How Much Is a Costco Membership, and Is It Worth It? (US 2026)

In the US in 2026, a Costco membership costs $65 a year for Gold Star or $130 a year for Executive, plus sales tax, according to Costco's join page at the time of writing. It is usually worth it if you shop there often: Costco says nonmembers pay 5% more on items they can buy online, so about $1,300 of yearly Costco spending covers the Gold Star fee. The Executive upgrade pays for itself at about $3,250 a year of qualifying purchases.

ShopBack US is a free Cashback app and website. Costco is a store on ShopBack US, and ShopBack pays Cashback on new Costco memberships started from ShopBack's Costco page. Renewals, upgrades and everyday Costco purchases are not eligible, according to ShopBack's Costco terms. Join ShopBack US free here.

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How much is a Costco membership in 2026?

A Gold Star or Business membership costs $65 a year and an Executive membership costs $130 a year, plus applicable sales tax, according to Costco at the time of writing. Every tier includes a card for one other person in your household.

Membership	Annual fee (US)	Who it is for	Annual 2% Reward
Gold Star	$65 + sales tax	Individuals and households	No
Business	$65 + sales tax	Business owners (can also shop for personal use)	No
Executive	$130 + sales tax	Heavy shoppers who want the 2% Reward and extras	Yes, up to $1,250 a year

Costco's Member Privileges and Conditions add a few rules: you must be 16 or older with a valid government photo ID and a US mailing address, the second card goes to someone 16 or older at the same address, and if you use auto renewal you need to cancel at least 72 hours before your renewal month to avoid the charge.

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Costco's official membership benefits

Every Costco membership gives you access to the warehouses and Costco.com, member-only fuel pricing and Kirkland Signature products, and Executive adds a yearly 2% Reward and extra perks. This is how Costco's join page lays out the tiers at the time of writing.

Included with Gold Star and Executive:

• Costco warehouses (Costco lists 900+ worldwide) and Costco.com
• A 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on membership and merchandise, with limitations
• Two cards, Kirkland Signature products and member-only fuel pricing

Executive only:

• Annual 2% Reward on qualified Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel purchases, capped at $1,250 for any 12-month period
• Early shopping hours at warehouses on set mornings each week
• A $10 monthly credit on eligible same-day delivery orders of $150 or more, through Costco's same-day service powered by Instacart
• Extra value on Costco Travel packages, the Costco Auto Program and some partner services

Costco's terms exclude, among other things, gasoline, tobacco, Costco Shop Cards, cellphones and plans, food court purchases, membership fees, taxes and shipping from the 2% Reward.

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Is a Costco membership worth it?

For most households that shop at Costco at least a few times a month, yes: the $65 Gold Star fee is small next to a typical year of warehouse spending. The harder part is knowing your own number. Two quick tests help.

Test 1: the nonmember surcharge. Costco says nonmembers pay 5% more on items they can buy online. If 5% of what you would spend in a year is more than $65, the membership already costs less than going without:

Yearly Costco spend	5% nonmember surcharge	Versus the $65 Gold Star fee
$600	$30	Fee costs more
$1,300	$65	About even
$3,000	$150	Fee costs less
$6,000	$300	Fee costs much less

Test 2: what you actually buy. Membership pays off fastest on things you buy in bulk and use up, such as pantry staples, paper goods, cleaning supplies and pet food. It is weaker if you live alone, have little storage or mostly buy fresh food in small amounts.

One more angle: compare the price after ShopBack, not the sticker price. If you are joining for the first time, starting the sign-up from ShopBack's Costco page brings part of the fee back as cash, which lowers your first-year cost. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

Other US warehouse clubs and membership programs shoppers weigh against Costco include Sam's Club, BJ's Wholesale Club and Walmart+. If you are deciding between them, our guides to the best Sam's Club membership deal and whether Sam's Club is worth it versus Walmart use the same approach.

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Is the Costco Executive membership worth the upgrade?

The Executive upgrade is worth it if you spend about $3,250 or more a year on qualifying Costco purchases, because the 2% Reward then covers the extra $65. That works out to roughly $271 a month. Below that, Gold Star usually costs less, unless the extra perks matter to you.

Here is how the reward stacks up against the extra fee, using Costco's published 2% rate and $1,250 cap:

Qualifying spend a year	2% Reward	Minus the extra $65	Net result
$2,000	$40	-$25	Gold Star cheaper
$3,250	$65	$0	Break-even
$5,000	$100	+$35	Executive ahead
$10,000	$200	+$135	Executive ahead
$62,500	$1,250 (cap)	+$1,185	Maximum reward

Things that change the math, from Costco's Executive terms:

• Gas and some big categories do not count, so your qualifying total can be lower than your receipt total.
• Costco Travel counts once the trip is done, which can push heavy travelers over the line.
• Upgrades are prorated for the months left on your membership, and earlier purchases do not earn the reward.
• It is not guaranteed. Costco says the reward may be less than the upgrade fee; you can get the fee back by cancelling or downgrading, minus any reward already issued.

