You Can Buy These 6 Things at Costco Without a Membership

Even if you don't have a Costco membership, you can still reap the benefits from Costco's cheap prices!

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Even non-members can enjoy Costco!

Still deciding if you should take the leap and buy a Costco membership? Although memberships sit at $60 annually, it can still be quite an expense upfront just to shop for groceries. If you’re still trying to decide, it may be worth trying out some of the products and experiencing the benefits of Costco’s cheap prices before going all in. Luckily enough, there are a few things you can purchase that don’t require that $60 fee.

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Alcohol

Since retailers are issued a public license to sell alcohol, it’s another service that must be available to the general public. However, this particular situation is limited to state law. So if you’re in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas or Vermont, you’re in luck! (Otherwise, you’ll need a Costco membership.)

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Eye & hearing exams

Since health exams cannot be denied to the public, you can get an eye and hearing exam at Costco without a Costco membership. However, you still need a membership to purchase any of the optical products or hearing aids available at Costco.

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Health screenings

The screenings available at Costco aren’t the only exams available to non-members! Costco offers free health care screenings for a number of issues including diabetes, osteoporosis and heart health, all without a Costco membership. You can check to see which screenings are available near you with Costco’s health and wellness schedule.

These Costco shopping tips will save you and your wallet.

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Pharmacy

Looking for medication? Costco’s pharmacy is open to the public where it is required by state law! All you need to do is bring a doctor’s slip to the pharmacist to grab whatever medication is needed. You can even join the Costco Member Prescription Program for free—which is something already available to paying Costco members.

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Flu shot & vaccinations

Again, just bring in one of these signed immunization forms, and that flu shot or vaccination is yours! Stores aren’t allowed to deny health services to anyone, which means Costco’s pharmacy is open to the public.

Here’s everything to know about Costco’s free samples.

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Online orders

This may be a bit shocking, but you can take advantage of Costco’s great deals online. With a simple five percent surcharge, those Costco products are yours!

Need some more insider info? Check out these Costco secrets from a former employee.

Kiersten Hickman
Kiersten is a freelance journalist and content strategist who has covered food, health and lifestyle topics for nearly a decade. She covers a little bit of everything at Taste of Home, from testing recipe hacks to investigating TikTok trends. Her work has also appeared in EatingWell, Bustle, Eat This, Not That!, and The Everygirl, to name a few. Armed with a certificate in nutrition science from Stanford Medicine, she debunks nutrition myths and diet culture in "Forkful," her weekly newsletter on Substack. Her debut novel, "Safe Harbor," came out in 2023.