Membership retailers like Sam’s Club and Costco can be a bit intimidating at first. There is the personal financial dilemma about whether or not to shell out the price for an annual membership fee if you don’t know what the store even has to offer in the first place. Fortunately, there are ways to get around this, so you can avoid buyer’s remorse.
I’ve been a longtime Costco member, love it, and encourage all readers of this site should give Costco a look. I previously covered how to shop at Costco without a membership to give an extra nudge for readers to do so.
Recently, I’ve also given Sam’s Club a try (and done a full Sam’s Club Vs. Costco review). While Sam’s Club isn’t quite as aligned to my grocery purchasing habits, I tried to set that aside for this review. Sam’s Club does have some great deals, so I wanted to give a full rundown on how you can shop at Sam’s Club without a Sam’s Club membership as well, to give it a trial run without having to spend a minimum of $50 on the annual membership fee (for the basic “Club” membership level) or $110 on the “Plus” membership. Those prices increased from $45 and $100, respectively, on October 17, 2022 – the first price increase at Sam’s Club in over 9 years.
Is there a Free Sam’s Club Trial Membership? Or Day Pass?
Sam’s Club used to offer a free “one day guest membership pass” via coupon invitation to be redeemed at their stores. The Sam’s Club One Day trial pass will get you in the door, however, if you want to buy anything, you will be charged a 10% service fee on your purchases (which may negate the savings of purchasing from Sam’s Club in the first place). There are some exceptions that I’ll cover.
Discounted or Free Sam’s Club Membership Promotions
Sam’s will occasionally run discounted membership promotional offers (usually limited to new members). For example, here is a great one available for 50% off membership in 2023.
Occasionally you will see a free Sam’s Club membership offer, but that is rare. More frequently you will see Sam’s run “register for a gift card” promotions (e.g. get a $10 or $15 gift card) for new members and renewing student membership and military membership.
Additionally, I previously highlighted an American Express offer that can result in a free Sam’s Club membership in the form of an AmEx statement credit. That offer is now expired, however, American Express, Bank of America, Chase, and Citi will occasionally offer these free Sam’s Club membership equivalent promotions from time to time with some of their credit cards. Go to the “offers” tab or section of your respective accounts to look for this.
What About the Sam’s Club 90-Day Free Trial Membership (3-Month Guest Membership)?
After Sam’s shut down the one-day guest membership passes, they began to offer an even better free 90-day trial membership to new members who have not been a member in the past 6 months.
In order to get the Sam’s Club 90-day basic trial membership, you’ll need an email invitation from someone who is a current Sam’s Club member or you will need to participate in a partner program that includes a free 90-day membership.
Shopping at Sam’s Club without a Membership:
Sam’s Club membership is not a necessity to get in the door to check things out. There are items and services within Sam’s Club that must be offered, by law, to non-members for purchase. So, if you want to just walk around the store and see the prices and offerings, go for it. Don’t let those beefed-up 70 year-old bouncer greeters dissuade you from your right to enter the store.
Don’t See the Value in your Membership? Get a Refund
Sam’s Club has a very forgiving membership fee refund policy:
100% Membership Satisfaction Guarantee: If at any time you’re unsatisfied with your Membership, let us know and we will cancel your membership and provide a refund of the amount paid for your current year Membership fee. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, there’s a limit of one Plus Membership refund per member or business per year.
You can pay for an annual membership, give it an honest trial run, then get a refund if you don’t see the value over time. You won’t even lose a pro-rated amount. This eliminates the risk of a “wasted” membership fee. But don’t abuse it!
There are even multiple ways to get a Sam’s Club membership fee refund.
Shop at Sam’s Club Online without a Membership (samsclub.com)
Similar to the One Day Pass, you can also shop online at the Sam’s Club website, samsclub.com, with a non-member guest 10% service fee up-charge (Costco has a similar up-charge, but it is only 5%). You can do this via a guest registration.
Note that most grocery items are not available to ship, and you cannot pick up in store with the guest registration.
