How to Give a Costco Membership as a Gift

Posted on July 5, 2024

by Nikole Stewart

Costco is one of the best wholesalers out there. We love spreading the word about the endless savings and possibilities while shopping at Costco, so you might want to start spreading the word as well.

Thankfully, giving a Costco membership as a gift is a great way to do this. But how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know about offering a Costco membership as a gift, for either new or existing members.

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Can You Gift Memberships?

Costco membership refund: Gold Star card

Share your love of Costco by gifting a membership! Giving a Costco membership as a gift is the perfect way to introduce friends and family to the world of bulk savings. Plus, you can plan trips to the store together! Thankfully, Costco lets you gift memberships to new or existing members.

For non-members and Costco newbies, you’ll purchase a gift card in the amount of either the Gold Star or Executive membership fees ($65 and $130 respectively). Then, your loved one must go to their local Costco and hand in the gift card to the customer service desk. From there, they’ll need to offer some information but their membership will be officially activated!

For existing members, a gift card can pay for their membership renewal whether upcoming or not. If the existing member has a Gold Star membership, they can also use the gift card to upgrade their membership to an Executive membership. Either way, it’s a luxurious present for the recipient.

How to Gift Memberships?

costco guest pass, credit Deposit Photos

Give a Costco membership as a gift in one of two ways, depending on how generous you want to be with your present. You can either buy the dedicated gift card that is only meant to be put towards membership costs, or you can gift a Costco Shop Card. Read more to find out the differences between the two.

Gift a Membership Card

If you’re only looking to gift a membership, then you’ll need to get the Gold Star Membership gift card. This is a $65 value, which can either gift a new Costco membership or upgrade an existing membership.

Suppose you’re interested in gifting an Executive membership to a new member. You’ll have to purchase two Gold Star Membership cards for a total value of $130. The recipient will not only get to shop the warehouses for hours but they’ll also be gifted an annual 2% cash back reward on eligible Costco purchases.

Gift a Costco Shop Card

Shop cards are another great way to give a Costco membership as a gift. The shop cards can either be emailed or mailed, with increment allotted values of $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500. These cards can be used as a payment option in warehouses or online at Costco.com. What’s even better is that these cards can be reloaded numerous times if you want to keep gifting.

Non existing, or existing, members can use the shop card as a way to purchase, upgrade, or renew a membership. It’s a more flexible option, however, you can’t just put the allotted $65 or $130 on the card. You’ll have to give them a bit more money than the membership fee to cover it.