using costco gift cards

[muffyn]

on another thread someone mentioned you can use Costco gift certificates, even IF you do not have a membership/

really?

I'd love to try Costco , but not enough to buy a membership , since its 50 minutes away.

if , so,, doesn't the door Nazi stop you & demand your card?

also, if you have only $50 in certificates, what if you go over? do they demand you buy a membership?

on a side note:
I do have a Sam's club membership , but i detest the arrogance of the exit receipt monitor demanding to see it before you leave. I have heard their excuses, they want to make sure items were rang up correctly,, yea ,, right like they would COUNT your items or know what they cost.

ok. I think I need to add something.. since a reply that was made may not have understood.
I am not talking about gift cards FOR Disney or any other place, its about using COSTCO gift cards to purchase in THEIR stores.(someone would give you a Costco card for a gift)
someone mentioned it in the Hawaii thread on buying meat.

 

[hermosaguy]

I was at Costco last week and didn't see any of the discount tickets for sale, I'm not sure if its because the end of season. I did like getting my tickets there because they were cheaper, and you would get a Costco gift card. Very good for when family and friends come into town to visit the park.

 

[mhsjax]

on another thread someone mentioned you can use Costco gift certificates, even IF you do not have a membership/

really?

I'd love to try Costco , but not enough to buy a membership , since its 50 minutes away.

if , so,, doesn't the door Nazi stop you & demand your card?

also, if you have only $50 in certificates, what if you go over? do they demand you buy a membership?

on a side note:
I do have a Sam's club membership , but i detest the arrogance of the exit receipt monitor demanding to see it before you leave. I have heard their excuses, they want to make sure items were rang up correctly,, yea ,, right like they would COUNT your items or know what they cost.

ok. I think I need to add something.. since a reply that was made may not have understood.
I am not talking about gift cards FOR Disney or any other place, its about using COSTCO gift cards to purchase in THEIR stores.(someone would give you a Costco card for a gift)
someone mentioned it in the Hawaii thread on buying meat.

Just to let you know, you will have the same person checking our receipt as you leave Costco, if you purchase anything. Sound to me like you hate these stores, "door Nazi and arrogance" so why even try and shop there.

 

[ssawka]

The Costco "Door Nazi" does not ask for your card, just your receipt.

 

[lauradis]

Have walked into both store pass the door guards, without membership just tell them your going to membership/guest services.

Ask for free trial membership.

As far as the receipt checkers that's done to make sure you or cashier don't steal any thing.

I dislike them greatly, but I also dislike bag check to get into wdw parks too.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Our store checks for member cards every time you go in and we have a receipt checker at the door. We have been members for years and it does not bother me at all as we are not stealing anything, it is done to everyone and it is not potentially discriminatory like Walmart with its random receipt checks. If the cashier missed a item that I put in my cart I will pay for it. Not that big a deal to me. I would rather they control shrinkage and keep their costs under control

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[chalee94]

The Costco "Door Nazi" does not ask for your card, just your receipt.

the front door guy does ask for a card. the exit door guy just wants to check your receipt.

 

[DawnM]

I have the same question.

We are Costco lovers. The quality is very good and they have what we use. 90% of our groceries come from Costco.

We get the $100 membership and with the 2% back, we cover our membership costs every year.

Dawn

Just to let you know, you will have the same person checking our receipt as you leave Costco, if you purchase anything. Sound to me like you hate these stores, "door Nazi and arrogance" so why even try and shop there.

 

[ssawka]

the front door guy does ask for a card. the exit door guy just wants to check your receipt.

Sorry, I just rer-ead your post. You are correct, but I assumed the OP was talking about the exit person since they referred to the exit person at Sam's Club. If it is Costco's policy to allow non-members to use gift cards, then I imagine you could just show the gift card to the person at the front door.

 

[Mom21]

Personally, I wouldn't risk driving 50 minutes each way based on what someone answered on a forum. Of course, I hate driving and going anywhere anyway. Say you get in, do all your shopping, and then they turn you away at the cashier, because they will ask you to show your card at the cashier. Pick up the phone and call. Way better chance of getting the right answer at your particular Costco.

 

[bumbershoot]

Getting a Costco gc (actually called Cash Cards) is how we started to realize we might want to join.

From Costco.com:


" Members and non-members may use the cash cards to shop at any Costco location in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and online at Costco.com or on Costco.ca. Costco Cash balances may be used toward membership or merchandise. "

Non-members can't buy or reload the cards, though.

Just tell the kind employee when you enter that you have one. (They are there to make sure people can actually buy things from there...better to know a person can't right then rather than 3 hours of browsing later!)

And yes you will be showing your receipt when you leave.

Eta: I don't know about going over though. Knowing what we bought our first time there and knowing the people who have us the card I imagine we went over but it was a long time ago. Definitely call the location you'll be going to.

 

[alymae1010]

I'm in the same boat. Nearest Costco is 45 minutes away, so I've wanted to try it out before buying a membership. From everything I've read (take with a grain of salt), you can enter by showing the gift card to the greeter, and if you go over during your shopping, you pay the balance with your AMEX. It has sounded like free day passes are hit or miss depending on the store. May just want to give the one in your area a call ahead of time.

 

[mhsjax]

I have the same question.

We are Costco lovers. The quality is very good and they have what we use. 90% of our groceries come from Costco.

We get the $100 membership and with the 2% back, we cover our membership costs every year.

Dawn

We have that membership as well. We are such lovers that even my kids ages 16,14 and 12, get excited when we go to Costco on the weekends. lol

 

[starry_solo]

I'm in the same boat. Nearest Costco is 45 minutes away, so I've wanted to try it out before buying a membership. From everything I've read (take with a grain of salt), you can enter by showing the gift card to the greeter, and if you go over during your shopping, you pay the balance with your AMEX. It has sounded like free day passes are hit or miss depending on the store. May just want to give the one in your area a call ahead of time.

Actually, you can only use AMEX if you're a member. Non-member that goes over the Costco cash card has to use cash to pay the remaining balance.

 

[queenbetsey]

if you get a cost co gift card I would as stated earlier go to guest services and ask for a free day pass
Or you can use it for gas at their gas pumps with no problems at all. also you can get your prescriptions filled without membership and they are really reasonable from what I hear (my insurance has us fill with only them) but I have friends who are not members do that

 

[disykat]

If you equate their policies/practices to the Nazi regime, I really don't think you want to be shopping there!