Costco Membership Fee for Seniors

🔑 10 Key Takeaways With Short Answers

1. Does Costco offer a senior discount on memberships? No. Costco eliminated all age-based membership discounts back in April 2022 and has shown zero indication of bringing them back.

2. How much does a Costco membership cost seniors in 2026? Exactly what everyone else pays — $65 per year for Gold Star or $130 per year for Executive membership after the September 2024 price hike.

3. Is the Executive membership worth it for seniors on fixed incomes? Only if you spend at least $3,250 annually at Costco — that’s roughly $271 per month to break even on the 2% cashback reward.

4. Can you use Costco’s pharmacy without a membership? Yes. By law, Costco pharmacies must serve non-members in most states, making this one of the best-kept secrets for seniors without memberships.

5. How much can seniors really save on hearing aids at Costco? Potentially $3,000 to $5,000 per pair compared to traditional audiologist offices, with prices ranging from $980 to $1,700 per pair in 2026.

6. Does Costco accept Medicare? Costco pharmacies coordinate with Medicare Part D, and their optical departments now accept most major vision insurance plans.

7. What’s the biggest hidden perk for senior Executive members? Exclusive early morning shopping hours — stores open a full hour earlier Sunday through Friday and 30 minutes earlier on Saturdays, offering a calmer environment.

8. Is Sam’s Club cheaper for seniors? Yes, for membership alone — Sam’s Club offers seniors age 50 and older $30 off Club memberships and $50 off Plus memberships, something Costco flatly refuses to match.

9. What’s Costco’s membership renewal rate despite the price increase? An extraordinary 92% in the United States as of fiscal year 2025, according to their SEC filing, proving most members still see enough value.

10. Who should you call with membership questions? Costco Member Services at 1-800-774-2678, available Monday through Friday 6am to 6pm Pacific Time and weekends 8am to 5pm Pacific Time.

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🚫 No, Costco Does Not Offer a Senior Discount — and Here’s Why That’s Unlikely to Change

Here’s the part most articles won’t say bluntly: Costco has a corporate philosophy that deliberately avoids age-based pricing. This isn’t an oversight. It’s a calculated business strategy rooted in their low-margin, high-volume model. By keeping membership fees identical for every single customer regardless of age, Costco maintains the buying power that allows them to negotiate rock-bottom wholesale prices from manufacturers.

The company stopped offering any senior-specific membership discount in April 2022, and given that their membership numbers have only surged since then — climbing from 58.8 million individual members in 2023 to 63.7 million in 2024 and then 68.3 million by the end of fiscal 2025 — there’s simply no financial incentive to bring back discounted senior pricing.

What this means for you practically is that every senior pays $65 for Gold Star or $130 for Executive, period.

📊 Membership Tier	💰 Annual Fee	🎁 Key Perks	👴 Best For Seniors Who…
Gold Star	$65/year	Access all warehouses, 2 cards included, online shopping	Shop occasionally or spend under $250/month
Executive	$130/year	Everything in Gold Star + 2% cashback (up to $1,250), early shopping hours, travel deals	Spend $271+/month at Costco consistently
Business	$65/year	Same as Gold Star + can add affiliates for $65 each, resale purchasing	Run a small business or want to add multiple family cardholders

💡 Critical insider tip: If you sign up for Executive and your 2% reward check at year’s end doesn’t cover the extra $65 difference, Costco will downgrade you to Gold Star and refund the difference. You literally cannot lose money by trying Executive first.

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💊 Costco’s Pharmacy Might Save Seniors Thousands — and You Don’t Even Need a Membership to Use It

This is the single most underreported benefit for seniors, and it borders on scandalous that more articles don’t lead with it. In most states, Costco cannot legally require a membership to access their pharmacy services. That means even if you never pay a dime for membership, you can still walk into a Costco pharmacy and fill your prescriptions at their deeply discounted prices.

