# Sam's Club vs. CostCo **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579 "2013-05-28T20:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/21 "2013-05-30T19:50:26Z")
No Sam’s Club around here, not that I’d go anyway, but Costco is excellent. Much of their stuff is not just adequate and cheap but truly excellent. They have a deal with a bakery for bread, and it is far superior to bread at supermarkets or even bakeries. Their checkers are universally fast and friendly. I’m not sure if we save our membership fee or not, but it is worth it for access to some of their stuff. The only complaint I ever had about them - one day I left my pretty loaded cart in a fairly isolated aisle to go looking for something, which took longer than I thought. When I returned it was gone - someone cleaned it up to not clutter the store. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/22 "2013-05-30T19:56:50Z")
Costco is better. I see it as Walmart is to Sam’s as Target is to Costco. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/23 "2013-05-30T20:40:54Z")
I used to have a Costco membership, which I loved at first . . . then loved less and less. For one thing, if you’re a household of 1 or 2 people, or if you don’t have room to store things, you really can’t use the quantities of goods they sell. But I kept going back, because there were a few items that I just couldn’t get anywhere else. So I’d get them, and added other things I really didn’t need. And then, they started discontinuing the items I went there for, so there was no reason to renew my membership. But I do miss the samples. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/24 "2013-05-30T21:55:34Z")
I live alone, so paying for a Costco membership doesn’t make sense for me either. But I heard of a way to visit Costco without paying for a membership. If you get someone you know to buy prepaid Costco cards, you can wave them at the door to enter, and then can use them to pay for stuff. The cards are available starting at $25 each. So if I could get someone to buy me four cards for a hundred bucks total and then could use them to visit Costco four times. (You can use the prepaid card for the first $25 of the purchase amount and then pay cash for the rest.) ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/25 "2013-05-31T23:04:03Z")
We use Sam’s just because their locations are more convenient for us. I will say, I like Costco’s own brand of toilet paper, but not Sam’s. But I’m sure there are people the other way around. Beyond that, I don’t notice anything to put one above the other. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/26 "2013-05-31T23:33:40Z")
I’ve never been a member of Sams Club but my wife has a Costco membership and has had for years. They are not the greatest, but they do stock quality items. Most everything is returnable forever except some electronics (TV. computers, stereos, etc.). have a time limit. Their gas is about 1 cent below the lowest (usually Arco) and the process you have to go through to buy it is difficult so I get my gas elsewhere. We do not live that close to any Costco, one is 2-3 miles away but very very busy and congested, the other is 7 miles away and that’s usually where we shop. We shop perhaps every two weeks and get mostly the same thing: Coffee, Milk, Strawberries, Paper Plates Almonds, orange juice. Their coffee prices (for Folgers anyway) are very low compared to other places like Target, Walmart. Their milk is competitive with other grocery stores. Some things are not cheaper than other stores, but the fact that the guarantee lasts forever is great. We took a camera back we had a year or so and got our money back. It’s an ok place, but you have to pay $55.00 a year to shop at a riff raff free place. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/27 "2013-06-01T00:08:09Z")
Where I live, Costco and Sam’s Club are almost next door to each other. (Strangely, this same area has a Home Depot and a Lowe’s across the street from each other). On weekends, Costco’s lot is always packed, whereas I can usually use the half-full Sam’s Club parking lot as a short cut to get around the traffic jams in front of Home Depot. Costco is pretty good. Lots of samples at lunchtime and weekends. I can’t compare it toSam’s, as I’ve never gone inside. > [@PhiloVance](#): > > Their gas is about 1 cent below the lowest (usually Arco) and the process you have to go through to buy it is difficult so I get my gas elsewhere. 😕 Difficult? At the Costcos around here (Southern California) it’s just like any other pay-at-the-pump station, with the one extra step of swiping your Costco card to activate the pump before inserting your credit/debit card. I can see not going out of your way to save a penny, but I’m not seeing the difficulty (other than the long lines). Maybe it’s different in your neck of the woods. Question: Do they have Costco with gas stations in Oregon and New Jersey, states where you’re not allowed to pump your own gas? ETA: Answering my own question. According to their web site, there are several warehouses with gas in the Portland area. Do they have attendants to pump the gas? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/28 "2013-06-01T01:16:01Z")
I like Sam’s Club. People who shop at Costco are too elitist ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/29 "2013-06-01T01:26:34Z")
I’ve stayed away from this thread because I don’t have any first hand experience with Sam’s. But from what others have told me, Sam’s is fine, Costco is better. Slightly more expensive though for membership. I have nothing against Sam’s, even if it is Walmart. Kirkland brand is really a quality store brand though. Echoing what people say: if Costco is 20 miles farther than Sam’s, maybe it’s not enough to make you drive. Toilet paper: I buy Kirkland, but they also sell Quilted Northern, which is much softer. You have me thinking that Sam’s Club must be sandpaper, then! Very specific: we have two local ones. The congested one and the more distant, easier one. However, the former has decided to stock amazing beers! We’re talking Belgian style, Unibrou, Ommegang, North Coast, Lagunitas, et al. Contacts: yup, cheaper than most places. Way cheaper than 1800contacts. The main disadvantage I see is that sometimes they don’t stock every type. Plenty of Acuvues though. Also, IIRC you **don’t** need to be a member to see the optometrist or pharmacist, but **do** to see the optician (IOW, eye doctor okay, glasses and contact sales not okay). Gas: one oddity is that the pumps are one way (entrance and exit), which means that there are equal numbers of left and right side pumps (maybe the hose is long enough to reach either?). What that means is that you can pick your lane and not have much competition. If you’re lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/30 "2013-06-02T02:53:52Z")