Become a Sam’s Club Add-On Member
If someone in your household is a Sam’s Club member, they can add you to their account as a complimentary add-on member so you can get member prices in the stores or online, without the 10% non-member service fee. Note that it now costs $45 for each add-on member, so there is only a $5 benefit versus buying your own separate “Club” membership.
Additionally, you can always shop with a Sam’s Club member and pay them back – or even split the cost of membership. Seems like a bit of a hassle, but it’s a possibility.
Buying Prescriptions at the Sam’s Club Pharmacy without a Membership (and Immunizations)
Sam’s Club stocks hundreds of prescription medications for the low price of just $4 each. As Sam’s Club notes on their site, you do not have to have a Sam’s Club membership to buy prescription medication at the Sam’s Club Pharmacy. And for those prescriptions, there is not a 10% non-member service fee.
This also includes immunizations, such as flu shots. Sam’s Club is among those that offer the cheapest flu shots and other immunizations at their pharmacies to non-members who do not have insurance (from my analysis, only Costco is cheaper). Note that non-members may have to pay higher prices for immunizations or prescriptions than members.
Getting Food from the Sam’s Club Cafe without a Membership
According to Sam’s Club, you do not have to be a member to purchase items from the Sam’s Club Cafe (food court), and there is not a 10% non-member service fee. If you’re looking for a quick, convenient meal, the prices are pretty good (particularly the frozen yogurt).
Buying Alcohol at Sam’s Club without a Membership
The sale of alcohol is highly regulated, and in most states, membership stores like Sam’s Club and Costco must offer equal access and pricing for alcohol to all consumers, regardless of membership status. So, yes, you can buy alcohol at Sam’s Club without a membership, and there should not be a 10% non-member service fee upcharge.
The benefits of doing so might not be as great as at Costco, where you can find significantly lower prices on the Kirkland alcohol offerings than with similar name brands.
See the Sam’s Club Optical Center Doctor without a Membership
Sam’s Club states that you must be a member to buy optical products (e.g. glasses and contact lenses), however, a membership is not required to see a doctor of optometry for an eye exam. This is similar to Costco’s policy.
Sam’s Club Photo Center
And the final department in Sam’s Club where you do not need a membership fee to purchase from is the Sam’s Club Photo Center.
Shop Sam’s Club on Instacart Without a Sam’s Club Membership
You can buy Sam’s Club items on Instacart without a Sam’s Club membership. Be aware that Instacart states:
Sam’s Club sets the price of items on this platform. Prices may be higher online than in physical club locations. Enter your Sam’s Club membership number to receive membership rewards and pay lower prices than non-members.
That’s Sam’s Club way of getting their membership fees one way or another. If you buy more than a few items via Instacart, in order to save money on a Sam’s Club membership fee, you’re probably going to begin losing money overall pretty quickly and it will not be worth it.
Your Sam’s Club Shopping Tips
Do you have any tips/tricks to shopping at Sam’s Club without a membership (or with)? Share them in the comments!
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Why would anyone ever WANT to shop at either Costco or Sam’s in the first place. Both are far more expensive for items that are easily purchased for far less in conventional super markets and stores. Plus, local shopping at local stores offers a far greater variety and selection of products and brands. Local shopping does not require an automobile or the cost of maintaining one, and is FAR more convenient than having to travel to a gigantic store with poor selection and high prices. This is why everyone in NYC HATES stores like Sam’s, Costco, Walmart and all these socially destructive retailers. HOW ABOUT COMPARING THESE DESTRUCTIVE RETAILERS WITH STORES THAT ARE LOCALLY OPERATED AND SUPPLIED
Costco prices are not more expensive than conventional supermarkets. If you want to put together a random price comparison of costs/unit between Costco and a grocery store, please come back and post!
I shop with coupons, comparison shop before every grocery run, keep track of sales and specials. And I find my Costco membership to be well worth the price. They even have specialty items I can’t find anywhere else that really helps our allergy/organic diets. I think it really depends on what items you are purchasing regularly, I’m sure that wouldn’t be true for everyone.
