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Sam's Club and Costco - Which one is better?

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Sam's Club has a better app. "Scan & GO" is awesome and saves a bunch of time. But Costco does have some better items. So it just depends on what's important to you. Answer from jonnyboi134 on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/samsclub › sam's club and costco - which one is better?

r/samsclub on Reddit: Sam's Club and Costco - Which one is better?

February 15, 2023 -

Hi everyone, I'm looking to sign up for a warehouse club membership, and I'm trying to decide between Sam's Club and Costco. I've never been a member of either club before, so I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Which one has better prices and deals? Which one has better quality products? Which one has better customer service? Are there any other factors I should consider when choosing between the two? Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I have read review post on Sam’s Club vs. Costco but still confused between the two in terms of membership fees, store layouts, product selection, and additional services offered.

Sam's Club has a better app. "Scan & GO" is awesome and saves a bunch of time. But Costco does have some better items. So it just depends on what's important to you.

Sam's Club Scan and Go hands down. All the Costco's out here are full of entitled jackasses with ill behaved kids running around the store. I still have a basic Costco membership since my gym is next to it and I'll get gas at 6am when there is no line. I wanna like Costco, but when I can be in and out with a cart full of stuff in 15 min, or do a 7am Curbside Pickup, Costco just can't compete. I hear how Costco treats their employees better, but as a consumer, my Sam's staff seems happier. Oh and Sam's takes my Amex. I think it's a hasty generalization to say Kirkland is a superior brand too. Yes some things are in fact better, but many Member's Mark items are just as good. I get a twitchy eye everytime I have to stand in line at Costco, regardless of how fast the lines move.

reddit.com › r/frugal › costco vs sam’s? for a single person. which is better?

r/Frugal on Reddit: Costco vs Sam’s? For a single person. Which is better?

May 2, 2025 -

Just wondering which is a better option. I currently have Sams club, should I switch to Costco? What are the pros? I pay like $40 a year for Sams Club. Have you ever had Sams Club and switched to Costco or vice versa? If so why?

I mostly use it for milk, bulk protien yogurt, honey, lemons, mixed nuts, nicotine chewing gum, some vegetables and gas. I would like to get some quinoa but Sam’s doesn’t have it.

I shop at Costco because they treat their workers better. For me, a couple of dollars here or there isn’t as important as supporting businesses with good practices. Depending on your shopping habits and local stores, Costco may or may not be a good deal. For us, we save a substantial amount of money on staples and convenience frozen foods.

I chose costco for political reasons. Last time I compared prices, I found them similar per package. Costco tended to have larger sized packages though. Sams tends to have more variety. Costco only has sharp, mild cheddar and Colby cheese in 3lb blocks. Sams has at least 8 different kinds of cheese in 3 different size blocks.

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reddit.com › r/casualconversation › sam's club vs. costco

r/CasualConversation on Reddit: Sam's Club Vs. Costco

March 18, 2025 -

Unpopular opinion from people who shop at Costco, but I don't see the difference. They are practically the same thing selling the same stuff. Honestly Sam's club is better for scan and go check out and better prices on most things. I don't see the appeal to Costco and why it's so great. Thoughts?

Costco's brand products are better than Walmart's, IMO. Plus, the employees are treated better and paid well which leads to better customer service.

Not that I've done the research but I assume Sam's Club pays their workers similarly to the employees at Walmart. That's one reason I choose Costco. The other is that I like the meat department at my Costco better than at Sam's. I realize it's probably very location dependent but that's the way it is for me.

reddit.com › r/samsclub › sams club vs costco?

r/samsclub on Reddit: Sams Club vs Costco?

April 30, 2025 -

So, my membership for Costco is up to be renewed this month, which I've been putting off. Sam's Club currently has a join for $20 sale going on. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of the two stores? Or would it be worth it to have both?

*Edit: I ended up doing the deal! I went today and already they have a better price on some of my favorite snacks there, plus I got a soft pretzel which I didn't realize was so delicious!*

I only do Sam’s because Costco is always an absolute madhouse and I love scan and go.

I keep both because they have different items. Costco has more specialty items like Chia Seeds. Usually if 1 doesn't have something, the other will -very helpful in the pandemic.

reddit.com › r/samsclub › thinking about joining; why sams club over costco?

r/samsclub on Reddit: Thinking About Joining; Why Sams Club Over Costco?

