Costco Gift Cards and Shop Cards, Explained
Costco's gift card is the Shop Card: only members can buy one, it never expires, and non-members can spend it, though most warehouse buys need a membership.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store policies change. This is a summary in our own words of Costco's Shop Card FAQs, its Shop Card page, its Member Privileges and Conditions and two other customer service answers, read on October 26, 2026. The official pages are the ones that apply; check them before you buy or use a card.
What a Costco Shop Card is
Costco's gift card is called the Costco Shop Card. It comes as a plastic card or a digital card sent by email, and Costco's Shop Card page lists values from $25 up to $2,000.
| Question | Costco's answer |
|---|---|
| Who can buy one? | Members only, in a warehouse or on Costco.com |
| Who can use one? | Members and non-members |
| Where does it work? | Costco warehouses in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, and Costco.com |
| Does it expire? | No |
| Can you reload it? | Yes, at a warehouse register; not online |
| Can you cash it out? | No, except where a state law requires it |
| Lost or stolen? | Costco does not replace it |
Can non-members use a Costco gift card?
Yes, with limits. Costco's Shop Card FAQs and its Member Privileges and Conditions both say non-members can use Shop Cards. Other Costco rules decide what a non-member can actually buy:
- In the warehouse: Costco's answer on shopping passes says you must be a paid member to enter the warehouse and buy most items. It names the pharmacy as the exception, where a non-member can pay for prescriptions with a Shop Card.
- Online: non-members can buy certain Costco.com items, but Costco says they pay 5% more than members.
- Where the law requires it: Costco names alcohol in some states as something non-members may buy.
So a Shop Card is not a pass into the warehouse, and Costco says it does not offer free shopping passes.
Where Shop Cards do not work
- Cell phone carrier kiosks inside warehouses.
- Food court kiosks, for digital cards.
- Same-day delivery powered by Instacart. Costco suggests its own 2-Day Delivery instead.
Limits and cash-out rules
Costco caps gift card sales at $10,000 per day, counting warehouse and online purchases together. Some states require cash back on a small leftover balance; Costco's list includes California for balances under $15 and Texas for balances under $2.50.
Buying and checking a balance
Physical cards ordered online are processed the next business day, and Costco says USPS First Class delivery usually takes 7 to 10 business days. Digital cards usually arrive within 2 hours, but can take 1 to 2 business days. Check a balance on Costco.com with the card number and PIN, and use the same two numbers to pay at Costco.com checkout.
Members can also load Shop Cards into Costco Wallet, Costco's digital wallet, which holds up to $10,000 in Shop Card value at a time.
Sources
Shop Card FAQs, Costco Shop Card, Member Privileges and Conditions, Free shopping passes and Costco Wallet FAQs, Costco. Policy checked October 26, 2026.