Costco has tightened warehouse entry and checkout rules in recent years as membership fees remain a core part of the company’s business model. Even so, the retailer’s current policies still leave a narrow path for some nonmembers to shop or use specific services without paying the annual fee. The detail many shoppers miss is that Costco’s own terms and customer-service guidance spell out those exceptions in plain language.
Costco confirms nonmembers can still make some purchases Costco updated its current U.S. Member Privileges and Conditions on March 30, 2026, and the company states that members and nonmembers may use Costco Shop Cards to make certain purchases at Costco locations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, as well as online at Costco.com. The same policy says only members may purchase and reload Costco Shop Cards, which means the workaround depends on a card being bought first by an active member. Costco also states that only members may purchase items in general, making the Shop Card exception one of the clearest carveouts in its own rules.
The company also confirms that a membership is not required to purchase prescription medications. In a published Costco ...