Does Costco Offer Discounted or Free Costco Memberships?

Costco recently introduced membership card scanners at the entrances of its stores in Minnesota and throughout the country to prevent non-members from entering. This move has been successful, resulting in a significant increase in new memberships.

Costco offers three types of memberships: personal (Gold Star), business, and executive, each with its own benefits. However, the membership fees for all three plans went up on September 1st and now many people are wondering if there are ways to get a discounted or free membership.

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Costco shoppers enjoy buying in bulk, and the store's food court is also popular, with items like a large slice of pizza or a hotdog with a soda for just a few dollars. Until recently, non-members were allowed to order from the food court, but this has changed with the new membership rules.

How Much Is a Costco Membership?

The Gold Star and Business memberships are now $65 per year (a $5 increase), and the Executive membership now costs $130 per year (a $10 increase).

Costco Locations in Minnesota

In Minnesota, there are 13 Costco locations, each offering exclusive perks and discounts to members:

Baxter

St. Cloud

Coon Rapids

Maple Grove

Duluth

St. Louis Park

Minneapolis

Maplewood

Eden Prairie

Woodbury

Eagan

Burnsville

Rochester

 Can You Get Discounted or Free Memberships At Costco?

According to Costco customer service, the cost of membership is easy to make up for with the savings shoppers get on bulk items and Costco services.

The retail chain doesn't offer free or discounted memberships to the general public, but they provide special rates for College Students, Teachers, Medical Professionals, First Responders, Government Employees, and the Military.