September 8, 2025 -

I have been going back and forth with joining Sam's Club or Costco. I have a Sam's Club near me, and I went with a family member, and there is a ton of stuff. I have been told that there are definitely more products at Sam's Club than at Costco, but I have a couple of friends who swear by Costco. Why one over the other? Or are they pretty much the same? Buy in bulk, save money.

Scan & Go baby. The pick up works great. Free delivery is also a nice perk.

I'd say the main thing Sam's Club has over Costco is Scan and Go. While I agree Scan and Go isn't for everyone it helps get through a lot quicker compared to the long lines at Costco. I've never personally been to a Costco but from what I've heard from other people that's about the only thing Sam's Club has on them

reddit.com › r/unpopularopinion › sam’s club is better than costco now

r/unpopularopinion on Reddit: Sam’s club is better than Costco now

December 16, 2024 -

Costco still has a huge cult following while Sam’s Club has been viewed as the “cheap” brand. I mean I’ve always been a huge fan of Costco, but over the past few years, Sam’s Club has stepped up their game tremendously. They basically offer everything that Costco has now and more. Member’s Mark branded items are just as good as Kirkland now too.

In my area, Costco’s are still way overcrowded. People have ZERO self awareness with their carts. Just taking up an entire aisle with their massive carts not paying any attention to people trying to get by. All while Sam’s clubs are basically empty in my area. Pair that with Sam’s scan and go.. I literally just skip the lines and check out on my phone. That alone makes Sam’s miles better than Costco.

I recently compared both of their rotisserie chickens as well and I gotta say Sam’s Club’s chicken tastes much better. It seems like it’s actually seasoned compared to Costco. Plus I like Sam’s pizza more as well. Although I gotta say the Costco hotdog is better.

The scan and go app at Sam's is a difference maker. I used to loathe shopping in general, more so Costco or Sam's. With scan and go and that auto scanner they do as you walk out, there is no wait anymore. I can be in and out in no time. I give Costco the edge in the variety of what they sell but scan and go wins out. Sam's pharmacy is faster and much easier to use and much less expensive than Walgreens or CVS, too.

I’d rather give to the Costco conglomerate than the Walmart one

reddit.com › r/samsclub › sam’s club vs costco

r/samsclub on Reddit: Sam’s Club Vs Costco

May 11, 2024 -

I have a Costco membership and wondering if I’m missing out. Should I get a Sam’s Club membership too or are they basically the same? Or who’s better ?

I have both. I far and away prefer Sam’s. I like the Scan and Go, the online shopping ability, the product line (although Costco also has the Kirkland line which has some good products), and Sam’s seems to be generally less busy which as a guy who’s dripping with social anxiety, I appreciate. I’m letting go of my Costco membership at the end of the month because I hardly use it. It is worth noting that Sam’s is changing their plus membership benefits are changing in August which is frustrating some folks, but I’ll still be sticking to my plus membership for sure.

We have both and typically go shopping at both on the same day. We like them for different things, so it just depends what you're buying. If we had to choose one, probably Sam's but honestly we like both. Sam's has a better website/app and has scan & go. Costco: Bully Sticks for our dog, kitty litter, lemon juice in glass bottles, chicken breast, best chocolate milk I've ever had, avocado oil (spray usually?), milk when we need it (don't like the Sam's club jug shape), egg whites (we like them from Sam's too but price was slightly better from Costco), crumbled bacon and other salad toppers, spaghetti sauce, coconut water, and generally just more fun and unique snacks or other foods. Those dark chocolate sea salt caramels are amazing. Hand soaps and supplements and things in the pharmacy area. We've made bigger purchases at Costco like my laptop and my uncle's washer and dryer and gotten good deals. Sam's: produce especially flavor bomb cherry tomatoes and honey crisp apples and mini peppers (don't like potatoes or onions from here), Bush's baked beans, Rotel tomatoes, avocado oil (bottle usually?), 10 lb tube of ground beef, applewood bacon, French's fried onions and other salad toppers, shredded Parmesan cheese, babybel cheese, often baby back ribs since we make ribs for Christmas every year, mini croissants, giant muffins (these are so delicious we've had to avoid having them in the house, hopefully they still make them, the chocolate ones and blueberry ones are killer), fresh squeezed orange juice is amazing, big bag of baking soda, vinegar, toilet paper and paper towels and "flushable" wipes (these are all great quality from Sam's!).

reddit.com › r/fortcollins › do you prefer sam's club or costco?

r/FortCollins on Reddit: Do You Prefer Sam's Club or Costco?

