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Costco just started offering its top-tier members something regular shoppers can’t buy: an empty store.
Since June 30, the warehouse giant’s Executive Members have been able to shop on weekdays starting at 9 a.m. — which is one hour earlier than everyone else. On Saturdays, Executive Members get a 30-minute head start instead.
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Those without a premium membership [1] will be turned away.
"Our Executive Members are our most loyal members, and we want to reward them for their commitment to Costco,” a Costco spokesperson explained in an email to Business Insider [2].
Still, not everyone is applauding the change, including staff and non-Executive Members. Here’s what this preferential treatment means for Americans.
Executives only
Costco allowed a short grace period after rolling out the perk in late June before enforcing it as of September 1. To access the retailer’s top-tier perks, shoppers need an Executive Membership, which costs $130 annually. That fee includes annual rewards [3] and a $10 monthly credit on eligible online orders over $150. By comparison, Gold Star and Business memberships run $65 annually.
Most shoppers approve of the upgrade. Half of Costco’s U.S. members pay for Executive status, and they’re responsible for 73% of the warehouse giant’s sales, according to Costco [4] data. The initial response has been positive, with customers saying it has made their shopping experience smoother.
“It is such a relaxing shopping environment and not survival of the fittest,” one Reddit [5] user, ReasonableCucumber10, wrote on the CostcoWholesale forum.
Another member, posting under the name my4thfavoritecolor, added: “I used it for the first time today. I could make a return without waiting in the giant line and then went and spent $200 elsewhere. Win, win!”
But not everyone is cheering. When Costco announced the policy change, some shoppers accused the warehouse giant of favoring big spenders.
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Does the upgrade pay off?
At $130 a year, Costco’s Executive Membership costs twice as much as its Gold Membership. The return on investment depends largely on a customer’s shopping frequency and spending habits.
With inflation still squeezing household budgets, bulk shopping remains popular. A Lending Tree [6] analysis found that bulk purchases can reduce costs by an average of 27% across 30 everyday products, including essentials such as paper towels, bottled water and batteries.
Costco’s Executive Members also get 2% back on most purchases for up to $1,000 a year. That means you need to spend at least $3,000 annually — about $250 a month — to break even on an Executive Membership compared to a standard membership. Anything beyond that, and the membership starts paying for itself.
Perks like the $10 monthly credit on eligible online orders can also tip the math in your favor if you frequently shop online. If your Costco runs are limited to just gas and snacks, the upgrade might not be worth it.
To figure out if the Executive Membership is worth it, you could use apps like Rocket Money to see how close you are to that $3,000 benchmark.
Rocket Money tracks and categorizes your expenses, providing a clear view of your cash, credit, and investments in one place. It can even uncover forgotten subscriptions, helping you cut unnecessary costs and save potentially hundreds annually.
For a small fee, the app can also negotiate lower rates on your monthly bills, making it a valuable tool for keeping your finances on track.
How to earn money while you shop
You don’t necessarily need to dole out cash for a membership card to try and save money. For instance, if you want to squirrel away your spare change when shoppping for groceries, you could try using Acorns.
With Acorns, you can auto-invest your spare change every time you make a purchase on your linked credit or debit card. Acorns automatically rounds up the price to the nearest dollar and places the excess — coins that would wind up in your pocket if you paid cash — into a smart investment portfolio.
Let’s say you purchase a Costco rotisserie chicken for $5.66. Before you’ve beaten the checkout rush, Acorns will round it to $6.00 and invest the 34-cent difference for you. Just $2.50 worth of daily round-ups add up to $900 per year — and that’s before your savings earn money in the market.
Plus, if you sign up now with a recurring deposit, you can get a $20 bonus investment.
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Article sources
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[1]. Economic Times. “Costco’s new policy takes effect: Who will be denied entry and what are the major changes”
[2]. Business Insider. “Costco is bringing back a perk to help shoppers beat the crowds — if you have an executive membership”
[3]. Costco. “What is the difference between each type of membership?”
[4]. Costco. “3rd Quarter FY 2025 Supplemental Information”
[5]. Reddit. “Reddit post on r/CostcoWholesale by u/Reasonablecucumber10 on Aug. 31, 2025”
[6]. Lending Tree. “Buying in Bulk Could Save Shoppers 27%, on Average — Led by Paper Towels, Water and Batteries”
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.