I also support local stores and businesses by the way. Our local stores have found products and services that customers that frequent the big box stores and those that don’t can enjoy and support.
Good luck on your ambassador position of representing the collective viewpoint of every person in NYC. You might want to see if any of your local businesses sell Calm tea, very soothing.
I guess that opinion would only apply depending on where you live.. Where I live, a car is required no matter where you shop, and local stores are definately NOT cheaper.
@Richard Sommers, Costco and Sam’s Club are not more expensive than local stores. I concede less variety, but some items per unit price are a fourth of fifth of the price at a local store. Just like anything else, one has to be an informed shopper. Where I live, a car is required to shop anywhere, even local stores. Most of the U.S. doesn’t enjoy the pedestrian access to stores as you do living in NYC.
The author of this post doesn’t have a clue what he is talking about. The rest of the world owns cars and understands that both Costco and Sam’s Club cost far less than conventional grocery stores. Typical New York subway rider.
Not everybody lives in NY. I love Costco and will soon try out Sam’s (just moved and Sam’s is much closer). A huge selection doesn’t mean a good selection.
You should do some research. You are wrong.
This is what an agenda looks like. No one forces you to shop there because you’re free to shop where you like. Mr Sommers is clearly a “HATER'” too. But since it appears you live in NYC, maybe that is their normal operating mode. Liberal too I bet. I bet you would like to find some legal loophole to shut them all down too. OH and no automobile either. I’m sure it’s tough to get into a taxi or on the subway with a package of 45 rolls of toilet paper, or 15 rolls of paper towels. Much less have room in a tiny, expensive apartment, to store the surplus until needed. Well the whole country doesn’t live like that. Let me guess, you “HATE” Walmart too don’t you.
While in Europe for nine weeks, I learned to understand the idea of the original comment. It is nice to walk outside your door and go a block or two and shop for a couple days of meals. NYC is a lot like Europe in this way. You don’t have to have a car. I wish I could live that way in some ways, and in some ways I don’t.
Where I live, I am required to have a car. If I lived in NYC, I might pass on owning a car, especially if I was in Europe living. Anyhow, this is not the reality for most people in the United States. They need cars and need to shop for more days.
Sams saves me a lot of money, and I love the Kerrygold cheese I can get there for amazing prices and a big chunk of it. But I do understand where you are coming from Richard.
I also shop with Coiupons when I go to Costco. Also shop with coupons going to BJs. Last visit at BJs all items I bought had coupons and one was a couponless discount. I don’t buy much at Costco that I don’t have a coupon for.
I also have a car and I live in NYC.
Most people don’t have any idea of the area covered by the term NYC. It’s more than just the lower half of Manhattan. As far as owning a car in NYC, the main issue is parking a car. So if your building doesn’t include a dedicated garage, where you also rent a spot to park, then it’s street parking or find a pricey car condo. And on top that the traffic is a free-for-all nightmare, of buses and swarms of taxi-cabs. Very high stress.
If the only thing I ever bought at Costco was Kirkland Brand Zyrtec, it more than pays for itself. Also, I saved a ton of money on eyeglasses. Plus, Costco treats their employees well. That makes a difference to me.
Costco prices are cheap for some products but most of their products are definitely expensive compared to grocery store. Also they have organics for most of the items and there are no choice if you want cheat non-organic option.
Dusk Juneferth: Can you please be more specific and list three or four items that are “definitely (more) expensive” at Costco than at grocery stores. At that, you even use the word “most” products. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve been shopping at Costco since it was called Price Club. (It’s amazing how many people have ZERO idea why it was named that!) Never, in all my years shopping there, have I found an item sold at a lower price at ANY grocery store.
I’m a savvy shopper and would truly appreciate your response. Thank you.
