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The Money Desk · Blog
Re:

Do New Costco Gold Star Members Get a $40 Costco Shop Card?

Costco currently lists a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card for new Gold Star members—not $40. The higher $40 offer is for eligible new Executive members, with specific signup requirements.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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No. Costco’s current new-member offer lists a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card for new Gold Star members and a $40 card for new Executive members. The promotion is online-only and has eligibility and auto-renewal requirements.

What Costco’s current offer includes

Costco’s join page, accessed October 8, 2026, shows a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card with a new Gold Star membership and $40 with a new Executive membership. The $40 figure is for Executive, not Gold Star. Costco’s join page lists the current offer amounts.

Gold Star costs $65 per year, plus applicable tax. Costco’s new-member terms say the Shop Card is a promotional credit, not a reduction to the recurring membership fee. It is not redeemable for cash except where required by law, and the terms exclude U.S. and Canada food courts. Costco’s promotion terms set out the fee and card conditions.

Who qualifies for the Gold Star Shop Card

The offer is online-only and applies to new members. You are not eligible if you held any Costco membership—Primary, Household, or Affiliate—during the preceding 18 months. Existing-member renewals and upgrades do not qualify, and the offer cannot be combined with another promotion or used by Costco employees.

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At sign-up, you must enroll in auto renewal using a qualifying Visa credit or debit card or Mastercard debit card, and provide a valid email address. Costco says it will email the Digital Costco Shop Card to the primary member within two weeks after successful sign-up and auto-renewal enrollment. See the full terms and conditions for details.

Gold Star versus Executive: compare the ongoing cost

Do not choose Executive solely because its current promotional card is larger. Costco lists Executive at $130 per year total—$65 more than Gold Star—and describes an annual 2% reward on qualified purchases. Gold Star costs $65 per year and does not include that membership reward. Costco’s membership comparison describes the tiers and benefits.

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Costco’s offer page and terms accessed October 8, 2026, list the promotional amounts and annual fees; its membership comparison describes the reward and card benefits. The Shop Card is a promotion, while Executive’s reward depends on qualified purchases. Decide whether Executive’s ongoing benefits suit your expected spending, rather than treating the $40 card as a reason by itself to pay the higher annual fee.

What Gold Star membership lets you access

Costco says Gold Star members can shop at its warehouses worldwide, Costco.com, Business Centers, gas stations, pharmacy, optical centers, and hearing aid centers. The membership includes one household card. Gold Star does not include the Executive annual 2% reward. Details are on Costco’s membership comparison page.

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Check the live offer before joining

Promotional amounts can change. Confirm the Gold Star and Executive card amounts and the eligibility terms on Costco’s join page before signing up; the $20 Gold Star and $40 Executive figures here reflect the page accessed October 8, 2026. Costco also lists a separate refer-a-friend offer with its own referral requirements, so do not assume those terms apply to the new-member promotion.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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