The Costco Member Prescription Program goes even further for members, offering savings of up to 80% on popular medications compared to retail pharmacy chains. This program is administered by Costco Health Solutions and Ventegra Inc., requires no enrollment fees, and no coupons — just show your Costco membership card.

For seniors managing multiple chronic medications — which describes the majority of Americans over 65 — this alone can justify the $65 annual membership many times over. A single brand-name medication that costs $200 per month at a traditional pharmacy might cost $40 through Costco’s program. That’s a $1,920 annual savings on just one prescription.

Even more compelling for 2026: Costco has partnered with Scan Health Plan, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Medicare Advantage plans, to become a preferred pharmacy network. This partnership launched in late 2025 and expanded into Washington state starting January 1, 2026, giving Scan members enhanced cost savings on medications, vaccines, and over-the-counter wellness essentials.

💊 Pharmacy Feature	📋 Details	📞 Contact
Member Prescription Program	Up to 80% savings, no extra fees beyond membership	Show Costco card at pharmacy counter
Mail Order Pharmacy	100-day supplies delivered, often cheaper than three 30-day fills	1-800-607-6861 (Mon-Fri 7am-9pm, Sat 11:30am-4pm)
Non-Member Pharmacy Access	Available in most states without membership	Call your local Costco warehouse pharmacy
Scan Health Plan Partnership (2026)	Preferred pharmacy pricing for Scan Medicare Advantage members	Visit scanhealthplan.com or call Scan member services
BIN and PCN for Participating Pharmacies	BIN: 018422 / PCN: VENTEG	Bring these along with your Costco card to any participating pharmacy

💡 Critical insider tip: Costco’s mail order pharmacy ships in tamper-proof, weather-proof, temperature-controlled packaging with no shipping costs. For seniors who have difficulty making trips to the warehouse, this service eliminates one of the biggest barriers to accessing Costco’s medication pricing.

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👂 Hearing Aids at Costco: Where Seniors Save $3,000 to $5,000 Per Pair (but Nobody Tells You the Catch)

If you’re over 60 and experiencing hearing loss, this section could save you more money than anything else in this entire article combined. Costco has quietly become the largest hearing aid retailer in the entire United States, commanding roughly 16% of the retail market in 2026. They achieved this by leveraging the same bulk purchasing power they use for everything else — except here, the savings are staggering.

While traditional audiology clinics charge anywhere from $2,500 to $8,000 per pair, Costco’s prescription hearing aids range from approximately $980 to $1,700 per pair in 2026. That price includes the hearing test, professional fitting, follow-up adjustments, cleanings, a two-year loss and damage warranty with one free replacement, and a remarkably generous 180-day return policy.

In 2026, Costco offers four main prescription hearing aid brands along with one over-the-counter option:

👂 Hearing Aid Brand	💰 Price Per Pair	⭐ Standout Feature	⚠️ What to Watch
Philips HearLink 9050	~$1,599	AI-powered noise reduction, SoundMap technology	Premium price tier for Costco
Rexton Reach R-Li T	~$1,599	Longest battery life, travel charger provides 3 extra days without plugging in	Multi-voice focus works best in smaller group settings
Jabra Enhance Pro 30	~$1,699	AI-driven features, compact design, excellent for first-time users	Highest price at Costco
Sennheiser Sonite R	~$1,599	Excellent for Android users, includes TV connector, full day charge in 3 hours	Best tested for streaming
Lexie B2 Plus (OTC) 🆕	~$980	Self-fitting via smartphone app, no prescription needed	Online only — Costco provides NO in-store support for this model

Now here’s the catch nobody mentions: not all Costco hearing centers are staffed by licensed audiologists. Many locations employ hearing instrument specialists, who have less training than audiologists. For straightforward mild-to-moderate hearing loss, this is usually fine. But if you have complex hearing issues, asymmetric loss, or profound hearing loss, you may need the expertise that only a doctoral-level audiologist provides. Always ask who will be fitting your hearing aids before you commit.