April 28, 2025 -

I'm thinking about getting either a Sam's Club or Costco membership and I'm curious about y'all's opinions on the two. I'm trying to bring down my average grocery bill. Some things I'm curious about for each store:

-Produce quality: Does one store have better produce compared to the other? How does it compare to what you get at stores like Safeway?
-Busy times: Is there an ideal time to go when it's less crowded?
-Savings: Does one store have better savings compared to the other?
-Does the membership pay for itself with the savings?

I've never shopped at a warehouse store before, so any info would be greatly appreciated.

ETA: Thank you all for the replies and info! Sounds like Costco is the way to go. I'll grab a membership and check it out. Let's see if I survive the crowds!

Costco is standing behind their principles. Sam's Club never had any.

Costco. Their food court is better and they treat their employees better. Sam’s is owned by Walmart Corp so…

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

reddit.com › r/dallas › costco vs sam’s club

r/Dallas on Reddit: Costco Vs Sam’s Club

December 13, 2025 -

Which is better in the DFW area?

I’ve previously had a Costco membership which I got for free while driving for Uber Eats during college. Only used it for the food court and gas, since I avoided big purchases.

Now I live in Lewisville super close to a Costco(6mins) and a Sam club(14mins) off the highway. So was wondering which would generally be a better option. I generally still avoid super big purchases, but the Costco brand in my mind resonates more with quality, and i have always found the ones in dallas to be pretty good with diverse products. Have no experience with Sam’s at all. Personally I don’t care about Scan and Go which I’ve read about. I more so care about their members mark brand and the quality of the products they carry in the DFW stores.

Also are gas prices different? Does Costco have better gas? I buy premium for my car who whichever is better or cheaper would be a bonus.

Edit: Also I think Sam’s is doing a $25 membership special? Saw it yesterday but can’t seem to find it on their page today.

If you care about supporting the lesser evil megacorp, go with costco. They treat employees well and Kirkland brand is awesome. Sams club is just walmart.

Costco sells Top Tier Gasoline. Sam's Club does not. Top Tier Gasoline has more addatives and detergents. It's a better quality fuel for both regular and premium grades. I have a Sam's Club membership because the membership is cheaper than Costco and the convenience of scan and go. If scan and go were to go away I would most likely step up to a Costco membership.

reddit.com › r/cooking › sam's club or costco - which is better?

r/Cooking on Reddit: Sam's Club or Costco - which is better?

December 2, 2023 -

I have a Costco membership but Sam's Club is just two blocks away. I welcome any insights.

Costco treats their employees better. Pay, benefits, work/life balance, etc. as reported by the workers

I have a membership to both. I feel like Kirkland branded items are much better than Member's Mark. Aside from that, the pricing for items that they both carry tend to be similar. Sam's has always had good butchered items, but Costco has come up to the same quality. They do carry items that look the same but aren't. Ex. Olay Regenerist lotion at Sam's is NOT the high quality one that Costco carries and the Charmin Ultra Soft TP at Costco is about half an inch wider than the one sold at Sam's. Sam's carries Pampers Diapers, Costco has Kirkland or Huggies. Costco does not take Amex, but Sam's does. Sam's has Scan and Go which is convenient. If you get your gas at Costco, it has detergents added which clean your engine, Sam's does not. Edited because I said the wrong TP

reddit.com › r/nova › costco vs sam's club

r/nova on Reddit: Costco vs Sam's Club

December 9, 2025 -

I've been a Costco member for about 10 years. I moved to an area where there's a Sam Club nearby. I'm looking for some feedback as to how they compare for shopping and deals, as I have never been in a Sam's Club.

Sam’s is about the same in my experience, although Costco has cut down on toys recently which is a bummer. On the other hand, Costco is a great company that treats its works well, finds ways to donate surplus food (most recently salmon to a wolf sanctuary), and is suing the Trump administration over the cost of tariffs.

