No membership fee loophole closed at Costco (ON)

[walkonby]

my 2 cents is I cannot bring myself to pay a store ( membership ) to shop there. I think it is because we simply cannot benefit from the many rewards the membership offers. ( we don't rent cars or travel, and right now saving 12 cents off a litre every time we buy gas at Petro Can works just fine ) A friend of mine complained she can never leave there without her cart overflowing and a large bill, so I guess Costco is for people who have amazing self control while strolling the aisles.

[CrazyQT]

my 2 cents is I cannot bring myself to pay a store ( membership ) to shop there. I think it is because we simply cannot benefit from the many rewards the membership offers. ( we don't rent cars or travel, and right now saving 12 cents off a litre every time we buy gas at Petro Can works just fine ) A friend of mine complained she can never leave there without her cart overflowing and a large bill, so I guess Costco is for people who have amazing self control while strolling the aisles.

12 cents? That's fantastic. How do you get it?

[maggiespice]

OK, please forgive the redundancy. If I understand this correctly, if I don't have a membership I can go to Costco, buy a $50 gift card and use it as a day pass? Now, I can do this everyday if I want to and never have to buy a membership? (I am a member BTW, and have been for years and certainly would not change this as I love the perks that go with being a member.)

[princess_m]

OK, please forgive the redundancy. If I understand this correctly, if I don't have a membership I can go to Costco, buy a $50 gift card and use it as a day pass? Now, I can do this everyday if I want to and never have to buy a membership? (I am a member BTW, and have been for years and certainly would not change this as I love the perks that go with being a member.)

You have to be a member to buy the gift card/cash card.

If u gift the card to someone that does not have a membership then it will give them entry to Costco to use the card.

We had thought of buying up cards too before our membership expired as we don't live near a Costco and don't feel we are getting our membership's worth. In the end we just renew.

[dchu76]

we have the 110$ membership, 1%cashback, cheaper drug dispensery fee, cheaper gas, and cheaper car rental makes it totaly worth it for us, there are so many other services we havent used much but are avalaible.
and if your rebate is less than 50ish$ dollars we just ask/get a refund from the customer service desk (difference between 110$ executive and 55$ basic membership$+rebate check)
even the occasional propane gas fill up is cheaper there. the added warranty on tv/computers, and excellent returns/customer service are just added perks.

[Lynn49]

Hi Lynn49, if you spend $55 for the membership you get to shop at Costco
plus discounts on gas
plus car discounts
plus travel discounts at costco.ca
plus rental car discounts at costco.ca
plus movie package discounts
plus lower prices on selected items (some are able to use coupons to get deals better than Costco).

We shop for friends and family all the time and they pay us back.
The gas is the best deal for us when other stations raise prices in peak summer travel or

Hi, we're members, have been forever, and yes, Walks, lol....it requires much self control!!! Those pickled mushrooms know me by name and are always calling to me!!! We mostly purchase our meats there and split everything up for the freezer.

[Shwa Girl]

12 cents? That's fantastic. How do you get it?

for a limited time, Petro Canada is offeringa bonus on Petro Points offers

[Shwa Girl]

We tend to buy items that
are on clearance --> ends in $0.97 price
are on sale -> use the weekly posted flyer
are reduced at costco.ca -> the shipping is included in the price
are large bags of veggies or fruit that work out cheaper than at other grocery stores

[walkonby]

12 cents? That's fantastic. How do you get it?

for a limited time, Petro Canada is offeringa bonus on Petro Points offers

hi Shwa, this is NOT for a limited time. This is ALL the time, every fill up. I have a (free, pick one up at the counter inside )
10 cent off fuel savings card and I load this card with litres ( 200, 400 600 , whatever amount I choose ) using my Petro Points.
When I pump the gas I pay with the Petro Can MC and get an extra 2 cents saved there, so it = 12 cents total off the fill up. However many litres I pump each time I go, that amount gets taken off my savings rewards card balance and it is up to me to remember to reload the card ( online reloading is better value, less points used for more fuel )

It is a vicious cycle! One I love and saves us tons in fuel. I have yet to see another gas station offer 12 cents off on every fill up.
I do earn Petro Points in many ways, first and foremost through fill ups because sadly one of us has to drive a long distance daily for work and back, but points are also accumulated through each purchase on the MC at other retailers ( grocery, etc ) and then I participate in every promo they have going, like surveys they email me for 1,000-2,000 points each, and certain others that might only run a week, or a month.
For others who are closer to a CostCo than I am or prefer getting their gas savings at CT that is fine if it works for you, this seems to work for us.

