Use a Costco Shop Card!
If you know someone that has a membership, you can ask them to get you a Costco Shop Card, which is basically a gift card, so anyone can shop at the warehouse, even without being a member. The catch is that the person who buys it must already be a member (imagine just how many people would abuse this idea if it wasn’t a rule).
You can get anything from the store, and the gift cards come in denominations ranging from $25 all the way to $2,000. The best thing is that you don’t have to guess the imaginary total of your bill to buy the exact amount beforehand, as you can use the gift card and then just pay the rest in cash or card (just make sure your card is a Visa as that’s the only type they accept).
This is a great way to bypass the whole need to have a membership. However, it won’t work all the time. The people who greet you at the entrance are taught to recognize the people who abuse the Shop Cards and end up being regulars at the store without being a member.
Shop With a Friend Who Has The Membership!
As we mentioned earlier, you cannot just get a free pass to visit the warehouse club and see if it’s a good fit for your needs; you have to get the membership beforehand. However, you can bypass that if you happen to have a friend that is already a Costco enthusiast. That way, you can actually end up seeing what it’s like if your friend is nice enough to help you out.
You will have to use your friend’s card at the checkout for the whole bill, but so you don’t end up having to move money between the two of you and having to spend a lot of time looking for your items on the bill, you can just ask the cashier to split it. Splitting the bill is a great way to separate expenses no matter where you’re shopping.
Who knows? Maybe afterward you’ll be convinced to become a member yourself!