Produce items are higher… in my observation for instance pineapples…. I will not pay over $2 for one check it out next time in Costco
after re-reading the post, the comments made about “owning a car” is irrelevant to the post, nowhere is it said that one must OWN a car to shop at Sams/costco/etc. if one was to live within walking distance from work, and stores to shop, then i could see the need to not own a car, but to make such a comment is ridiculous, considering that there is few cities with that type of setup. i live over 20 miles from where i work, and the nearest store is over 10 miles from where i live, and even the people that live in town drive to the store. (even when it’s just a block away) who wants to carry a gallon of milk, a carton of coke, and the rest of the groceries for a block. that stuff gets heavy. and the time. how long does it take you to walk a block? go buy a gallon of ice cream. walk a block in 100F weather. ain’t ice cream no more. where a car has Aircon. when you get home it’s still frozen. not liquid mush. there is not enough facepalms on the surface of the planet for the amount of stupid some people have. and to the author of this post. good job.
My experiences are from Denton, TX.
Sam’s is such a rip-off. Not only are they charging the customer to shop there instead of the other way around but 80% of their prices per ounce are not competitive with the WalMart next door. I guess they stay in business because there’s a sucker born every minute who thinks he’s part of an exclusive club by shelling out 50 or 100 dollars for higher prices and no plastic bags provided for groceries.
Also, the quality of their customer service is unbelievably low. You can hardly find an associate in a particular department if you have questions. When you’re paying extra money to shop with them, they should bend over backwards to please you. That’s not how their management sees it. I guess they’re thinking they’re doing YOU a service by just being there. I asked the deli whether they would quarter a rotisseried chicken for me, and I had the same request for the cake department, asking whether they can cut a cake into slices. Both answers were negative without offering a reasonable explanation.
I know all this because I’ve spent some time in the store when getting my meds from the pharmacy. You’re not gonna catch me becoming a member any time soon. I’ve walked around Costco, and I find it a much, much better alternative if you’re into paying to shop.
I shop Costco in Southwest Florida and never knew they took coupons? Is this true that you can use coupons at Costco? I’m a widow and shop Costco due to their great prices. They are lower than our local supermarkets and I like that. Also, I get all my prescriptions from Costco and save a lot of money on them!
LOL, Aldi’s way cheaper and no silly membership.
I agree, I use Aldis but there selection sucks, the stores are way too small.
The selection at Aldi’s sucks…you cannot get 1/3 of what you need at Aldi’s…
I love shopping at Sam’s club here in the south. I haven’t been to a Costco yet. There is 1 being built now far from where I work in Mooresville,NC. I can’t wait to give it a try. As for items in the stores, I agree, a bigger variety isn’t always a key thing in shopping. When you go to Sam’s or Costco your buying in bulk most of the time. If you aren’t looking to buy in bulk, then these stores maybe not be what some people need. You gotta remember, they started off catering to businesses. So buying in bulk was where it was at.
Costco is more expensive for toilet paper and paper towels. Their meats and fish are more expensive than the supermarkets by me. Items such as flour …sugar and seasonings are also more expensive. You have to shop with blinders on yo do all your shopping at Costco, Sam’s club or BJS. I shop at Sam’s club for the things that are cheaper there and I buy other items where I find them cheaper.
I want to get a certain brand of Artisian water. Only Sam’s Club in Mooresville area has it. Bummer. I have no membership.
Really they are all good stores but everyone has different opinions I.E. Democrat or Republican , I’m not kidding ! In my humble opinion , depending on location and time I shop Sams, Walmart, Aldi’s, Kroger and a local market BG’s and find my supply’s at fair prices depending on each particular sale. I believe it’s true Aldi’s has the most reliable consistent low pricing with quality products but a limited stock selection, a lot of times as much as 50% on staple items. If you really want to save and time is not a factor you’ll have to shop them all. What really enticed me to comment on this subject was even with the menial matter such as shopping some people had to get derogatory with each other’s comments ! BE NICE PEOPLE !!! Peace.
Every Sam’s Club has a membership coordinator, who visits local employers, and offers membership discounts to their employees. Any company with 12 or more enployees, can call the local Sam’s Club and ask them to do a membership drive for it’s employees. Sam’s Club will bring snacks, and give whatever promotional deal they have at the time to everyone that wants a membership, including the company itself.
