Costco is undoubtedly a useful hub for all your shopping needs, and with its members-only status, you can choose from a variety of membership tiers that will best suit your needs and your family.
But what about the perks that come with their highest-level Executive Membership—do customers benefit from different hours to shop? I looked further into Executive Memberships and here is what I found out.
Costco Executive Membership Hours
Costco does not have exclusive times for their Executive Members to shop before the public. This used to be a perk for members of that tier, but the practice seems to have been discontinued slowly from many stores since 2015.
Read on for more information on Costco’s Executive Membership and hours!
Do Executive Members Get In Early At Costco?
Executive Members used to be able to access the store one hour earlier than Gold Star Members, giving them more time to shop with far fewer customers in the store.
Sadly, this is no longer the case as all Costco members, regardless of membership tier, are allowed into the store at opening time—10:00 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
Some warehouses do try to open about 15 minutes before the posted time, especially if it is the day before a big holiday.
But this does differ between locations, and doors can be kept closed until the posted opening time.
What is Costco’s Executive Membership?
The Executive Membership is the highest tier of Costco’s membership options.
Members can upgrade to this tier for an extra $60 on top of their annual membership fee, bringing the cost to $120 for an Executive Membership.
Additionally, you also get a complimentary spousal card!
What Are Costco’s Executive Membership Benefits?
Customers who upgrade to the Executive Membership get certain perks that other members don’t.
While the extra hour of shopping time is no longer available, these members receive the following:
- Additional Savings on Services—Auto servicing, insurance, real estate and mortgage programs, roadside assistance, and assorted business services all benefit from special discounts for Executive Members.
- Exclusive offers and Extra Discounts.
- 2% Cash Back—This applies to the majority of your purchases, with some exceptions such as alcohol and tobacco. To make this perk cover the $60 extra that you paid for this tier, you will need to spend at least $3,000 per year, which is quite normal for a family’s groceries and home supplies.
To learn more, you can see our related posts on whether or not Costco is an ethical company, the Walmart membership auto-renews, and if Walmart has a senior discount on memberships.
Conclusion
Though Costco used to offer their Executive Members access to stores one hour earlier than other members, this is no longer the case.
All member tiers are welcomed in at normal store opening times. Executive Members can still benefit from various perks that come with that tier, however—they just have to shop at the same time as everyone else!