Honestly, the better overlap is BJ's and Costco. BJ's is way better for grocery staples and can replace a lot of grocery shopping (they even accept manufacturer's coupons in addition to their own for extra savings). Sam's has a bigger national footprint, while BJ's are (with the exception of Dallas, apparently) only found east of the Mississippi River: https://www.scrapehero.com/store/wp-content/uploads/maps/BJs_Wholesale_Club_USA_100dpi.png

reddit.com › r/samsclub › sams club vs costco product quality

r/samsclub on Reddit: Sams Club vs Costco product quality

February 18, 2025 -

I've hear a lot about how Costco, especially Kirkland products, are higher quality.

For people here who've had memberships at both, in your own experience, which products would you say are better quality at Costco and vice versa?

Sam’s has better produce and meat! I belong to both. I also like Member’s Mark TP better.

Pretty equal. Kirkland makes the effort to offer more organic products. Other than that I’ve not found much of a difference.

reddit.com › r/samsclub › sam's vs costco

Sam's vs Costco : r/samsclub

November 12, 2024 - I tend to get in and get out as ... That experience and Costco removing the scanner guns at self checkout soured Costco for me. Sam's club is much more relaxed shopping for me....

reddit.com › r/samsclub › i compared both costco and sams club and i prefer sams club heres why

r/samsclub on Reddit: I compared both Costco and Sams Club and i prefer Sams Club heres why

November 27, 2023 -

Costco was very crowded it took me 20 minutes to find a parking space while sams club i can always find one quikly. The inside of costco also had a long line while sams club had no line.

Sams club accepts my discover and Master card credit cards while Costco will only take my Visa debit card (I have no visa credit cards)

Sams club has bigger fountain drinks compared to Costco (both have free refills through).

My nearest sams club is 30 minutes away while Costco is 45 minutes away.

Costco gas has long lines and was 5 cents more expensive then Sams Club (Costco is top tier throguh but i dont care about that)

Scan and go (sams club only as there is none for Costco)

Sams club wifi was faster then Costcos

Sams club has a better selection of clothes and books

Sams club pharmacy was open (Costco was closed when i was there)

At least Costco seems to have happier employees and has air for tires.

Costco pays and staffs better than Sam's so their employees are genuinely more satisfied, which translates to a better experience for their customers.

And Sam's club has combo pizza. I only have a Costco membership for the gas at this point and I share it with like four people in the house, we all just take the card when we think we are going to need to stop for gas. Sam's club chicken is the same as Costco. I find Sam's beef products -- yes I'm gonna say it -- to be BETTER than Costco. Shrimp at Sam's? Better. Chicken js a wash. Fish? SAMS. Sam's club wins. I may be even thinking about cancelling the Costco membership in the relatively near future. Edit. Just remembered actually Costco has really good dog food for a low price and Sam's doesn't. Damnit.

reddit.com › r/samsclub › sam’s club vs costco in-store shopping experience

r/samsclub on Reddit: Sam’s Club vs Costco in-store shopping experience

May 7, 2024 -

Is there any difference between shopping at either of those stores? If so, what is different between the two?

From what I've heard, Costco is way more strict with membership sharing. Picture must match the person using the card, if not they deny you every time. Sam's has Scan + go which is a huge plus for most people. Costco tends to have more healthy options, but Sam's has more variety. Sam's memberships are also cheaper compared to costco.

Costco is way more crowded and Sam’s Club is a bit calmer but can get busy at times. Not many people are in line at Sam’s Club due to Scan and Go.

reddit.com › r/samsclub › costco vs sam's

r/samsclub on Reddit: Costco vs Sam's

May 16, 2025 -

I have both cards and I will tell you one thing for sure, Costco has superior meat. It's well trimmed and butcher shop quality. To me Sam's meat is on par with Walmart's meat. Everything else is a toss up depending on what items you are looking for.

I’ll take Sam Club over Costco just for Scan and Go and toilet paper anytime

Costco’s might be marginally better, but it is marginally more expensive. Sam’s is much better than Walmart.

reddit.com › r/costco › who had switched from sam’s club.

r/Costco on Reddit: Who had switched from Sam’s Club.

March 27, 2025 -

Thinking about switching from Sam’s Club. I’ve been debating.

