If you shop at Costco, you know that being a member of this superstore is a gift that keeps on giving. After all, the wholesale retailer offers low prices on thousands of items at convenient locations all across the world. So, if you’re looking for the perfect gift for a friend or loved one, why not send them the gift of a Costco membership?
Costco has a special gift card called the Gift of Gold Star Membership. It costs $60, and it can be redeemed by the recipient for a Gold Star membership or used to upgrade an existing membership to the Executive level. If you’d like to give your friend an Executive membership and they’re not already a member, you can buy two Gift of Gold Star Membership gift cards.
If you can’t decide which Costco membership to give as a gift, take a look at the perks that come with each one, and think about what would be the best fit for your friend:
| Gold Star | Gold Star Executive | Business | Business Executive | |
| Household membership card | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Entry to every store globally | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Annual reward on eligible purchases | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Perks on eligible services | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Ability to add members to account | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Ability to resell membership | ✔ | ✔ |
Once you’ve decided which membership to buy, use this step-by-step guide to purchase your Costco membership gift online. Keep in mind that although the process is very similar to buying a Costco membership online for yourself, buying a gift membership is an option that’s only available to current members.
- Go to the Gift of Gold Star Membership page, and click Add to Cart.
- A popup window will appear. If you have other items to buy, click Continue Shopping. If you’re ready to checkout, click View Cart. If you continue shopping, click the shopping cart icon in the top right corner of your screen when you’re ready to checkout.
- When you’re in the Shopping Cart screen, review the items in your cart to make sure they’re correct, and then choose between standard and express shipping. Click Checkout. If you’re not logged in, you’ll be redirected to the login page and then taken to the Checkout screen once you’ve logged in.
- Enter your shipping address or choose the address saved to your account if you want the gift card sent to you, or enter your friend’s address if you’re sending it directly to them. Note that you can ship to multiple addresses, which is especially helpful if you have items in your cart that you want sent to you, but you want to send the Gift of Gold Star Membership card to your friend.
- Click Continue to Payment.
- Add your billing information, or select a payment method you’ve saved to your account. Add a promo code if you have one.
- Click Continue to Review Order.
- Verify that all of the information you entered on the previous screens is correct. You can also add a gift message. (Be sure to send a greeting if you’re shipping the card directly to your friend so they know who to thank for their new Costco membership!) Once you’re happy with how everything looks, click Place Order.
When you’ve completed your order, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a timeframe of when the Gift of Gold Star Membership gift card you ordered will arrive in the mail. In order for your friend to activate their membership and start shopping, they’ll need to visit the membership counter at their local Costco. Once they’ve gotten their photo taken and picked up their new card, their year-long membership will officially begin.