Little-Known Costco Secret: What You Can Buy Without a Membership

Costco is Disneyland for adults. There may not be any rides, but you can get anything you want there, from a fried chicken to a diamond engagement ring – all at a discount too. Not only that, you get to take advantage of all the free food samples, and do I even have to mention the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo that is Kind of immune to inflation?

Anyway, me You don’t have a Costco membership Map because I only have to go about every two or three months. So instead of paying the annual cost of $60 (which is actually quite affordable), I let my father or my sister take me with them.

But maybe it’s time I stopped bothering her. As it turns out, you don’t actually need a membership to buy certain products from Costco.

Read on for tips on how to shop at Costco without paying for a membership. Plus, here are our tips for that The best healthy snacks to pick up at Costco — but you need a membership for that — and whether it’s worth it Upgrade your Costco membership to Executive.

How do you even get to Costco without a membership card?

Costco requires you to show your membership card to even get in. So if you don’t have one, you’ll need to speak to the front door agent to gain entry. Just mention you’re there for any of the reasons listed below and they should let you in.

You can buy alcohol without a Costco membership, but only in certain states

You can buy alcohol at Costco without a paid membership as long as you are in an eligible state such as California or New York. Local laws prevent members-only clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club from withholding the sale of alcohol to the general public. The full list of states includes:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• new York
• Texas
• Vermont

Once you’ve chosen your alcohol and are in line to pay, tell the cashier you don’t have a membership card and they will scan you with a generic membership number. A supervisor may be required, so be patient while you wait for your purchase.

You can buy prescriptions from Costco without a membership

If you don’t have health insurance and pay high prescription drug prices, you can take advantage of Costco’s discounts.

Buying prescriptions without a membership is allowed at any Costco with a pharmacy nationwide, regardless of state. Costco even has a customer service advice page that explains how to buy prescriptions without a membership. According to his website:

You do not have to be a Costco member to purchase Costco Pharmacy prescriptions online or from our warehouses. Our pharmacy counter accepts a variety of forms of payment including cash, debit/atm cards, Costco Shop cards and Visa.

You need a doctor’s prescription to purchase most medications available at a Costco pharmacy.

Non-members can make an appointment with a Costco optometrist — but there’s a catch

A lesser-known Costco perk you can take advantage of even without a membership is an eye exam with the in-house optometrist at the Costco Optical Center. If you don’t have health insurance, this is another way to save money thanks to the discounts offered by Costco.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy prescription glasses or contacts there without a Costco membership card. You can only pay for an eye exam, which may or may not include services to monitor your visual acuity, whether you are short or long-sighted, the health of your retina, and more.

This trick also works at every Costco location across the country that has an optometrist.

You need a membership to use the food court

Everyone used to be able to go to the Costco Food Court. Even if you weren’t a member, you could buy a slice of pizza for $2 and of course a hot dog and soda combo for just $1.50. Unfortunately, this no longer applies to non-members.

As of early 2020, Costco has required a membership card to purchase everything in the food court, including chicken casseroles, grilled brisket sandwiches, ice cream, and churros.

You can always use Instacart to shop at Costco, but it’s not perfect

If you don’t need alcohol, prescription medication, or an eye exam, you can Use Instacart to shop at Costco without membership. Unfortunately, this isn’t a great option for saving money as the items you see on Instacart may be more expensive than in person. Not to mention that not everything in store is available on Instacart.

At this point it’s probably cheaper and more convenient, simple Get a Costco membership.

If you’re in the market for a paid membership to save on costs, you might also be interested in Amazon Prime. learn more about Amazon’s new discount service for prescription drugs and the Hidden Amazon Prime Perks You May Not Know About.

First published Feb 20, 2023 at 3:15pm PT.