Probably get this deleted but I’m trying to get some opinions

Sam's club is way less crowded, and the Scan&Go checkout is S tier honestly. They also have more name brand products, and a way better candy selection. They also label their isles so I can find stuff and get out quickly. I still prefer Costco for the house brand item quality, how they treat their staff, and not benefitting the Walton family.

I have Sam's Club and my gf has Costco. The Costco food court is better but I love the Sam's club cinnamon pretzels. The scan and go at Sam's is a game changer and makes the shopping experience a lot easier. I can't go to Costco without her, she can go to Sam's Club anytime with my membership card. Overall- I would give the nod to Costco but I prefer Sam's because it's closer and not as busy.

reddit.com › r/budget › costco or sam’s club

r/budget on Reddit: Costco or sam’s club

May 29, 2025 - Hello everyone, I used to shop at Walmart, but will be in an area where i have access to costco and sam’s club. I think both have the same annual…

reddit.com › r/opinionsreviewsviews › sam’s club or costco?

r/OpinionsReviewsViews on Reddit: Sam’s Club or Costco?

May 15, 2023 -

Pros and cons please as I’m trying to decide which to go with. Side note I have a family of 5! Thanks!

Sale prices. This is where both stores shine. Their regular prices are bulk prices. The lowest price per unit that you'll find anywhere. So when they put those items on sale, you can get some really good deals. If the sale item is something I use a lot, like cereal or cat litter, I stock up and buy as much as I have room to store. *Example: Cheerios. Both stores sell two 23.5 oz boxes of cereal for just under $7. Which isn't that great. it basically the same price per unit as the best priced box of Cheerios at Walmart. But when they put it on sale for $2 to $3 or more off, then you're getting a really good price. Cat litter. Costco sells 42lbs of Scoop away cat litter for just under $17. That's $10 less than they want for a 32lb container of the same litter at Walmart. When it goes on sale it's $12 for the same container. Both warehouses send out mailers each month with a list of what's on sale. Unfortunately, their sale prices have become less frequent. Costco used to have Cheerios and cat litter on sale every two or three months. But Lately it's been six months or more between sales on the same items. House brands. I'm referring to everyday use products here. Like toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, and things like that. Both warehouses offer decent quality house brands. Costco has a reputation for high quality house brands. Sam's house brands are ok, but do not have the same reputation. Their house brands do vary in quality but they are almost identically priced. Your preference here will vary. But both warehouses carry fairly high quality products or products that are consistent in their quality. Premium house brands. I'm referring to the fancier or more expensive items that both stores sell. Costco offers A LOT of premium options. From food to furniture. They get a lot of vendors offering special pricing just for Costco members. But these are all high(er) end items to start with. If you're shopping in that category, You may see value in these offers. But as a basic consumer who mostly buys groceries and gas, I usually stay away from them unless they are deeply discounted or it's a special occasion. Sam's also attempts to offer higher end services and goods. But they simply aren't up to Costco standards. I can't speak to most of their high end products but their house made foods fall short of what Costco offers. Items that stand out. Gasoline. (Costco and Sam's) Both stores usually have the same price on fuel. Which is usually five to ten cents cheaper than the nearest competition. The higher gas prices get, the cheaper Sam's and Costco usually are. During the last gas crunch BJ's was even cheaper than Costco or Sam's. Cat litter. Costco is consistently cheaper than Sam's on name brand cat litter. But Sam's is very close. And they're both much cheaper than Walmart or any of the pet stores. Rotisserie chickens. (Costco wins) Costco's rotisserie chickens are super cheap and very popular. They are loss leaders for Costco. But they are so popular that Costco bought their own chicken farm to keep costs down. Sam's offers rotisserie chickens but they are MUCH smaller. If you put them side by side, the Sam's chickens are at least 25-30% smaller for the same price. Food court. (Costco and Sam's) Costco has a food court offering a variety of cheap, good quality foods that are ready fast. Sam's has a copy cat food court that offers the same or similar products for the same or similar prices. But Sam's service is lacking in this area as well. Hot dog combo. (Costco and Sam's) Costco sells a 1/4lb hot dog and soda for $1.50. It's the cheapest deal anywhere. I've never had Sam's combo but it is the same price for the same size hot dog. They also sell: Pepperoni or cheese pizza, slice: $1.99. Pepperoni or cheese pizza, whole 18-inch: $9.95. Chicken bake: $3.99. Roast beef sandwich: $9.99. Rotisserie chicken Caesar salad: $6.99. Cold brew (latte or mocha freeze): $2.99. Fruit smoothie: $2.99. Ice cream sundae (vanilla or strawberry ice cream with strawberry or chocolate topping): $2.49. Ice cream cup (vanilla or strawberry ice cream): $1.99. Cinnamon churro: $1.49. 20-ounce soda (with refill): $0.69. Bread. (Costco) During the ridiculous price increases last year you could buy two loaves of name brand bread at Costco for the price of one loaf at the grocery store. Eggs, if you have enough room to store them. (Costco) They are cheaper but they sell them in large quantities that I don't have room for and I'm not feeding that many people. So Walmart is the cheapest per 12 or 18. Milk. Sam's milk went up and didn't come down. It was measurably more expensive than Costco and Walmart for a long time after prices came down in other places. Cereal, when it is on sale. (Costco and Sam's) Usually 25% to 30% cheaper than Walmart. Certain meats when they are on sale. (Costco) Costco will do sales of X amount off the package for pork and chicken. I've never seen them do it with any red meats. But it's usually significant. It helps if you can stock up when you see these sales.