A practical approach: start on Gold Star, check your receipts after a few months, and upgrade at the membership counter once you are clearly above $271 a month. ShopBack's Costco terms exclude upgrades and renewals, so only new sign-ups earn Cashback.

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Where can I get a deal on a Costco membership?

The best deals on a new Costco membership come from Costco's own new-member promotion and from starting the sign-up through ShopBack. Costco does not discount the fee itself very often, so the savings usually come back to you as store credit or cash after you join.

1. Check Costco's join page for the current new-member offer. At the time of writing, Costco lists a Digital Costco Shop Card for new members who set up auto renewal on a Visa credit or debit card or a Mastercard debit card. It is only for people who have not been a Costco member in any capacity in the last 18 months. The amount and terms change, so read them on the page before you join.
2. Check whether you qualify for a group offer. Costco's join page links promotions for college students, teachers and faculty, health workers, first responders, government employees and military, each verified through a partner such as UNiDAYS or SheerID.
3. Start the sign-up from ShopBack. Open ShopBack's Costco page, tap through to Costco and complete the new membership in the same session. New Gold Star, Gold Star Business, Executive and Business Executive memberships are eligible; renewals and upgrades are not.

A worked example, with an illustrative rate only: on a new $130 Executive membership at an illustrative 3%, $3.90 comes back, so the effective price is $126.10. The live rate for each membership type is on the ShopBack Costco page, and ShopBack says it is usually confirmed in about 95 days.

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Can you get Cashback on a Costco membership?

Yes, on new memberships: ShopBack US pays Cashback on new Costco Gold Star, Gold Star Business, Executive and Business Executive sign-ups started from its Costco page. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

What ShopBack's Costco terms say at the time of writing:

• Eligible: new Executive and Business Executive sign-ups, and new Gold Star and Gold Star Business sign-ups, at the rates shown on the page.
• Not eligible: renewals and upgrades of existing memberships, and regular purchases made at Costco.
• Also excluded: gift cards, vouchers and store credit, purchases made with codes not featured on ShopBack, fees, taxes and shipping, and cancelled or refunded sign-ups.

The habit is the same across the big shopping and travel sites. For merchants like Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda and Expedia, going through ShopBack is an essential step before you book or check out, so you pay less on the same booking or order. A Costco membership works the same way, as long as it is a new one.

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Is there a Costco promo code that works online?

Costco rarely uses promo codes you type in; its online savings usually show up as instant savings and online-only offers already built into the price. That is how Costco's warehouse savings page presents them at the time of writing, with terms that say online-only promotions apply only on Costco.com, are valid only during the promotion period and are not combinable with other savings.

What that means in practice:

• No code box hunt needed for most deals. Instant savings and online-only offers apply automatically during their window, with per-household limits where shown.
• Be wary of code sites. A code claiming to take money off a whole Costco order is unlikely to work, and on ShopBack, codes not featured on the platform can make an order ineligible.

Before you hunt for codes, go through ShopBack: it usually works when codes don't. For Costco that applies to a new membership; for everyday Costco orders, the instant savings are the deal.

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Paying for Costco with a rewards credit card

A rewards card can lower your Costco costs further, but the rules are set by your card issuer, so check them before you count on it. This is a separate question from ShopBack, and the two are earned from different places.

Costco's join page promotes the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, whose reward rates and terms are set by Citi and can change. With any other rewards card, how a Costco purchase is coded (warehouse club rather than grocery, for example) is up to the issuer. Card rewards usually still apply when you start a new membership from ShopBack, because the issuer and ShopBack pay out separately, but check your card agreement for exclusions.

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Does Costco offer a membership discount for seniors?

No senior rate is listed by Costco: at the time of writing, its join page shows no senior membership or senior discount, so seniors pay the standard $65 Gold Star or $130 Executive fee. The group promotions Costco links to are for college students, teachers and faculty, health workers, first responders, government employees and military.

What can still help: the household card halves the cost per person, veterans may qualify for the military promotion Costco links through SheerID, and the new-member offer and a ShopBack sign-up work at any age. If your household is small, check whether you would really reach the $3,250 a year that makes Executive pay off before you choose it.

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Is there a Costco student membership deal?

There is no student membership tier, but Costco's join page links a College Students promotion through UNiDAYS. At the time of writing, that offer is a Digital Costco Shop Card for a new Gold Star member who joins online and turns on auto renewal. It is store credit after you join, not a lower fee, and you must verify student status with UNiDAYS.

