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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsSam’s Club is $5 cheaper than Costco at the basic tier, and $10 cheaper at the premium tier, based on current U.S. listed prices. That difference is small enough that fuel prices, warehouse distance, product mix, curbside or delivery use, and premium-reward eligibility usually matter more than the membership fee alone. There is no official, current apples-to-apples basket study showing that either chain is universally cheaper: merchandise prices vary by region, package size, promotion, and date.
Choose Sam’s Club Club for the lowest annual fee, member fuel prices, Scan & Go, and free curbside pickup. Choose Costco Gold Star when its locations, assortment, or household preference fit better. A premium membership can pay off, but only when your qualifying purchases and services recover the upgrade cost.
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Membership prices at a glance
The following are the listed U.S. annual prices identified for 2026. Promotional first-year offers may be lower; they are not the same as renewal pricing, so check the offer date and renewal terms before joining.
| Membership | Annual listed price | What the tier adds |
|---|---|---|
| Costco Gold Star | $65 | Warehouse membership, a free Household Card, and Costco’s membership and product guarantees |
| Costco Executive | $130 | Everything in Gold Star, plus a 2% reward on eligible Costco and Costco Travel purchases (up to $1,250), early shopping hours where listed, and additional service benefits |
| Sam’s Club Club | $60 | Instant Savings, member fuel prices, satisfaction guarantee, Scan & Go, two cards, and free curbside pickup |
| Sam’s Club Plus | $120 | Everything in Club, plus 2% Sam’s Cash, free shipping over $50, free delivery from the club over $50, early shopping hours, and pharmacy, optical, and tire/battery-center savings |
At the base level, Sam’s Club is $5 less per year than Costco. At the premium level, Sam’s Plus is $10 less. The fee gap is not a price verdict: a single difference in fuel, delivery, or a frequently purchased item can outweigh it during the year.
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What you get with the two basic memberships
Costco Gold Star
- The $65 Gold Star membership includes a free Household Card, allowing another person in the household to use the membership.
- The membership is valid at Costco warehouses worldwide, which is useful for households that travel or live near more than one country’s warehouses.
- Costco says its double guarantee applies to all membership levels. Its customer-service wording is: “That means we guarantee both your membership and our products with a refund†, if they don’t meet your satisfaction.” The company notes that limitations apply.
Sam’s Club Club
- The $60 Club tier includes instant savings, member fuel prices, Scan & Go mobile checkout, two membership cards, and free curbside pickup.
- Sam’s Club lists a 100% satisfaction guarantee for both Club and Plus tiers.
The practical distinction is convenience. Scan & Go can reduce checkout time when you are already inside the club, while free curbside pickup can make the basic Sam’s membership useful even if you rarely browse the warehouse. Costco’s free Household Card and worldwide warehouse validity may matter more to a two-adult household or frequent traveler.
Premium memberships: Costco Executive versus Sam’s Plus
Costco Executive at $130
Executive costs $65 more than Gold Star. It includes the base membership and a 2% reward on eligible Costco and Costco Travel purchases, capped at $1,250. Costco also lists additional service benefits and early shopping hours. Executive members can receive a $10 monthly credit on eligible Same-Day orders of $150 or more when the account is linked correctly.
The credit is not a blanket $10 cash rebate. Each month requires an eligible order meeting the $150 threshold, and the order must use the qualifying Same-Day service. If every month in a 12-month membership year produced a qualifying order, the credits would total $120; a household placing fewer or smaller orders would receive less.
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Sam’s Club Plus at $120
Plus costs $60 more than Club. It adds 2% Sam’s Cash, free shipping on orders over $50, free delivery from the club on orders over $50, early shopping hours, and savings tied to pharmacy, optical, and tire/battery-center services.
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- No returns and no refunds on Gift Cards.
The shipping and club-delivery benefits have a clear order-size condition: the order must exceed $50. They are most valuable to households that routinely place qualifying online orders. A member who buys almost everything in person may receive little value from those benefits, even if the membership is cheaper than Costco Executive.
How much spending makes a premium tier worthwhile?
Do not compare the 2% headline alone. The upgrade costs $65 at Costco and $60 at Sam’s Club, and the reward applies only to eligible spending. Exclusions, order thresholds, service use, and reward timing all affect the real result.