Sometimes the offer gives as much back in products as the membership costs.
Yesterday I went for the first time to Sam’s. I was amazed at all of the items there. My husband and I do not need anything in bulk amounts. Maybe if we had a large family it would be worth it. As far as the other items it’s pretty expensive even with the membership card. My husband I go between several stores when we see some of what we want on sale. Car is not an issue. Much more cost effective.
I’m so disappointed by the people who are trying to make this a political issue, talking about “liberal vs conservative” crap. It’s a “feeding your family” thing. Nobody here could ever convince me that shopping at a local grocery store compares to shopping at Costco’s as far as cost savings. I live in one of the most expensive suburbs in Atlanta (Alpharetta) and we have a Costo’s and a Sam’s Club. I shop at Costco’s and I’ll give you an example of one specific product which brought me here to search for Sam’s: moderator can delete the product name if it is not permissible to post in this blog. Body Armor twenty pack of sixteen ounce waters cost 19.99 here. They cost over 2 dollars each at my local grocery store chain which I is why I’m trying to understand Sam’s policies. And stop talking about NYC, I’ve lived there before. It’s not cheap which is why nobody lives downtown London or Tokyo either, NYC population is one tiny fraction of the world’s population; don’t use that as a benchmark for the rest of the world. I could go on but I think I’ve made my point.
If you want to shop at Sam’s Club before 10 a. m.
and are not a business plus member you can use scan & go and shop beginning at 7 a.m.
You can get bottled water at Trader Joes .17¢ ea…
I liked shopping at Costco you always get free sample lots of it and you don’t need a membership if you have Costco credit and you can make return when ever you want to no question ask and you don’t have to keep your receipt because its in the computer .Shopping at Costco is great fun
i do agree with people who say sams club and costco are not worth the membership and their prices are higher, I live in Los Angeles, I have had costco for a year, and been sam’s club member for 10 months now, and i have been unemployed for over 2 years now (due to health after military). My fulltime job is to find deals to buy groceries and things i need. I have found most of the items i need for lesser prices in non “wholesale” clubs, vegetables and fruits are almost half the price or equal at local stores compared to wholesale clubs, everytime i shopped at sam’s & costco i was angry at myself thinking “why i am buying these here knowing i have seen lesser price at other grocery stores?” .
According to me sam’s club is worth it if you can get $10 more off of membership. I got $20 off (10 with ibotta, and $10 gift card for military members). so it cost me $25
and i have few cents with gas (i have smart car which needs premium gas), and multivitamin cost less at sam’s & costco. plus local milk makes me bloated so much, the only non-organic milk that doesnt make me bloated so far is sam’s club milk, though it costs exactly same as local or other grocery stores. organic milk costs me $5.49 a gallon here, i need 2-3 gallons a month, while regular milk cost me about $2.65. so for a year organic milk alone would cost me atleast $70 more than regular milk, so for me $25 Sam’s membership is worth it. i am yet to try trader joe’s regular milk, if it turns out easy on my stomach then i wont be renewing my sam’s club if i dont get any kind of discount.
I dont know what it is but, i have tried & tested regular & organic milk from all the grocery i could, sam’s club regular milk and all organic milk dont bother my stomach much. i have’nt tried costco milk though.
what is all the fuss about
It’s been absolute AGES since I’ve been in a COSTCO. But my parents used to shop there quite a bit. They owned a small print shop and would buy things like paper towels and toilet tissue in bulk to keep at the shop. Plus other items needed for the business. But also for personal use. Mom said that my Dad would go around tasting all the free samples of food, so by the time they left, he was full… LOL. ANYWAY, my question is this…is everything there in bulk? Bread, milk, cereal, eggs, bacon, pet food, cleaning products, shampoo, soap, etc, etc. Do you HAVE to buy only bulk items? Do they even sell anything NOT in bulk? I completely understand that’s what it’s all about. There’s many people who need to buy in bulk because they’ve got large families or perhaps businesses, like my parents. BUT, is it worth the membership to buy items from there that are NOT in bulk, if they even sell items that way.
