With tariffs pushing grocery prices up, shoppers are having to get creative to keep their budget under control while restocking the pantry. One way to do that is with a warehouse club membership, like Costco or Sam's Club.
Becoming a member of either store can help you save big on groceries and other household essentials, thanks to each store's member's-only pricing and deals on essential items. However, with so many variables to compare, it can be tricky to decide which club is better for you.
To help you decide, we've looked at how Costco and Sam's Club stack up in several different categories, including everyday prices, product quality, extra perks, and more. Whichever club looks like a better fit for you, make sure to grab extra savings by taking advantage of their sign-up offers.
Right now at Costco, new members can get a gift card worth up to $40 when they join.
1. Sam's Club has better everyday prices
- Our pick: Sam's Club
While both Sam's Club and Costco have similar membership tiers and carry similar products, Sam's Club is the cheaper option overall.
For starters, becoming a Sam's Club member is cheaper than signing up for a membership with Costco. The basic Sam's Club membership costs $50 a year, while Costco's basic membership costs $65 a year. A premium membership at Sam's Club is $110 a year, compared to $130 at Costco.
When you compare prices on various food and household items, you'll also likely save more money buying essentials from Sam's Club. In 2024, The Kansas City Star compared pricing on Costco's Kirkland products and Sam's Club's Member's Mark products. While you'll still get bang for your buck shopping at Costco, Sam's Club has a slight edge. This is what they found:
Item | Kirkland (Costco) | Member's Mark (Sam's Club) |
|---|---|---|
Paper towels (2-ply) | $22.99 (12 rolls) | $19.98 (15 rolls) |
48 AA batteries | $15.99 | $17.98 |
Laundry detergent | $19.99 (194 fl oz) | $15.98 (196 fl oz) |
Canned chicken breast (6 count) | $14.99 | $11.98 |
Minced garlic (48 oz) | $8.49 | $5.43 |
Olive oil (2L) | $25.99 | $21.78 |
In 2023, AARP also pitted Sam's Club and Costco against each other to determine which club had the best prices. The total cost to buy the same list of 30 grocery items came to $68.94 at Sam's Club and $81.60 at Costco.
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2. Costco's Kirkland products are better quality
- Our pick: Costco
While prices might be slightly higher at Costco, the added costs do translate to better quality. Overall, Costco's Kirkland Signature brand has earned more kudos for quality than Sam's Club's products. For example, Kirkland olive oil was one of only a few imported oils that met international and U.S. standards for extra virgin olive oil in a chemical and sensory study by the University of California, Davis.
And Kirkland Signature Tequila Añejo received an "exceptional" score from the Beverage Tasting Institute's Tastings.com. Consumer Reports has named Kirkland's Colombian Supremo whole bean coffee, Greek yogurt and super premium vanilla ice cream as best buys.
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3. Both offer great credit card perks
- Our pick: It's a tie.
Both the Costco Anywhere Visa Card and Sam’s Club Mastercard have great perks for frequent Costco or Sam's Club shoppers.
The Costco Anywhere Visa Card offers 5% cash back on Costco gas and 4% on other eligible gas and EV charging for the first $7,000 spent per year. Cardholders also get 3% cash back at restaurants and on eligible travel spending. You'll also get 2% on all your Costco purchases and 1% on everything else. Plus, there's no annual fee to offset any rewards you earn. Many other store rewards credit cards offer a higher rewards rate on purchases made in-store — like the Amazon Prime Visa which earns an unlimited 5% back on Amazon purchases — but this card will earn more when you spend outside of Costco.
The Sam's Club MasterCard also has no annual fee and an impressive rewards rate on fuel purchases. The card earns 5% cashback up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1%) on EV charging and at eligible gas stations. You'll also get 3% cashback on dining and 1% on all other purchases. If you spring for the Sam's Club Plus membership, you can also earn up to 5% back on eligible Sam’s Club purchases (3% back with the card, plus up to 2% back from the higher membership tier.) One downside: Those with a basic membership will only earn 1% cash back from shopping at Sam's.
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4. Costco has more services available
- Our pick: Costco
Both big-box stores offer an array of membership benefits beyond gas and grocery savings that are free or at discounted prices. That includes home improvement and maintenance services, car-buying services, identity protection and pharmacy savings.
But Costco offers more. For example, the warehouse club offers special pricing on life insurance, pet insurance, and auto and home insurance. Members who saved reported an average of $595.86 in auto insurance savings the first year they switched. Costco also offers business health insurance and impressive travel packages.
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5. Costco's return policy is better
- Our pick: Costco
Both Costco and Sam's Club have solid return policies. They both offer a risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee, with just a few exceptions.
At Costco you can return virtually any item anytime, no questions asked, without a receipt or the original packaging — unless you're returning a PC (or other electronic device) or a major appliance, in which case you have 90 days. And of course, Costco does not accept returns on cigarettes or alcohol where prohibited by law.
That's similar to Sam's Club, except Sam's highly recommends that you have the original receipt and packaging. On their site, it says: "We prefer your original receipt or printed order, but if that’s not available, we’ll do our best to process your return without it." To obtain a full refund in some instances, you'll also be required to return the product with its full original packaging.
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6. Sam's Club accepts more payment methods
- Our pick: Sam's Club
If you don't have plans to get a store credit card from either warehouse club, it's worth noting that Sam's Club accepted a wider variety of credit cards. At Costco, you're limited to Visa cards, but Sam's Club will accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. The warehouse club even allows you to use a Walmart gift card to pay for your Sam's Club purchases.
For shoppers trying to maximize credit card rewards by using them on groceries, Sam's Club might be your best choice. Since some of the best travel rewards credit cards are Mastercard or American Express, the flexibility to use any card you like at Sam's Club can help you rack up points or achieve status with your favorite airline loyalty program faster.
Credit cards aside, both warehouse clubs accept debit cards, cash, and checks.
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