Here's How to Cancel Your Costco Membership (and Know When It's Worth Keeping)

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From exclusive discounts to saving on bulk purchases, there are plenty of reasons why bargain hunters love shopping at Costco. As with all subscriptions though, it’s important to occasionally re-evaluate and make sure the benefits are still worth the membership fee.

• In case you didn’t know, basic Gold Star Costco membership costs $60 annually, and the premium Gold Star Executive option is double that at $120 per year. Learn more about whether the Executive membership is worth it for you.

If you’re no longer making the most out of Costco’s services, you can always opt out and join back in the future. To cancel your Costco membership, all it takes is a simple phone call to the customer service line or pay a visit to your local Costco store.

Yes, it’s that easy. Keep scrolling for more details and breathe easier knowing that getting out of the membership isn’t as daunting as it may seem.

Check Out: Sam’s Club vs. Costco: Which Warehouse Is Better?

Ways to Cancel Your Costco Membership

Are you ready to get the cancellation process started? There are a couple of easy ways to get this done.

1. Cancel at a Costco Store

For those who aren’t tech-savvy and prefer to speak to someone in-person, you can simply drive over to a Costco near you and speak with someone at the membership counter for an immediate refund as long as you’re the primary card owner.

2. Call Costco Membership Services

If you want to avoid the possible line just to get into the warehouse, call Costco’s Membership Services Center at 1-800-774-2678 and request assistance. You’ll need your membership card in hand and verify your personal information with a representative.

Note: If you just want to take someone off your Costco membership, either call member services or go to a warehouse front desk to make the request as the primary authorized cardholder.

Slick Tip: You might not know that you can still shop at Costco without a membership. Check out all the different ways to get your Costco goodies without a membership.

Can You Cancel Your Costco Membership Online?

Unfortunately, you cannot cancel your membership online. You can only cancel your Costco membership by phone or in-person.

We have seen DoNotPay offering their services to cancel online, but our research online has many users advising against it, so use at your own risk.

What You’ll Need Before Canceling Your Costco Membership

You’ll need a few things on hand when canceling your membership:

• Costco membership card
  • Note that only the primary member or the person who opened the account can cancel the services, which is important to remember if you share the membership with someone else.
  • If your card is missing, don’t panic, as the Costco team can pull up your information via your phone number, address or birthday.
• Valid form of identification if you’re canceling in-person (driver’s license, passport or state-issued photo ID)
  • For those canceling your Costco membership over the phone, you’ll just have to answer some security questions and confirm your identity before moving forward with the cancellation.

Will You Get a Refund After Canceling Your Costco Membership?

Once your membership has been canceled, the next piece to the puzzle is securing that refund. Costco actually has a very flexible refund policy that customers can take advantage of at any time.

• “We will cancel and refund your membership fee at any time if you are dissatisfied,” as stated on the Costco website.

That means you can get a full refund on your membership, even if you’ve been using it for months. But there are some important details to note:

• First, the membership fee has to be posted on your bank account before they can refund it. This typically happens on the third of each month, so we recommended for members to request their refunds around that time.
• Additionally, in order to finalize the refund in-person or over the phone, you may need to confirm the amount you were charged and the credit card information used for the subscription.

Does Costco Prorate Its Refunds?

To be clear, Costco doesn’t prorate refunds for canceled memberships—they give you the full amount back, even up to the 364th day of your membership. Costco really lives up to its 100% satisfaction guarantee when it comes to returns.

The only case where Costco will prorate refunds is for those with Executive memberships. Whatever rewards have been accumulated will be subtracted from the total fee amount first before you get your refund.

Can I Keep My Costco Credit Card If I Cancel My Membership?

Perhaps the only caveat to canceling your Costco membership is that you won’t be able to keep your credit card.

One of the most popular card options is the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, which provides members with cashback on select purchases at Costco and elsewhere. Those rewards can add up, especially since there’s no additional fee associated with the card. The only requirement is that you have to be a Costco member. However, it all stops as soon as you halt your membership.

• “We may cancel your Card Account and participation in the Costco Cash Rewards Program if you do not maintain your Costco membership,” the card’s fine print notes.

Additionally, closing the card could impact your credit score, since the length of your credit history and available credit can both have an impact on your score. So, try to keep this in the back of your head when canceling your membership if you have the Costco Citi card.

How Do I Downgrade My Costco Membership?

Instead of canceling your membership, you might want to consider downgrading the tier, which only applies to Executive members. Simply call customer service at 1-800-774-2678 or go to a warehouse in-person to make the request.

The difference in cost between a Gold Star and Executive membership ($60) will be refunded back to you minus the accrued rewards.

Final Thoughts: Should I Renew or Cancel My Membership?

There are a few factors to consider if you’re contemplating on renewing or getting rid of your membership:

• How often you shop at Costco
• How often you use the items/bulk purchases you get from Costco
• Whether you take advantage of Costco Travel benefits, cheaper Costco gas or other services
• If you’ve accumulated enough rewards with the Executive card’s 2% back offer

If you frequently aim for the best savings and discounts through Costco, depend on their bulk food and other items and use Costco’s other services like their cheap gas or awesome travel packages, then it’s best to keep your Costco membership. If you only shop at Costco once every few months, waste the bulk purchases and never use the extra services, then you’re better off canceling your Costco membership so you’re not wasting money on the membership fee.

As we mentioned before, you can shop at Costco without a card in case you do decide to cancel. But overall, we here at Slickdeals love the awesome deals you can find at Costco, and there are so much savings you can accumulate if you’re a diligent shopper.

Plus, as mentioned, nothing is set in stone. As simple as it is to cancel your membership, coming back and renewing it will be even easier.

Want to make sure you’re getting the best Costco membership discount? Set a Deal Alert and we’ll let you know whenever a new Costco deal comes up. And be sure to visit our Costco Promo Codes and Coupons page for all the current offers from the store.

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