Costco membership is open to anyone 16 or older, so most college students can join in their own name. Verify with UNiDAYS first, then start the new membership from ShopBack's Costco page in the same session, and avoid adding codes that are not featured on ShopBack.

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Frequently asked questions

How much is a Costco membership in 2026?

According to Costco's join page at the time of writing, a Gold Star membership costs $65 a year and an Executive membership costs $130 a year, plus applicable sales tax. A Business membership is also $65 a year. Each membership includes a card for one additional person in your household.

Is a Costco membership worth it?

It is usually worth it if you shop there often enough for the lower prices to cover the $65 Gold Star fee. One simple test: Costco says nonmembers pay 5% more on items they can buy online, so if you would spend about $1,300 a year at Costco, the fee and that surcharge cost about the same. Above that, the membership usually costs less than shopping without one.

Is the Costco Executive membership worth the upgrade?

The upgrade costs $65 more a year and earns an annual 2% Reward on qualified purchases, up to $1,250, according to Costco. You need about $3,250 a year in qualifying purchases, roughly $271 a month, for the reward to cover the extra fee. Below that, Gold Star usually works out cheaper unless you value the early shopping hours or same-day delivery credit.

Where can I get a deal on a Costco membership?

Start with Costco's own join page, which often lists a new-member promotion, such as a Digital Costco Shop Card when you join and turn on auto renewal. Group offers for college students, teachers, health workers, first responders, government employees and military are linked from the same page. Then start the sign-up from ShopBack's Costco page, where new memberships can earn Cashback.

Is there a Costco promo code that works online?

Most Costco savings show up as instant savings and online-only offers already reflected in the price, according to Costco's warehouse savings page, rather than as codes you type in. Costco's terms say these offers are not combinable with other savings. Be careful with third-party codes: on ShopBack, codes not featured on the platform can make an order ineligible.

Does Costco offer a membership discount for seniors?

Not that Costco lists. At the time of writing, Costco's join page does not show a senior rate; the group promotions it links to are for college students, teachers and faculty, health workers, first responders, government employees and military. Seniors pay the standard $65 Gold Star or $130 Executive fee.

Is there a Costco student membership deal?

There is no separate student membership tier, but Costco's join page links a College Students promotion through UNiDAYS. At the time of writing that offer is a Digital Costco Shop Card for a new Gold Star member who joins online and turns on auto renewal, not a lower fee. You need to verify student status with UNiDAYS.

Can I get Cashback on a Costco membership?

Yes, on a new one. ShopBack US pays Cashback on new Costco Gold Star, Gold Star Business, Executive and Business Executive sign-ups started from its Costco page. Renewals, upgrades and regular Costco purchases are not eligible, according to ShopBack's Costco terms. The live rate is shown on ShopBack's Costco page.

Can I get a refund on my Costco membership if it isn't worth it?

Costco's join page says its 100% Satisfaction Guarantee covers both your membership and merchandise, with limitations. For the Executive upgrade fee, Costco's terms say you get a refund by cancelling or downgrading, and any 2% Reward already issued is subtracted from that refund.

Can I shop at Costco without a membership?

Partly. Costco's Member Privileges and Conditions say some merchandise can be bought online by nonmembers, who pay 5% more than members, and that some items such as prescriptions may be sold to nonmembers where the law requires it. Warehouse shopping otherwise needs an active membership.

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Key takeaways

• A US Costco membership is $65 a year for Gold Star or Business and $130 for Executive, plus sales tax, per Costco at the time of writing.
• Executive is worth it at about $3,250 a year of qualifying purchases, because the 2% Reward then covers the extra $65.
• The best deal on a new membership combines Costco's new-member promotion with starting the sign-up from ShopBack.
• Costco lists no senior rate; students get a UNiDAYS promotion paid as a Shop Card, not a cheaper fee.

Joining Costco for the first time? Open ShopBack's Costco page, tap through and finish the sign-up in the same session, so part of the fee comes back as cash. Setup takes about two minutes at shopback.com/signup.

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Related articles

• What's the Best Sam's Club Membership Deal Right Now? (US 2026)
• Is Sam's Club Membership Worth It vs Shopping at Walmart in 2026?
• Is Walmart+ Worth It for the Savings? Walmart Plus in 2026

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author.

Costco membership fees, promotions, Executive Reward terms and group offers are set by Costco and its partners and can change. The facts here come from Costco's join page, Executive Rewards terms, Member Privileges and Conditions and warehouse savings page at the time of writing. Cashback rates, eligible membership types and exclusions on ShopBack vary over time and are shown on ShopBack's Costco page. Please check current terms with Costco and on ShopBack before making any decisions.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.