Try here also: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/ Do some reconnaissance. Go to both stores and ask for a guest card and take a walk around. Note the prices on the products that you buy regularly. (price per unit, number of units, size of units in each package) Note the small variations between the nearly identical products that both stores sell. (quality, quantity, flavors offered) Look at the stores. (cleanliness, organization) Look at the employees. (attention to detail, attention span, willingness to help, knowledge of the store and it's products) You can't go by Costco's online pricing. When I went online to give head to head examples of Costco prices vs. Sam's, the online prices were wrong. They were much higher than I pay for the same items in the store. Don't forget about BJ's. They're a copy cat warehouse similar to Costco and Sam's. So if they are more convenient to you, you should compare them as well. My BJ's is too far away so it is not convenient to me. Off the cuff. Go with the one that is most convenient to you. You'll be using it mostly for gas so you want it to be as easy to access as possible. If you're pinching pennies and want to get the absolute cheapest prices on everyday items then Sam's will help you shave some pennies off your monthly bills. You'll save a tiny bit less at Costco. But if you prefer a nicer shopping experience with better customer service, choose Costco. It's worth the few extra bucks. If you are interested in premium services like travel, automobiles, fine dining, etc, choose Costco. Convenience and Gasoline. If you commute, gasoline will be the number one reason for purchasing a warehouse membership. Most people will save enough on gasoline to pay for the membership. So which of the two stores is closest to you? Do they have easy access in and out of the pumps? My Costco has a small entrance for the gas pumps and there is almost always a line. My Sam's is slightly farther away but is much easier to get in and out of. Pharmacy! If you need a pharmacy, Costco is your number one choice. Period. There is no contest. Costco's pharmacy is always fully staffed. In my area, during peak hours, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, and Sam's were staffing one pharmacist and either one or two assistants that also had to be cashiers. While Costco almost always has at least two pharmacists, three assistants, and one full time cashier on duty. My Costco pharmacy always answers the phone and almost always has the time to look things up or answer questions. Sam's pharmacy only ever has one pharmacist and one assistant that must also be the cashier. In General: 1 Costco is a union business. They pay their people well and you can tell the difference in how they work and behave. Most of their employees have been there for a long time and work hard. Their prices are usually as good or better than Walmart. Their sale prices are usually much better than you'll find anywhere else. Sam's is run by the same people that run Walmart. Their employees behave like Walmart employees. Their everyday prices are usually just a little bit cheaper than Walmart. So their sale prices are comparable to Costco's In General: 2 Except for the pharmacy, the two are similar. They have the same or very similar products in both stores. Their prices are the same or very close, except when things are on sale. Overall, Costco is slightly more expensive but is cleaner and more organized. Costco's customer service is better in every way. Costco offers a better shopping experience overall. Online, Costco has been moving towards higher quality, higher priced brands and offerings over the last few years. Sam's website is kind of all over the place. Membership fees. Costco's annual membership fee is $60. Sam's club is $50. The premium memberships are $120 and $110 respectively. Both of them offer a full refund of your membership fees if you are not satisfied and choose to cancel. Costco says that if you do not earn enough rebates to pay for the premium membership, they will refund the difference to you. But you have to watch for the premium rebate check and call them to request the refund if that occurs. I haven't had the Sam's premium membership but I imagine that they will do something similar. Costco's executive membership offers a lot of high end services for people with expensive habits, like traveling, buying cars, and home renovations. Sam's club premium seems to be about the same. Cash back rebate programs. Cash back programs change and the details vary. Check their websites to