This Costco deal cuts the price of membership to $45 - here's how to get it

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Close Home Home & Office This Costco deal cuts the price of membership to $45 - here's how to get it If you've been thinking about joining Costco, the wholesale retailer is offering a gift card of up to $40 for new members, effectively dropping the price of your membership.

Written by Alison DeNisco Rayome, Managing EditorManaging Editor May 22, 2026 at 7:30 a.m. PT

Costco Gold Star membership for $65 + free $20 gift card ZD recommends 3/5 Editor's deal rating View at Costco

Have you been debating a Costco membership ahead of the summer (especially as gas prices continue to rise)? Now is a good time to sign up: Costco is offering a deal where you can sign up for a Gold Star membership for $65 and get a $20 gift card to the wholesale retailer for free, essentially cutting the price of your membership to $45 for the year. If you sign up for an Executive membership for $130, you'll get a $40 gift card included.

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ZD recommends Costco Gold Star membership for $65 + free $20 gift card View at Costco

The caveats: This deal is valid only for new members, and for those who have not been a Costco member (whether Primary, Household, or Affiliate) in the past 18 months. To get your gift card, you'll have to set up auto-renewal of your membership on a Visa credit or debit card or a Mastercard debit card when you sign up. (However, you can still cancel your membership before the year is up if you don't want to be charged full price the next year.)

I joined Costco with a deal like this on a Gold Star membership a few years ago, and I'm now a devotee with an Executive membership. Especially in this economic climate, buying in bulk for less and getting discounts on gas, prescriptions, and of course, the $1.50 hot dog and soda deal, is totally worth it.

Don't miss this chance to sign up for a Costco membership and get a gift card of up to $40 included.

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How I rated this deal

This deal gets you about 30% off the first year of an annual Costco membership. It isn't the highest gift card amount we've seen, but it's still a solid offer.

When will this deal expire?

Costco does not list an end date for this promotion.

Deals are subject to sell out or expire any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.

How do we rate deals at ZDNET?

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In 2025, we refined our approach to deals, developing a measurable system for sharing savings with readers like you. Our editor's deal rating badges are affixed to most of our deal content, making it easy to interpret our expertise to help you make the best purchase decision.

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