really saving anything.
So if you don’t have room for bulk purchases or can’t justify them due to your household size, instead of paying for Costco, cancel and use the money you’re saving at a regular supermarket.
You should also know that swiping the right credit card at the grocery store could help you save more on regular-sized items. Click here for a list of the best credit cards for non-Costco grocery purchases.
2. You don’t have a car
It’s possible to benefit from a Costco membership if you don’t own a car. But without a car, shopping in person is going to be tough. And also, without a car, you miss out on many of the benefits Costco has to offer.
One major perk of joining Costco is saving money on gas. Another big benefit is that Costco sells quality tires that come with free maintenance and a five-year road hazard warranty. But without a car, these aren’t things you can take advantage of.
3. You only order from Costco.com
Maybe you like Costco’s prices but can’t stand going to the store because of the crowds. If you pretty much only make purchases from Costco.com, then you may not need a membership.
Costco does not require a membership for online orders, but what it does is tack on a 5% surcharge for non-members. But if you don’t order all that frequently, or your orders tend to be fairly small, it could make sense to pay that surcharge instead of a membership fee.
It takes $1,300 a year in Costco.com purchases to rack up $65 in surcharges, which is the cost of a Gold Star membership. But if you spend $1,200 a year at Costco.com, you’re only paying $60 extra for your purchases, so you might as well save yourself the $5.
That said, some Costco.com products are member-only. If you don’t pay for the membership, you lose access to those.
Also worth considering is the fact that online prices are generally higher on Costco items (surcharge aside), than what you’d find in store. For example, you might pay $23.49 for Costco’s Kirkland Signature toilet paper online, and just $19.99 in store. And that $23.49 is before the surcharge is tacked on at checkout. That’s already about a 17.5% increase in price you’ll pay for ordering online. So, overall, if you’re primarily shopping online at Costco, member or not, you’re not reaping the kind of savings you could be by shopping in a warehouse store as a paying member.
There are plenty of good reasons to keep paying for Costco access. But if any of these signs apply to you, you may want to consider canceling.
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.
Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money 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.
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