Costco Executive break-even
If the only value you receive is the 2% reward, the arithmetic break-even point is:
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$65 upgrade cost ÷ 0.02 = $3,250 in eligible annual spending.
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- If they treat wholesale clubs like Disneyland, this card is their dream come true.
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- Every card we create is a singular artwork, ensuring your blessings shine with both warmth and originality.
- Ample blank space inside allows you to pen your own heartfelt thank-you, favorite memories, making your wishes more warm and creative
- Thanks for visiting our shop! If you receive damaged products or other problems, you can contact us.
That is an illustration, not a promise that every dollar in your household budget qualifies. Costco’s reward is limited to eligible Costco and Costco Travel purchases and has a maximum of $1,250. The $10 monthly Same-Day credit, if you can repeatedly meet the $150 order requirement, lowers the amount of reward spending needed to cover the upgrade. Service benefits and early access can add value, but assign them a realistic dollar amount rather than assuming they are automatically worth the difference.
Sam’s Plus break-even
Using 2% Sam’s Cash alone, the equivalent calculation is:
$60 upgrade cost ÷ 0.02 = $3,000 in qualifying annual spending.
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Again, this is a simple planning threshold. Your actual result depends on which purchases earn Sam’s Cash and whether you use the free shipping and club-delivery benefits. For example, a household that places several qualifying orders over $50 may recover part of the $60 through avoided delivery or shipping charges even before counting Sam’s Cash. A household that shops only in the club and makes no qualifying online orders has fewer Plus benefits to draw on.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
A practical premium-value worksheet
- Estimate your annual spend that is actually eligible for the 2% reward or cash program. Separate warehouse, travel, fuel, services, and excluded categories if the membership terms treat them differently.
- Multiply the qualifying estimate by 0.02. This is the potential annual reward before caps or exclusions.
- Add only the delivery, shipping, service, or early-access value you genuinely expect to use. For Costco Same-Day, count a monthly $10 credit only in months when you can place an eligible $150-or-more order and have the account linked.
- Subtract the premium upgrade: $65 for Costco Executive or $60 for Sam’s Plus.
- Use the lower tier if the result is negative or depends on purchases you would not otherwise make.
Which club is cheaper for everyday shopping?
Membership fees do not establish a universal grocery-price winner. The available evidence does not provide a current, official, apples-to-apples basket study covering both chains nationwide. Prices can change with geography, package size, promotion, and date. A lower shelf price can still be a worse deal if the package is larger than your household can use or if the warehouse is farther away.
How to run your own price comparison
- List the 15 to 30 items your household buys repeatedly, including the exact brand or acceptable substitute, package size, and quantity.
- Record the price at each local warehouse on the same day, or as close together as possible. Include sales tax only if it differs between locations.
- Convert multipacks to a common unit, such as price per ounce, roll, load, or item. Do not compare a 24-count package with a 30-count package using sticker prices.
- Record fuel prices and estimate the cost of the extra driving distance. A small per-item saving can disappear after one long trip.
- Price the services you would otherwise buy, such as delivery, optical, pharmacy, tires, or batteries. Count them only if you would use them during the membership year.
- Repeat the check for a sale period and a normal-price period. A one-week promotion should not be treated as a permanent price.
This approach answers “cheaper for my household?” rather than an unprovable nationwide question. It also exposes whether a premium tier’s shipping or delivery terms fit your actual order sizes.
Delivery, shipping, and pickup differences
| Feature | Costco | Sam’s Club |
|---|---|---|
| Premium delivery credit | Executive: $10 monthly credit on eligible Same-Day orders of $150 or more; linked account required | No corresponding monthly credit stated |
| Shipping | No general premium shipping allowance stated in the membership details | Plus: free shipping on orders over $50 |
| Delivery from club | No general premium club-delivery allowance stated | Plus: free delivery from the club on orders over $50 |
| Curbside pickup | No equivalent base-tier benefit stated | Club includes free curbside pickup |
| In-club checkout | No equivalent feature stated | Club includes Scan & Go |
These are conditional benefits, not unlimited free delivery. Costco’s credit requires both a qualifying service and a $150 minimum order. Sam’s Plus shipping and club delivery require orders over $50. If your typical basket misses those thresholds, the advertised benefit contributes little to your annual value.
