Joining a membership club can have its ups and downs, but taking advantage of a membership deal is one way to make the decision a little easier. When there are so many paid memberships to choose from — for places like Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's, and Walmart (via Walmart Plus) — it all comes down to picking the one your family is going to use the most.
And of course, if you’re going to sign up anyway, let’s find a deal to save you some money!
My best advice is to sign up for whichever one has the best membership deal happening at the time — and to use store promotions to make the deal even sweeter. And never, ever pay full price for a membership. If you’re wondering if wholesale clubs are really cheaper than other stores, we have the scoop on that too.
For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.
Costco Membership Deals
If you’ve ever asked yourself, is a Costco Membership worth it? — the answer is usually yes. Especially when you can find a Costco membership deal, like the occasional deals where you can join for essentially 33% – 75% off.
For example, we often see Groupon deals where you can get a free $20 - $45 Costco Shop Card when you join as a new member. And we see occasional Fetch offers that get you a $10 - $20 rebate when you join as a new member, too.
Here are the current offers from Groupon:
KCL TIP: If there's not an active Costco membership deal happening when you're ready to join, check if you're eligible (or if someone in your household is eligible) for the Costco military deal or the Costco teacher deal. We've also gotten postcards in the mail offering a free $30 Costco Shop Card when you join as a new member.
Sam's Club Membership Deals
Sam’s Club is one store where you’ll usually find some sort of membership deal happening throughout the year. Almost monthly, there are Sam’s membership deals where new members can join for as low as $15 - $25 (regularly $50).
Sam’s Club will also offer occasional membership deals on their upgraded Plus membership, which gets you everything that comes with basic membership plus a few extra perks like cash rewards and early shopping hours. The Plus membership deals can usually save you about $40 on the cost of your first year.
How these offers work:
Select "Get Deal at Sam's Club" below to activate the offer.
Create an online Sam's Club account with your name, email address, password, and mailing address.
Continue to the billing information section to complete your order.
You can start shopping right away with your digital membership card in the Sam’s Club app. All you have to do is log in!
BJ's Membership Deals
BJ’s is another wholesale club like Sam’s where there’s typically a deal happening if you know where to look (Groupon is usually a good place to start). If you’re lucky, you might even find a BJ’s membership deal that makes it nearly free.
For example, in early 2023, we found a BJ's deal where you could get a new BJ’s membership for 100% off! You just had to pay $30 for the membership fee, and you got a $30 award added to the primary membership account 24 hours after enrollment. The only stipulation was that you had to spend your award within 30 days.
Here's the current deal on BJs.com:
KCL TIP: Teachers and service members can also claim a BJ's membership deal year-round. The deals on a regular BJ's membership are sometimes better than the offer for service members, though, so you'll want to check that. And if you're on the fence about joining, you can try out BJ's for free with a One-Day Pass.
Amazon Prime Membership Deals
It feels like just about everyone these days has an Amazon Prime membership. But if you’ve never had a Prime membership before, you should know there are a few Amazon Prime discounts up for grabs.
Unfortunately, there's never really a jaw-dropping deal for Amazon Prime like the other memberships mentioned above. And just about every year, Amazon membership prices increase. Currently, Amazon Prime is $139 for the year or $14.99 per month, unless you’re eligible for a discounted membership. You can always try it out for 30 days for free.
Since Amazon Prime membership deals are like a unicorn, first check to see if you qualify for a lower-cost Prime membership with the Amazon Prime Student discount or an Amazon Access membership.
Even with a discounted Amazon Prime membership, you’ll still get access to all of the best Amazon Prime member benefits. And Amazon is always loaded with stuff under $5 that ships for free.
Walmart Plus Membership Deals
You’d normally pay $98 for a year of Walmart Plus, or $12.95 per month, but a few times a year, they offer a discount where you can lock in your first year of membership for 50% off. If you're a college student, you can also qualify for a Walmart Plus student discount during the back-to-school season.
Walmart Plus lets you plan a Walmart shopping spree without leaving your house or paying shipping fees. If you make a weekly order through Walmart Plus, you can save hundreds of dollars. My favorite part of being a Walmart Plus member is getting returns picked up from my home with the Walmart return policy. And you get early access to their big sales like Walmart+ Week and Walmart Black Friday.
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