Can I shop at Sam’s Club without a membership? (yes and no…)
Sam’s Club is a direct competitor to Costco and BJ’s Wholesale. All three require a membership to enter the store.
But can you shop at Sam’s Club without a membership? Still can’t enter the store without ID? Here’s what we found…
Can I shop at Sam’s Club without a membership?
You need some form of paid membership to access the Sam’s Club chain of warehouses and related services. However, there are exceptions to this requirement, which apply to a small number of services and membership tiers of your choice.
This article covers Sam’s Club memberships: what they are, how much they cost, how to avoid them, and what’s good for you if you buy one.
How do I shop at Sam’s Club without a membership?
Sam’s Club offers many services that anyone can use, regardless of membership status. Member benefits are not available to non-member customers. These Sam’s Club services include:
- Eyewear Centre – Offer is only available to Plus members
- Pharmacy – Offer valid for Plus members only
- Photos – Sam’s Club Photo Center is now fully online
- Liquor Store – Open to everyone but ID required
- Food court/cafe – open to all
- Few gas stations – non-members do not extend membership benefits
Read: Will Sam’s Club pack your groceries?
How much is a Sam’s Club membership fee?
Sam’s Club offers two levels of membershipall have associated rewards and discounts, but many more membership options are available Inside Buy any of them. You will be able to compare membership tables by clicking on the link.
- Club Membership – This is the basic form and costs $45 per year. It gives you access to all Sam’s Club retail stores, both online and in-store. You don’t get free shipping, but you can use curbside pickup, and you can use Instant Savings, Mastercard, fuel savings, and tire and battery service.
- Plus membership – $100 per year. You get free shipping, curbside pickup, access to Sam’s Cash, instant savings, pharmacy and optical savings, fuel savings, tire and battery service, and Mastercard.
You may have noticed adding a Free membership or add a Add on membership. You don’t have to take advantage of these options, but they are worth considering because they allow more (family) members to join Sam’s Club at a lower cost.
- Free Membership – When you sign up for either membership, you can share your free membership with someone in your household.
- Additional Memberships – When you sign up for either membership, you can save additional club memberships at a discounted price of $40 per year.
You’ll notice when you sign up that the free membership is limited to one, and the person who gets the membership must be at least 18 years old.
When adding members, you’ll find that you can add up to 16 members (which must all be paid in one transaction) for a fee of $40 per member (per year).
Members always have the option to cancel at any time.
Read: Does Sam’s Club Credit Card Work at Walmart?
Can you get a free Sam’s Club membership?
There really is no such thing free Sam’s Club Membership – However, Sam’s Club offers membership benefits from time to time, including a $45 cash back bonus on your first purchase.
This means that club membership ($45 per year) is effectively paid after the first purchase.
You can also take advantage of family member memberships (if you live in the same household as them). Just ask them to add you as a free member.
Sam’s Club has offered guest memberships in the past (all purchases are subject to a 10% service charge/surcharge per order. This membership lasts 24 hours. However, while not explicitly stated on the Sam’s Club website, there is a hint that this service is available A statement that is no longer available.
Do you need a membership to Sam’s Club Gas?
You do need a paid membership and a current membership to buy Sam’s club gas. You will need to show your membership card (if you pay with Scan & Go, please use the app).
However, there are a handful of gas stations that are open to non-member customers. Sam’s Club Statement:
These locations are either co-located with Walmart stores or open for public use as required by law. We offer members and Walmart+ users a 0.05 cent discount at these gas stations, except in New Jersey, which does not allow member fuel discounts.
The best way to identify a non-member Sam’s Club gas station is to use the club locator and contact the gas station directly.
Read: Does Sam’s Club Accept WIC?
generalize
Sam’s Club is a membership-based retail chain where you can choose from two membership levels.
You also have the option to add free and/or add-on memberships for significantly less than the full club membership fee.
Always look for Sam’s Club membership deals and take advantage of them before they expire.
If you don’t want to join, that’s ok; you can still shop at Sam’s Club Pharmacy, Optical, Liquor, Photo Shop and Food Court.