Additionally, Costco is reportedly beginning to test a new brand called SoundGear from Starkey in select locations in 2026, which could expand options even further.

💡 Critical insider tip: Schedule your hearing test early in the week. Costco hearing centers are notoriously busy on weekends, and some customers report waiting weeks for follow-up adjustment appointments at popular locations. Tuesday or Wednesday mornings typically offer the shortest wait times.

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👁️ Optical Services That Beat Most Insurance Plans — Even Without Vision Coverage

Costco’s Optical Department is another area where seniors can extract disproportionate value from their membership. Eye exams are administered by independent doctors of optometry located on-site, and as of 2025, Costco Optical now accepts most major vision insurance provider plans — a relatively recent change that dramatically improved accessibility for seniors on Medicare Advantage plans that include vision benefits.

Beyond exams, Costco sells prescription eyeglasses (including their extremely affordable Kirkland Signature frames), contact lenses, sunglasses, and eye care accessories at prices that routinely undercut dedicated optical chains.

👁️ Optical Service	💡 What Seniors Should Know
Eye Exams	Performed by independent optometrists on-site; most vision insurance now accepted
Kirkland Signature Frames	Budget-friendly house brand with quality comparable to name brands at a fraction of the cost
Contact Lenses	Competitive pricing with major online retailers, plus the convenience of in-store fitting
Insurance Compatibility	Most major vision plans now accepted — always verify your specific plan before visiting

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🛒 The Executive Membership Math That No Financial Advisor Explains to Seniors

Here’s where we need to get brutally honest about something the marketing materials gloss over. The Executive membership is not automatically a good deal for every senior. If you’re a single senior living alone or part of a two-person household on a fixed income, reaching that $3,250 annual spending threshold (roughly $271 per month) at Costco can be genuinely challenging — especially when you’re buying bulk quantities designed for larger families.

The 2% annual reward on qualified purchases is capped at $1,250 per year, which means spending beyond $62,500 annually yields no additional reward. For most seniors, that cap is irrelevant. The real question is whether your regular Costco spending genuinely hits that break-even point.

However, what most analyses miss is that the 2% reward applies to far more than just groceries. It also covers pharmacy purchases, Costco Travel bookings, auto and home insurance through Costco’s partners, and installed home improvement services. If you use Costco Travel even once for a retirement trip, that single transaction might push you past the break-even point for the entire year.

💰 Monthly Spend at Costco	📊 Annual Spend	🎁 2% Reward	✅ Covers Extra $65?
$150/month	$1,800/year	$36	❌ No — you lose $29
$200/month	$2,400/year	$48	❌ No — you lose $17
$271/month	$3,250/year	$65	✅ Exactly breaks even
$350/month	$4,200/year	$84	✅ Yes — you profit $19
$500/month	$6,000/year	$120	✅ Yes — you profit $55

💡 Critical insider tip: Remember that if your reward check comes in below $65 at year’s end, you can downgrade to Gold Star and get the fee difference refunded. This is Costco’s official policy, though you must visit a membership counter in person to request it. Always keep this as your backup plan if your spending dips during the year.

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⏰ Early Shopping Hours: The Unsung Hero for Seniors Who Hate Crowds

This benefit rarely gets the attention it deserves, but for seniors who find crowded warehouse aisles physically exhausting, stressful, or even dangerous, Executive members gain access to exclusive early morning shopping hours. Stores open a full hour earlier than regular hours Sunday through Friday, and 30 minutes earlier on Saturdays.

In practical terms, this means walking into a nearly empty Costco with fully stocked shelves, no lines at checkout, and wide-open aisles. For seniors using walkers, wheelchairs, or motorized carts, this dramatically reduces the risk of navigating through congested spaces. For anyone with anxiety around crowded environments, it’s genuinely transformative.

