If you’ve been thinking about signing up for Costco, now could be a good time to take the plunge. Not only can you benefit from Costco value on all your holiday shopping, but new members can also score a $45 Costco Shop Card. That effectively cuts the cost of a regular membership to $20.

The deal expires on Dec. 22, 2024, so you need to act fast. Read on for more info on the offer as well as other ways to maximize your Costco membership value.

How to get a $45 gift card as a new Costco member

Costco’s regular Gold Star membership costs $65 and its premium Executive membership will set you back $130. Sign up via Groupon or Stack Social to get a $45 Costco Shop Card (Costco’s version of its own gift card) alongside all the normal membership benefits.

The deal is only available to new members or people who haven’t had a membership in the past 18 months. It’s a fantastic way to cut your membership costs and access Costco’s treasure trove of high-quality low-price products.

What you need to do:

• Buy your annual membership through Groupon or Stack Social.
• Costco will email you your membership information within a couple of hours.
• After two weeks, you’ll receive your $45 Digital Costco Shop Card by email.

To get your physical membership card, take a photo ID and the confirmation email to the membership desk at a Costco store. You don’t need an actual card to shop online.

New to Costco? Here’s how to get the most value out of your membership

Shopping at the warehouse giant can be a great way to save money, particularly if you have a big household and make the most of its bulk buys. Here are some other ways to make the most of your new membership.

Use Costco’s sales and monthly coupon books

Pay attention to Costco’s monthly deals to get the best prices, especially on items you buy regularly. You’ll often find better deals in store than online.

Stack cash back benefits

Costco only takes Visa cards in-store (and Visa and Mastercard on Costco.com), which isn’t ideal if you want to get cash back or points on your spending with another type of card. Click here to check out our top Costco credit cards and earn cash back every time you shop.

Check out Costco’s Kirkland label

You’ll likely find Kirkland-brand products to be high quality and great value. But if they don’t meet your expectations, the store’s money back guarantee makes it easy to return anything that’s not what you hoped.

Use all the perks of a Costco membership

Your Costco membership doesn’t stop at access to the warehouses. Members can also benefit from a host of extra services, including great prices on vacation packages, rental cars, and more at Costco Travel, low prices on gas and tires, and pharmacy discounts.

Check out the Executive membership

The biggest perk of Costco’s Executive membership is a 2% cash back on much of your spending. If you spend $3,250 a year at Costco (around $270 a month), the upgrade to a premium membership would pay for itself. Combine an Executive membership with top credit cards and cash back apps and you’ll really be cooking.

Costco membership deals don’t come around very often

This deal means you can effectively get your first year’s membership for $20 ($1.67 a month). Costco’s low prices mean many households will quickly save enough to cover that fee, particularly if you have a car and there’s a Costco nearby.

If you’re hesitating to jump in, it’s worth knowing that Costco rarely discounts the actual membership price. Groupon says it runs a Costco deal roughly once a year. It may be a while before another new membership promotion comes around.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

We love versatile credit cards that offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco! This card is a standout among America’s favorite credit cards because it offers perhaps the easiest $200 cash bonus you could ever earn and an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, even when you shop at Costco.

Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it’s no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

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Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Emma Newbery has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.