I shop at both. Most Costco stores look less seedy than most Sam’s Clubs. My impression is that Costco is more restrictive for what they carry. Their market seems to be less blue collar/small business and more upper middle class. As a rule of thumb it’s unusual to find a cheapie anything at Costco. Whether it’s a flashlight or cappucino machine, it’s more likely to be a higher end product. Costco has a much more generous return policy. They just look up your purchase. No need for a receipt. No questions. I saw a couple return a two year old vacuum that was totally beat up. Get the AmEx and double your warranty on everything. Costco is more likely to carry foods that cater to the “no trans fat” etc crowd. Their house brands are better vetted out and often are at the top of Consumer Reports lists. Costco shoppers are not nearly as fat, on average, as are Sams shoppers. Lexus SUVs vs pickup trucks. Sams has better thick slab bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2013, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/31 "2013-06-02T03:42:41Z")
CostCo treats their employees better, so that is a perk to consider too. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/32 "2013-06-02T18:54:26Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Gas: one oddity is that the pumps are one way (entrance and exit), which means that there are equal numbers of left and right side pumps (maybe the hose is long enough to reach either?). What that means is that you can pick your lane and not have much competition. If you’re lucky. Yes, they are designed that you can use any lane regardless of which side your gas tank is on. It stretches surprisingly far, I’ve used the opposite side several times. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/33 "2013-06-02T20:22:17Z")
There is no Costco in my area, but we do have a Sam’s card. Great for bulk purchases of paper products, garbage bags, cleaning supplies, etc. Not bad for meat, either…we get strip steaks sliced to order for about $5/steak. Bags of frozen chicken breasts, easy to thaw a couple for a quick meal. Pork loin sliced into chops, too. Only downside there is limited freezer space. Also a good place to get granola bars. I keep a stash at the office for snacking. Sam’s has a huge box, with a couple dozen bars for about $8, vs a small box of 6 for almost $5 at Wal-Mart. Sample stations are a prime attraction for me. On a weekend, and sometimes even during the week, there will be a dozen or so stations serving up tasty morsels of various things…usually a featured/discounted product of the week in each aisle of the frozen foods section, meat section, and sometimes the bakery. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/34 "2013-06-02T20:56:31Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I live alone, so paying for a Costco membership doesn’t make sense for me either. But I heard of a way to visit Costco without paying for a membership. If you get someone you know to buy prepaid Costco cards, you can wave them at the door to enter, and then can use them to pay for stuff. The cards are available starting at $25 each. So if I could get someone to buy me four cards for a hundred bucks total and then could use them to visit Costco four times. (You can use the prepaid card for the first $25 of the purchase amount and then pay cash for the rest.) You still need your membership card when you check out. No card, no discount. Nope, I lied. “You must be a Costco member to purchase or reload Costco Cash Cards. 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](http://Costco.com) or on Costco.ca. Costco Cash balances may be used toward membership or merchandise.” ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/35 "2013-06-03T14:55:22Z")
I read an analysis of their pricing and it seemed like their merchandise was priced very similarly but Sam’s club memberships were 20% cheaper, but that is not a big difference. Sam’s club also takes Mastercard, while Costco only takes American express. The biggest difference is clientele. The average Costco customer is better off than the average Sam’s club customer. So if rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi is a factor you may want to opt for Costco. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/36 "2013-06-03T16:31:14Z")
I guess $55 vs. $40? (For basic memberships). A bullet point in Costco’s favor: to find out their price, I go to their website and click “Join Costco.” To find out Sam’s Club membership fees I click [del]“Join Sam’s Club”[/del]…no… I click [del]“About Membership”[/del]…noo… both options the fuckers want me to sign in/register. Find no-too-obvious section that tells me to just enter zip code? Fine. But it’s easier to google “Sam’s Club Membership fees” than dig through their website and be tracked. ETA: Oh, don’t know about Sam’s (probably same) but Costco takes only American Express **credit cards** but Visa/Mastercard **debit cards**. The same goes for the gas station. I think they still take checks, too. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579/37 "2013-06-03T17:42:38Z")
Just do a Google (or whatever) search sam’s club membership fees The first entry was: > **[Join Sam’s Club – Become A Member Today! - Sam's Club](https://www.samsclub.com/join?pageName=aboutSams)** > > Sam’s Club memberships cost $50 for Club and $110 for Plus. As a member, enjoy exclusive members-only pricing and special perks. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Apparently it is now $45. Strange, but for a lot of searches, you can get information faster by a Google search than directly searching the website of interest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club-vs-costco/659579.md?page=1)