Services, fuel, and guarantees
Fuel and routine convenience
Sam’s Club explicitly includes member fuel prices in the Club tier. If you fill up frequently and have a convenient location, calculate your annual gallons multiplied by the realistic per-gallon difference. That figure can exceed the $5 base-membership gap quickly, but only if the fuel station is on routes you already travel; a special trip can erase the saving.
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Costco services and tire benefits
Costco highlights travel and service savings for Executive members. Its tire benefits for qualifying purchases include installation, a road-hazard warranty, rotation and balancing, inflation checks, flat repairs, and nitrogen inflation. These benefits matter most when you already buy tires through the warehouse and would otherwise pay separately for the services. They should not be valued as cash if you do not use them.
Sam’s Plus service savings
Sam’s Plus lists savings through its pharmacy, optical, and tire/battery centers. A household replacing glasses, filling prescriptions, or purchasing tires can include those expected transactions in its premium calculation. The right comparison is your out-of-pocket cost for the same service elsewhere, not the existence of a benefit on the membership page.
Guarantee scope
Costco describes a double guarantee covering membership and products, with limitations. Sam’s Club lists a 100% satisfaction guarantee for both Club and Plus. Guarantees can reduce the risk of trying a membership, but they do not lower the annual fee automatically and should not be counted as routine savings.
Choosing the right tier for common household situations
Choose Sam’s Club Club when the lowest listed fee and convenience lead
- You want the lowest current U.S. listed annual price: $60.
- You will use member fuel prices, especially at a warehouse already on your normal route.
- Free curbside pickup or Scan & Go is more useful than premium rewards.
- Your online orders are infrequent or usually below the $50 threshold for Plus shipping and club delivery.
Choose Costco Gold Star when Costco itself is the better fit
- The nearest or most convenient warehouse is Costco.
- You prefer Costco’s product mix or use the worldwide warehouse validity.
- A free Household Card is important and you do not expect enough eligible spending to justify Executive.
- You value Costco’s membership and product guarantees without paying for a premium tier.
Choose Costco Executive when spending and Same-Day use can cover $65
- You can plausibly generate at least $3,250 in eligible annual spending if relying on the 2% reward alone.
- You regularly place eligible Same-Day orders of $150 or more and can use the monthly credit.
- Costco travel or qualifying services are already part of your budget.
- Early shopping hours or tire benefits have practical value for your household.
Choose Sam’s Plus when online orders and services are recurring
- You expect roughly $3,000 in qualifying annual spending if relying on 2% Sam’s Cash alone.
- You routinely place orders over $50 and would otherwise pay shipping or club-delivery charges.
- You will use early hours, pharmacy, optical, or tire/battery-center savings.
- You want Plus benefits but prefer Sam’s Club’s locations, fuel access, or product selection.
Questions to answer before you join or upgrade
- Which warehouse is closer? Compare normal driving time, not just map distance. A farther club can cost more in fuel and time than the fee difference saves.
- What are your local fuel prices? Check several visits rather than one unusually low or high day.
- What is your typical online order size? Sam’s Plus requires orders over $50 for free shipping and club delivery; Costco Executive Same-Day credits require orders of at least $150.
- How much eligible spending will you really make? Use last year’s receipts where possible, and exclude purchases that do not qualify under the reward terms.
- Will you renew at the listed price? Promotional first-year pricing can be lower than renewal pricing. Record the renewal amount and date when you sign up.
- Will another household member use the card? Costco includes one free Household Card; Sam’s Club lists two cards in its Club tier.
Bottom-line decision
For the lowest listed annual cost, Sam’s Club wins by $5 at the basic tier and $10 at the premium tier. That is the clearest answer to a fee-only comparison, not proof that every basket costs less.
For a basic membership, choose the club that is closer and matches your shopping habits: Sam’s Club Club if fuel pricing, curbside pickup, and Scan & Go are priorities; Costco Gold Star if Costco’s assortment, worldwide warehouse access, free Household Card, or guarantees matter more.
For premium membership, Costco Executive requires $65 of additional annual value and Sam’s Plus requires $60. Estimate qualifying spend first, then add only the delivery, shipping, fuel, travel, tire, pharmacy, optical, or early-access benefits you will actually use. Compare renewal pricing, local availability, order thresholds, and driving costs before deciding.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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