Get a Gift Card to Spend at Costco
The superstore touts the cards as a “convenient way for members to pay,” but the small print allows non-members to use them, too. Just ask a friend to pick up a card for you (using your money, of course) and you can get anywhere from $25 to $1,000 in store credit to spend at Costco.
A Costco membership sure has its benefits (like these hidden Costco perks, just to name a few). But those of us who haven’t decided to commit to the $60-a-year membership yet can still take advantage of those unbeatable deals. And the store totally condones it.
Sure, you could stock up on items costco.com, but non-members pay an extra 5 percent and don’t have access to the members-only sales. You also probably already know Costco members can bring up to two guests into the store to take advantage of the big-box deal. Of course, that leaves the obvious problem of relying on that friend to get you in. If you do your shopping Monday mornings but your friend can only go on the weekends—when you’re totally booked—you’re out of luck. Thankfully, there’s another sneaky way to get into the store without a membership and without being a guest.
Like most stores, Costco offers gift certificates in the form of its Costco Cash Cards. The thing is, it can’t control who those cards go to. The superstore touts the cards as a “convenient way for members to pay,” but the small print allows non-members to use them, too. Just ask a friend to pick up a card for you (using your money, of course) and you can get anywhere from $25 to $1,000 in store credit to spend at Costco. With your Costco Cash Card in hand, you can get into the store and do your shopping just like any other shopper, without tagging along with another member. While you’re there, keep an eye out for this Costco price tag symbol that signals you
