The Best Way to Order a Costco Pizza (And Everything Else You Should Know)

When you think of Costco, a few things likely come to mind: buying items in bulk, getting free samples, and, maybe even ordering from the no-frills Costco Food Court menu. I know the buzz at the food court usually centers around the $1.50 Costco hot dog combo, but I'd argue that the star of the food court menu is actually the Costco pizza.

But like the Costco sheet cake, there's a specific way to order the Costco pizza and to know how much you'll need to feed a crowd.

And if you need additional food options for a gathering, check out our Costco Catering Guide for help with the menu.

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How many slices are in a Costco Pizza?

A 18-inch Costco pizza gets cut into 12 slices. Their whole pizza is the equivalent of an extra large pizza from competitors.

You can also ask the Costco employees to double-cut the pizza for smaller hands — giving you 24 small slices instead of the usual 12.

How many people can you feed with a Costco pizza?

Usually, one of their pizzas will feed four to six people, since most adults are happy with two to three slices each. The number of people you can feed depends on how hungry everyone is, and if you're serving other foods. For kids, you might be able to serve more than six people, especially if you get the pizza cut into 24 pieces instead of 12.

To figure out exactly how many pizzas you need, I like using a pizza calculator. Just enter how many adults and kids are eating and how hungry they are. Then order the number it suggests in the extra large pizza box.

TIP: Two Costco pizzas will feed my family of five, including two hungry teens, with leftovers to spare.

Everything You Need to Know About Costco Pizza: From Sizes to Toppings

Costco pizza is sold by the slice or as a whole pizza. If you're ordering a whole pizza, there's only one size to choose from (18 inches), which is larger than most other pizza competitors, including Sam's Club.

• The 18-inch Costco pizza is $9.95 and gets cut into 12 slices, making each slice cost about $0.83.

• A slice of Costco pizza is $1.99, but you get a double-sized portion. That's because Costco’s by-the-slice pizza gets cut into six slices instead of 12.

The only toppings to choose from are cheese or pepperoni. If you get a whole pizza, you also have the option of ordering half-cheese, half-pepperoni. You can also request your pizza "well done"; just tell the Costco employee you'd like it this way, as it isn’t an option on the self-service kiosk.

Freebie alert: If you like onions on your pizza, grab a small cup of free chopped onions from the condiments area at the Costco Food Court. Then at home, reheat your pizza with the onions sprinkled on top.

How Costco's Pizza Cost Compares to Other Chains

An 18-inch Costco pizza costs $9.95 for either cheese or pepperoni (or half and half), which is cheaper (and larger) than most pizza chain options.

Here’s how their prices compare for the biggest pepperoni pizza on the menu:

• Costco Whole Pizza (18 inch): $9.95 — $0.039 per square inch of pizza

• Sam’s Club Pizza (16 inch): $8.98 — $0.045 per square inch of pizza

• Papa John’s Extra Large Pizza (16 inch): $18.49 — $0.092 per square inch of pizza

• Domino’s Extra Large Pizza (16 inch): $19.84 — $0.099 per square inch of pizza

• Pizza Hut Large Pizza (14 inch): $17.49 — $0.114 per square inch of pizza

*Prices are for carry out, without any coupons, in Florida.

So if you're comparing the cost per square inch of pizza, a Costco pizza is 13% cheaper than Sam’s Club, 58% cheaper than Papa John’s, 60% cheaper than Domino’s, and 66% cheaper than Pizza Hut!

Related: We went even deeper into the battle of Costco Pizza vs. Sam’s Club Pizza.

Maximizing Your Costco Pizza Order: Tips and Tricks

The fastest way to order a whole Costco pizza is to order it in person at the Food Court kiosk or the counter (if your store still accepts orders at the counter). In my experience, placing the order in person takes about half the time compared to ordering by phone. Of course, the day and time you’re ordering may change your wait time a bit, since some days are busier than others at Costco.

One way to get a head start on your pizza order is by calling it in just before you arrive at Costco. My warehouse has a dedicated phone line just for pizza — and you’d better believe I saved that number in my phone. It's too bad one of the Costco Bakery secrets isn’t a dedicated phone number like the pizza line.

To get your pizza even faster: If you have some in-warehouse shopping to do, call your Costco's pizza phone line about 20 minutes before you’re finished to give them a head start on cooking it.

How long does it take to get a Costco Pizza?

On a weekday at a non-dinner time, I can walk into Costco, order a pizza, and walk out within 10 minutes. Seriously, I timed it! On that same day, the over-the-phone time I was quoted was 20 minutes. So in-person orders take about 10 minutes.

Whole pizzas at Costco are always made fresh, so that's why it's not ready as soon as you place your order. If you’re picking up just a slice, you can typically get that within a few minutes of ordering.

Can you get Costco pizza delivered?

Costco's food court doesn't offer Costco pizza delivery, but in select areas, third-party delivery companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or TaskRabbit may be an option.

But remember, those companies typically charge a service fee, delivery fee, and a tip, so you’ll pay (much) more than $9.95 for your pizza when going this route.

Can you order Costco pizza ahead of time? 

Yes! You can order your Costco pizza in advance by calling your local store. Mine has a dedicated phone number just for ordering pizza, so check your location's website.

Unfortunately, you can't place a Costco pizza order online.

Do you have to be a member to order a Costco pizza?

Technically, yes, you're supposed to be a member. But, there's a little trick to getting around this. If you have a Costco Shop Card (their version of a gift card), it works all over the store — including at the Costco Food Court.

To get a Costco Shop Card gift card, a Costco member has to buy it for you. This is just one of the ways to shop at Costco without a membership.

TIP: Some locations have their food court located outside and don’t enforce a Costco food court membership rule, but that might be changing in April 2024.

The Bottom Line About Costco Pizza

With Costco pizza, you can get an 18-inch cheese or pepperoni pizza for just $9.95 and have it ready in as little as 10 minutes. Ordering in person is the fastest method for placing your order (you'll get it twice as fast compared to ordering by phone, in my experience).

Their whole pizzas are significantly cheaper per square inch compared to the major pizza chains, which makes their 18-inch pizza an awesome value.