Shopping Discussion

costco.ca - all orders now require an active membership???

  • Last Updated:
  • Nov 13th, 2022 12:18 am
Member
Mar 22, 2013
207 posts
238 upvotes
BC

costco.ca - all orders now require an active membership???

I am not a costco member.

Costco.ca, has been to the best of my knowledge, open for member and non members to shop from, though some items are for "members only".

Since April 2020, I've placed several orders on costco.ca and they've never required an active membership to complete the purchase.

Today I tried checking out and it seems to now require an active membership.

What I am trying to buy isn't for "members only" either.

Is this a new change in light of covid 19 restrictions being lifted???

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129 replies
Deal Addict
Jan 11, 2002
3070 posts
2095 upvotes
Midland
Confirmed my account shows the same, and no I’m not a member at this time.
Deal Fanatic
Nov 22, 2015
7846 posts
8794 upvotes
Yay. No more moochers. Hopefully they can make the prices more competitive for members and get rid of their surcharges
Deal Fanatic
Aug 29, 2011
9925 posts
7088 upvotes
Mississauga
Not sure why they didn’t make this mandatory from day one.
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2011
41788 posts
30051 upvotes
Center of Universe
Try making up a random number?
Deal Expert
User avatar
May 22, 2005
21223 posts
6990 upvotes
GTA
Do you have a friend with a Costco membership?

I don't have one but use my friends membership # when I buy stuff from Costco's site. They get the 2% so its all good, I got a dryer+washer+dishwasher set and it worked fine.
Deal Addict
Mar 24, 2016
1176 posts
1794 upvotes
scarborough
Now if only the can stop people from bring in their friends and buy things.
Deal Addict
Mar 24, 2016
1176 posts
1794 upvotes
scarborough
Hopefully Costco gift card only be used with a valid membership
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2011
41788 posts
30051 upvotes
Center of Universe
explorer11 wrote: Now if only the can stop people from bring in their friends and buy things.
Doesn't stop people from buying things for their friend.
Deal Addict
Dec 5, 2004
4070 posts
711 upvotes
Toronto
I was a member at one point but never renewed. I have made purchases online after my membership expired as online prices were still better than my local B&M like Walmart. If they match costco online pricing (members only) with warehouse pricing, I will absolutely renew my membership.
Deal Addict
Mar 24, 2016
1176 posts
1794 upvotes
scarborough
vkizzle wrote: Doesn't stop people from buying things for their friend.
What i meant by that was to bring a friend and doing a major shop. i buy things for my friends or neighbors but that is only a couple of items or so.
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27802 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
explorer11 wrote: Its about time.
This

Looks like after the Circus that Costco became during the height of the Pandemic that they finally listened to their Membership

Wasn’t fair that Non Members were scooping up the Covid Essentials (BOTH Online & Instore) while those with PAID Full Memberships went without.

Bravo Costco ... happy you listened to your Members & took appropriate action
Last edited by PointsHubby on May 28th, 2020 10:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Oct 5, 2008
18179 posts
14179 upvotes
Toronto
Glad to hear this.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 28, 2004
1426 posts
1166 upvotes
Toronto
Yes I ordered something and was cancelled so I reordered with my 10 year old expired membership that was still saved in the system and it worked. Silly indeed.
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27802 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
w00t wrote: Yes I ordered something and was cancelled so I reordered with my 10 year old expired membership that was still saved in the system and it worked. Silly indeed.
Hmmmm...

Just be aware Costco might just tack on the cost of membership as well.

Cuz that’s EXACTLY how it works at the Instore Cashier if you show up with an Expired Card.

You can buy what’s in your cart / on the conveyor ... but they will be charging you to RENEW as well
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 28, 2004
1426 posts
1166 upvotes
Toronto
PointsHubby wrote: Hmmmm...

Just be aware Costco might just tack on the cost of membership as well.

Cuz that’s EXACTLY how it works at the Instore Cashier if you show up with an Expired Card.

You can buy what’s in your cart / on the conveyor ... but they will be charging you to RENEW as well
Nothing as of today. And if I go to My Account section there is a header for "Renew Membership" so it is not renewed.
Deal Expert
Feb 7, 2017
27765 posts
27802 upvotes
Eastern Ontario
w00t wrote: Nothing as of today. And if I go to My Account section there is a header for "Renew Membership" so it is not renewed.
Everyone has the Renew Membership prompt.

Even if you just renewed.

The details are found further down on your actual Account page.
Which will list your Membership Status (ie you can renew beginning on DATE )
Deal Guru
Jul 19, 2012
14763 posts
4912 upvotes
Montreal
I watched a documentary on Costco and it's not the business it used to be.

When Costco first started out, it made all its money from memberships, and then priced items at virtual cost to allow members to save money.

Today, because Costco execs want more pay and higher bonuses, they have moved to a traditional store format, where they profit from the memberships and from often-significant price markups to all goods.

The doc did an analysis and it turns out that members are no longer saving money by shopping at Costco and the only reason to buy a membership is to be able to buy certain brands and receive better customer support. It also made the execs want to expand their customer base past the traditional member, and they did so using the online store. So more money in their pockets and fatter bonuses.

At a certain point, members start realizing this and don't renew, especially as you can/could shop online without a membership anyway - that's probably why this policy changed, as there was virtually no reason to pay the annual fee.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 28, 2004
1426 posts
1166 upvotes
Toronto
PointsHubby wrote: Everyone has the Renew Membership prompt.

Even if you just renewed.

The details are found further down on your actual Account page.
Which will list your Membership Status (ie you can renew beginning on DATE )
Checked no membership renewed. Guess that is a loophole. Maybe it will be fixed later.

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