This isn’t just a convenience perk — it’s an accessibility feature that Costco doesn’t market as one. And frankly, for many seniors, this alone justifies the Executive membership upgrade more than the 2% cashback ever could.

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⚔️ Costco vs. Sam’s Club: The Senior Showdown Nobody Wants You to See

Here’s the comparison Costco would rather you never make. While Costco refuses to offer any senior-specific pricing, Sam’s Club actively courts older shoppers with real discounts. Seniors aged 50 and older can save $30 on Club memberships and $50 on Plus memberships at Sam’s Club. That’s not a rumor — it’s a verified, publicly advertised promotion.

⚔️ Feature	🏪 Costco	🏬 Sam’s Club
Senior Membership Discount	❌ None whatsoever	✅ $30 off Club, $50 off Plus (age 50+)
Basic Membership Fee	$65/year	~$50/year (before senior discount)
Premium Membership Fee	$130/year	~$110/year (before senior discount)
Pharmacy Non-Member Access	✅ Yes, in most states	✅ Yes
Hearing Aid Centers	✅ Yes — largest US retailer	✅ Yes, but smaller selection
Cashback Reward (Premium Tier)	2% up to $1,250	2% up to $500
Early Shopping Hours	✅ Executive members only	✅ Plus members + all members before 10am
Membership Satisfaction Guarantee	✅ Full refund anytime	✅ Full refund anytime

The honest assessment: Costco generally offers better product quality, a wider selection of premium brands through Kirkland Signature, superior hearing aid services, and a higher cashback cap. But Sam’s Club is unambiguously cheaper for seniors when you factor in age-based discounts, and their product quality has improved significantly in recent years.

If you’re on a genuinely tight fixed income and the membership fee itself causes hesitation, Sam’s Club removes that friction in a way Costco simply won’t.

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📞 Every Contact Number Seniors Actually Need — In One Place

This is the section we wish every article included but none do. Here’s every Costco contact number relevant to seniors, verified as of early 2026:

📞 Department	☎️ Phone Number	🕐 Hours (Pacific Time)
Membership and Warehouse Questions	1-800-774-2678	Mon-Fri 6am-6pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Online Orders (including delivery)	1-800-955-2292	Mon-Fri 5am-8pm, Sat-Sun 5am-7pm
Mail Order Pharmacy	1-800-607-6861	Mon-Fri 7am-9pm, Sat 11:30am-4pm
Costco.com Pharmacy	1-800-607-6851	Call for current hours
Corporate Offices	425-313-8100	Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Medicare General Questions	1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE)	24 hours, 7 days
Hearing Aid Centers	Call your local warehouse directly	Varies by location
Email (General Customer Service)	[email protected]	Response within 1-3 business days

💡 Critical insider tip: If you’re calling the membership line and getting long hold times, try calling on Sunday mornings — consumer data consistently shows this is the shortest wait time of the entire week. Tuesday tends to be the worst day to call.

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🎯 The Bottom Line That Other Articles Won’t Give You

Here’s our unvarnished expert assessment: Costco’s refusal to offer senior discounts is a deliberate business choice, not an oversight, and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Their membership numbers are surging, their renewal rate sits at a stunning 92% domestically, and they added over 24 new warehouse locations in fiscal 2025 alone, bringing the global total to 914 stores.

But here’s what matters more than the membership fee itself: the real value for seniors lives in the pharmacy program, hearing aid centers, optical services, and early shopping hours — not in bulk toilet paper. A single pair of hearing aids purchased at Costco instead of a private audiologist can save you more than 50 years of Gold Star membership fees. One year of prescription savings through the Member Prescription Program can dwarf the $65 annual cost.

The seniors who get burned by Costco are the ones who join expecting age-based discounts on products and instead find themselves buying quantities too large for their household. The seniors who thrive at Costco are the ones who treat the membership as a healthcare access card that happens to also sell groceries.

That distinction is everything. And now you know it.