Thanks for your help.
I noticed that there was cheaper gas at Sam’s Club if you’re not a member can you get gas ⛽️
We live in Ontario Canada and go to NF NY about once every 6 weeks to have lunch at Seneca Casino and shop a bit at Sam’s Club ~ we find different things at Sam’s that we can’t get in Canada and gas is about 1/2 the price of what we pay back home ~ I don’t know if it is really worth it a we pay 30%+ extra on the dollar but we has a fun day :)
No, you need a membership to buy gas. In my area Sam’s is usually .20-.30 cheaper than the surrounding stations.
We do not have Costco in our town but do have Sam’s club. I am an avid Target shopper and know most of their prices. I have found MANY items the same price or more at Sam’s than at Target. Why pay to spend my money when I don’t save anything? I think it is a ripoff.
If you live in NJ you do not need to be a member to purchase gasoline at Cosco or Sam’s because there is no self pumping in NJ
I’m convinced to try BJ Wholesale Club. They offer a free 3 month trial membership at absolutely no charge .
I like Sam’s for the gas and optical. It saves me money. Also their meat dept is great.
Some of us know how to read. There is this thing called price per unit. That tells people the cheapest price. In addition, some of us know how to do math. Plenty of things are cheaper at Sam’s and Costco. More than enough to cover the membership fee. That’s why people shop there. The real question is, why wouldn’t people shop there when the prices are clearly marked for people to research. Also, people enjoy the quality of their store brand, and they enjoy the additional warranties on items that are priced the same. I’m sorry that you are missing out on savings.
I agree bringing personal things into this discussion, especially assuming someone is a liberal and equating that to being a bad thing is just out of place and make YOU look bad, not anyone else. Aren’t we all adults here? Do you behave this way in public or only on faceless forums? That is very tacky, and mean. Be better.
Back to what this post is about I am a Kroger shopper for most of my food. Price per unit ounce you cannot beat their Kroger brand sale prices, and sometimes their name brands when they go on really good sales, like their 10 for 10, of buy 5 save 5. We are lucky to have 2 really nice Krogers within 5 miles of us, so that is a big help there. We are also lucky to have an Adli’s across the street from one and a Meijer across the street from the other! So if Kroger happens to not have their canned goods on sale that week I can go to Aldi’s. Meijer’s has a great selection of veggies as well. At both Kroger and Meijer I often find that in the morning or early afternoon I can get clearanced vegetables, fruit, meat, breads, cheeses, dips ect that still have plenty of life left in them and can plan my meals for the next coming days around those. Some things will have 2 days still before their sell by date and then you still have 3 days after that. Somethings they just bought too much and have weeks, months left on them and I really stock up.
Now this is just a me thing but we are blessed to have a local grocery store just down the street that runs fabulous deals on meat. I am talking 99 cent a lb boneless chicken breast. 1.29 lb ground beef. 2.99 lb top sirloin 99 cent lb pork loin. Every week they will have one meat special. So I keep a deep freezer just for that. Again, this is a huge blessing that I am extremely grateful for and know most aren’t as fortunate to have a 50 yr neighborhood butcher that wants to help feed his community, not get rich. Now with this coronavirus thing I feel very blessed to have my freezer of meat. I tried Costco and Sam’s, I am a penny pincher since we have 5 children. I even garden and can food to cut down on food cost. We hardly ever go out to eat or get fast food. I can say with certainty I do not miss either of those memberships even with our large family. I save on estimate 300 a month not shopping at those stores and instead shopping at multiple stores. Again, I know not everyone has things as wonderfully lined up as we do, but I do feel that just shopping at the 3 chain stores alone buying sale items saves more money, especially if you use coupons! Just my 2 cents as a mother of 5 and a frugal shooper of food and many other things (Goodwill for life) for over 20 years. To each their own. We can agree to disagree, but when you name call or degrade someone that shows way more about who you are, your mother wouldn’t be proud. Please don’t bully others. Treat people with kindness and remember the golden rule. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Peace and love from Southern Indiana xo