get current information. Both of them offer cash back on various purchases. If you have the basic membership card they are pretty much the same. Usually 1-2% on all purchases in the warehouse and 1% everywhere else. Both of them offer more cash back if you become a premium member. Usually 2% in added rebates for purchases in the warehouse or at their pumps. The rebate may not justify the added member ship fee. The premium membership costs $60 more for both companies. So you would have to spend $3000 to earn that back. Credit cards. Both of them offer in house credit cards. Costco is a visa. Sam's is a Mastercard. Sam's club is currently offering more in cash back than Costco if you get their credit card. Sam's card offers 5% back on all fuel purchases (on the first $6000) at Sam's club and ANYWHERE they accept the Sam's Mastercard. Costco only offers 4% back (on the first $7000) and that is ONLY at Costco fuel stations. (1% everywhere else.) Collecting your rebate. Costco computes your rebate once a month and tells you how much you've earned on your card statement. Then they mail your basic membership rebate check to you once a year. It arrives attached to your credit card bill. (I don't know how it comes if you're on paperless billing.) To use it, you have to take it to the store and show it to the cashier before you pay. If what you're buying is less than the check, they give you cash back. However, If you lose your check or forget to use your check before it expires, you lose the money. (You have several months to use the check and they send you several reminders throughout the year.) If you have the Costco premium membership, you'll get two different rebate checks at different times of the year. One for the regular membership rewards and one for the premium rewards. It's up to you to keep track of them and know which one is for which. And to call them to request a refund if the premium rebate check is not more than the extra $60 you paid for the executive membership. Sam's computes your rebate in real time and allows you to use it as you earn it. Once you've earned at least $20 in rebates you'll be given the opportunity to use it against your balance at the register. But you can't get your rebate back in cash. (as far as I know) Product prices. In both stores you'll find the same, almost identical, or similar products for very similar or the same prices. For every day items that both stores carry,(like toilet paper, paper towels, and brand name food items) Sam's club will be the same or just a few pennies per unit cheaper than Costco. I'm talking about a difference of one or two cents per ounce. (or less) Sam's plays a pricing game to make their products look cheaper than Costco items. But the actual differences in the price per unit is much smaller than it appears and may be non existent. Sam's uses smaller overall package sizes or puts fewer units in each package. So their package price is lower than Costco's for the same product. But if you compare the price per unit, Sam's is usually the same or only a tiny bit cheaper. The lower price per package tricks people into thinking that they're paying a lot less for the product than they are. When it is the same or very close to the same. They're just getting less product. So your final bill may be slightly less with Sam's than Costco. But because you are getting slightly less product, you will have to shop slightly more often. Continued...

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r/samsclub on Reddit: Costco vs Sam’s Club

July 5, 2024 -

Apologies if this has been posted before. I am a long time Costco member and huge fan. I recently had the opportunity to get a $25 Sam’s Club Membership. Curious if anyone else on here has both and what are can’t miss items at Sam’s Club that aren’t at Costco?

I’ve got both. We use Costco for just about everything but dog food, paper goods and basic food. Sams has better produce, meat, pizza and the to go meals are better.

I used to be a Costco member, but switched to Sam's a couple of years ago. Overall I like Sam's much better. In my area both Sam's and Costco are super close to each other, but Costco is always way more busy. Plus the Scan and Go app makes checking out a breeze compared to Costco. It makes it easy to pop in for just a few items and be out very quickly. The line for gas is also usually more manageable than Costco. Overall I think Sam's has a better food/produce selection, the rest is about the same. The only things I miss from Costco are the shelf stable quarts of almond milk and oat milk.