The $25 Costco Membership Deal Everyone’s Talking About—Here's How to Get It Yourself

Costco is offering a holiday deal that’s hard to pass up—especially if you’re this year’s designated shopper for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They're offering up to $60 back to spend on groceries when you purchase a new Costco membership before Dec. 21. With Costco’s Black Friday deals already starting to drop in stores, the sooner you take advantage of this offer, the better.

What to Know About Costco’s Holiday Gift Card Membership Deal

If you sign up for a Costco Gold Star membership now—which is the retailer’s standard membership plan—you’ll receive a $40 Costco gift card. Since the Gold Star membership costs $65 per year, receiving the Costco gift card brings your total membership cost down to just $25. Those who opt for the Executive membership, which costs $130, will receive a $60 gift card with their purchase—that makes Costco’s highest membership tier available for just $70.

You have until Dec. 21 to take advantage of this holiday deal—and if you sign up before you host any holiday dinners this year, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be putting your digital gift card to work right away. 

Only new members can qualify for this holiday offer, so if you’re already the proud owner of a Costco membership, this discount sadly won’t be available to you. However, if you’ve previously been a Costco member but haven’t held a membership in 18 months, you can still take advantage of this deal. 

Executive vs. Gold Star Membership

So, which membership is right for you? Most people tend to consider the Executive plan best for families or large households, whereas the Gold Star membership is excellent for those whose shopping carts aren’t quite so full. 

The most significant difference between the two is that Executive members receive 2% cash back on qualifying Costco purchases, up to $1,250 per year. That’s an enormous savings on groceries, if you visit the chain enough, that is. 

Most people do the math this way: you’d need to spend at least $3,250 per year at Costco to net you $65 in cash back, which is the cost of the membership upgrade from Gold Star to Executive. But with this year’s holiday gift card deal, you’d only need to make $5 in cash back before you make up the difference between the two tiers. If you’ve been trying to decide whether the Executive membership is right for you, this deal gives you a great opportunity to try it out at a low cost. 

Costco Travel and Costco Services also offer exclusive Executive savings offers, though how you take advantage of those opportunities can truly vary from home to home. If you use Costco’s auto services, insurance offerings, or other partnerships frequently, an Executive membership might be worth it.

For less frequent shoppers, the Gold Star tier will likely be the best membership option. You’ll make the $65 per year membership worth it by saving on Costco’s discounted grocery prices, as well as the retailer’s affordable gas and member-exclusive services. 

How to Receive Your Costco Membership Discount

To receive a Costco digital gift card when you sign up for a Costco membership, you can sign up online or in-store. You’ll need to use a Visa card when you initially sign up and set up auto-renewal of your membership at the same time; this will ensure your eligibility for a digital gift card. 

Once the retailer has confirmed your eligibility, a Costco gift card will be emailed to the address you provided when signing up for your membership. The only real downside is that you can only use it for grocery shopping—not at the Costco food court.