Fees, perks and the spending you need for an upgrade to pay off, taken from each store's own membership pages.
On fees alone, Sam's Club is cheaper: its basic Club membership is $60 a year against $65 for Costco Gold Star. At the top tier, Sam's Club Plus is $120 a year and Costco Executive is $130. Fee is only half the question, though. The other half is which store is closer, which one carries what you buy every week, and whether you spend enough to earn back an upgrade.
Both chains include a second card. Costco says its membership “includes a card for you and one additional person in your household,” and Sam's Club lists “Two Membership Cards” on both of its tiers.
Costco Gold Star lets you shop any Costco warehouse worldwide and Costco.com. Costco's comparison table lists member-only fuel pricing at over 750 fuel stations, Kirkland Signature products, tire installation with a 5-year road hazard warranty, access to Costco Travel, delivery and installation on most major appliances bought on Costco.com, an extended 2-year warranty on major appliances, TVs and computers, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee “on both your membership and merchandise” (Costco notes limitations apply).
Sam's Club Club includes Instant Savings, member-only fuel prices, a 100% satisfaction guarantee, Scan & Go, free curbside pickup, two cards, access to the Sam's Club Mastercard and bonus offers, according to Sam's Club's comparison grid.
Notice what Sam's Club keeps for Plus: free shipping, free delivery and Sam's Cash are all marked “Not Included” on the Club tier. If you mostly want curbside pickup and gas, the $60 Club tier covers that.
Two details from Costco's FAQ are worth knowing before you upgrade: purchases made before you upgrade don't count toward the 2% Reward, and Costco says plainly that the Reward “is not guaranteed to be equal to or greater than the Executive upgrade fee paid.”
Both upgrades pay 2%, so the arithmetic is simple. Divide the extra fee by 0.02:
Under those amounts, the reward alone won't cover the upgrade. You may still come out ahead if you'd use the other perks: free delivery at Sam's Club, or the monthly same-day delivery credit at Costco. Count only the ones you'd actually use. To estimate your spend, add up a few months of receipts from the club you already shop at (or your current grocery store) and multiply to a year.
You mainly want cheaper gas and a few bulk staples. Both list member-only fuel prices and a satisfaction guarantee on the basic tier. Pick the one that's closer to you, since extra driving time and gas eat into whatever you save.
A membership only pays if the prices inside beat what you'd pay elsewhere. Bulk packs often look cheap because the total is big and the per-unit cost is hidden. Before you load the cart, compare the unit price (per ounce, per count, per load) against your regular store. Our unit price guide shows how to do that in a few seconds. Costco itself notes in its FAQ that you don't have to buy everything in bulk; single items like electronics, tires and eyeglasses are part of the value too, and those are easy to compare against other retailers before you buy.
Price AI identifies a product from a photo or barcode, shows prices from major retailers, and gives you a Deal Score from 1–100, so you can see whether that bulk TV or tire set is actually cheaper. You can filter new, used and refurbished listings and ask follow-up questions in the AI chat. Available on iPhone.
Sam's Club. Its Club tier is $60 a year and Plus is $120. Costco Gold Star is $65 and Executive is $130, plus applicable sales tax.
The upgrade costs $65 more than Gold Star, and the reward is 2% of qualified purchases, so about $3,250 a year from the reward alone. Costco says the reward isn't guaranteed to cover the upgrade fee.
From the 2% Sam's Cash alone, you'd need about $3,000 a year in qualifying in-club purchases to cover the extra $60. Free shipping and club delivery on orders over $50 can make it worth it at lower spend if you'd otherwise pay for delivery.
Both include a second card for someone in your household.
Fees and benefits change. Check both pages before you join.
Related: Costco's return policy, how to compare unit prices, store brand vs name brand, and how to tell if a sale is actually a good deal.