How to Cancel Costco Membership (2026) — Full Refund Guide

Updated February 2026 · 6 min read

✅ Good news: Costco offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on memberships. You can cancel anytime and get a FULL refund — no proration, no questions asked.

Costco is one of the fairest membership programs out there. Unlike gyms that trap you in contracts, Costco will refund your membership fee at any point. The question isn't "how to cancel" — it's whether you should.

💰 Membership Costs

Gold Star: $65/year
Executive: $130/year (includes 2% reward on purchases, max $1,250 back)
Business: $65/year
Business Executive: $130/year
Household card: Free (included with any membership for one additional person)

How to Cancel

In-Store (Fastest)

Go to any Costco Membership Counter
Bring your membership card (or they can look you up by name)
Say: "I'd like to cancel my membership"
They'll ask your reason (optional) and process the cancellation
Refund is issued to your original payment method (7-10 days)

Online

Go to costco.com → sign in
Click "My Account" → "Membership"
Click "Cancel Membership"
Confirm and wait for refund

By Phone

Call 1-800-774-2678. Quick and painless — Costco doesn't do retention scripts.

🧮 Should You Actually Cancel?

Before canceling, do the math:

Gold Star break-even ($65/year): You need to save ~$5.42/month vs grocery store prices. Most families save $50-100+/month shopping at Costco.

Executive break-even ($130/year): Need to spend $6,500/year at Costco to earn $130 in 2% rewards (that's $542/month). If you spend less, downgrade to Gold Star instead of canceling.

💡 Pro tip: If your Executive reward check is less than $65 when it arrives, Costco will downgrade you to Gold Star AND refund the $65 difference. Ask at the membership counter.

📋 What You Lose

In-store shopping: Can't enter without membership (pharmacy and food court excepted in most states)
Online shopping: Costco.com requires membership (with 5% surcharge for non-members on some items)
Gas station: Costco gas (typically 20-40¢/gallon cheaper) requires membership
Costco Travel: Excellent vacation deals, member-only
Kirkland Signature products: Only available at Costco
Return policy: Industry's most generous (almost anything, anytime)

🔄 Alternatives

Sam's Club ($50/year): $15 cheaper, comparable bulk pricing. Plus membership ($110) includes free shipping + early shopping.
BJ's Wholesale ($55/year): Accepts manufacturer coupons (Costco doesn't). Smaller stores.
Walmart: No membership required. Many items at competitive prices with free shipping over $35.
Aldi: Budget grocery chain with prices that rival Costco per-unit in many categories — no membership.
Amazon Subscribe & Save: 5-15% off recurring orders, no membership beyond Prime.

✅ Cancellation Checklist

✅ Use up any Executive reward balance first
✅ Redeem any Costco Shop Cards
✅ Fill up on Costco gas before canceling
✅ Check if you want to make any final bulk purchases
✅ Cancel at the membership counter, online, or by phone
✅ Wait for full refund (7-10 business days)
✅ Note: you can rejoin anytime if you miss it

🔍 Find All Your Membership Subscriptions

Costco, Sam's Club, Amazon Prime, Walmart+ — membership fees add up. Upload your bank statement to find every recurring charge.

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