[SassyAshley]

Maybe it is because I am a Costco member and yes this is my choice and will continue to pay my membership fee as it is worth it to my family but in all honesty I would be happy to see Costco completely close the No Membership loophole especially since obviously people are abusing it.

I can admit we had a friend who used to tag along when we went to Costco would put things on our bill and pay us cash for it, here and there I don't mind but when it became a weekly are you going to Costco we cut them off, if you need to go to Costco weekly it is time to pay for membership just like we do.

It is a personal choice to pay or not pay for a membership but to get mad when they tighten or close a loophole is kind of ridiculous. To me it falls in line with those who got mad when Shopper's started adding personal points at later dates because people where printing and using a coupon multiple times that said one time use, yes there was a loophole obviously the company noticed the loophole and closed it but how can you get mad when to some degree you were in the wrong, but because it worked you kept doing it.

[Ciel]

We did have a discussion the forum about cash card contests that gave a $100 card to Costco and the part about no membership playing no part in the use of the card (@ShwaGirl pointed this out). So Costco should either plug that loophole for the members (remember the time the membership was only for those who worked in unionized workplaces) since the general public can get memberships or just make nice to the members somehow (free slice of pizza now and then on visits to the behemoth) for tolerating the cash card non-members. Wouldn't I like to sit on board meetings about this issue at the table!
@SassyAshley -you make a great point. Helping someone out occasionally by buying or splitting a club pack of something is fine but you don't want to become someone's shopper by habit due to fact you are a member of Costco/drive there.
@Arvilish -the interior of Costco is like the Ikea warehouse flatpack pickup part of the Ikea store-lots of high racks, cement floor, lighting that is bright but not easy on the eyes.

[Arvilish]

We did have a discussion the forum about cash card contests that gave a $100 card to Costco and the part about no membership playing no part in the use of the card (@ShwaGirl pointed this out). So Costco should either plug that loophole for the members (remember the time the membership was only for those who worked in unionized workplaces) since the general public can get memberships or just make nice to the members somehow (free slice of pizza now and then on visits to the behemoth) for tolerating the cash card non-members. Wouldn't I like to sit on board meetings about this issue at the table!
@SassyAshley -you make a great point. Helping someone out occasionally by buying or splitting a club pack of something is fine but you don't want to become someone's shopper by habit due to fact you are a member of Costco/drive there.
@Arvilish -the interior of Costco is like the Ikea warehouse flatpack pickup part of the Ikea store-lots of high racks, cement floor, lighting that is bright but not easy on the eyes.

I have never been to Ikea either

[Shwa Girl]

hi Shwa, this is NOT for a limited time. This is ALL the time, every fill up. I have a (free, pick one up at the counter inside )
10 cent off fuel savings card and I load this card with litres ( 200, 400 600 , whatever amount I choose ) using my Petro Points.
When I pump the gas I pay with the Petro Can MC and get an extra 2 cents saved there, so it = 12 cents total off the fill up. However many litres I pump each time I go, that amount gets taken off my savings rewards card balance and it is up to me to remember to reload the card ( online reloading is better value, less points used for more fuel )

It is a vicious cycle! One I love and saves us tons in fuel. I have yet to see another gas station offer 12 cents off on every fill up.
I do earn Petro Points in many ways, first and foremost through fill ups because sadly one of us has to drive a long distance daily for work and back, but points are also accumulated through each purchase on the MC at other retailers ( grocery, etc ) and then I participate in every promo they have going, like surveys they email me for 1,000-2,000 points each, and certain others that might only run a week, or a month.
For others who are closer to a CostCo than I am or prefer getting their gas savings at CT that is fine if it works for you, this seems to work for us.

Hi walkonby. On the Petro Canada website, they say that this offer may be changed or revoked at any time

[walkonby]

Hi walkonby. On the Petro Canada website, they say that this offer may be changed or revoked at any time

well, they've never revoked the 2 cent fuel savings card ( the first one they brought out about maybe 9 years ago? ) or the 5 cent fuel savings card, ( which came a couple of years after the 2 cent one ) I think when you posted that stipulation of " can be changed or revoked at any time " you and I both know that most promos, offers and things have that written in their fine print all the time. It means nothing really. They are not about to cancel a Programme that brings repeat customer service to them. Well just my opinion.

[Shwa Girl]

well, they've never revoked the 2 cent fuel savings card ( the first one they brought out about maybe 9 years ago? ) or the 5 cent fuel savings card, ( which came a couple of years after the 2 cent one ) I think when you posted that stipulation of " can be changed or revoked at any time " you and I both know that most promos, offers and things have that written in their fine print all the time. It means nothing really. They are not about to cancel a Programme that brings repeat customer service to them. Well just my opinion.

o.k.
I hope it goes on for forever and a day