Cross-border Costco membership questions--you seemed like the bunch to ask

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

I want to get a Costco membership. I'm still in Canada. My fiancée (soon to be wife) is in the US and we'll be filing as soon as the wedding happens.

Are Costco memberships good on both sides of the border? If so, do you know what I would have to do in order to get the secondary card in her name? Would I need our marriage certificate, do you think, to qualify us because we live in separate places?

I love Costco and I'd love to share Costco with her. We just got Viber (I hadn't been able to find an international SMS program that I liked before) and are starting to really enjoy sharing photos of interesting things when we're making purchases, so I think it would be fun to compare Costcos from across the continent. It'd at least give us something to play with during all the waiting we've got coming.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Costco membership are good worldwide.

I got mine in the US. I've used it in Mexico.

[Flames9_RN 359]

yep, good to go world wide!!!

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Awesome. I think I'll do that on my next paycheque, then. I didn't know Mexico had Costco. That's really cool. Is there anything I'll need from my fiancée in order to put her name on as a secondary card? I know you have to get a photo taken, so will she be able to go get that done at a Costco in the US? Or is it easier do you think for me to just go with her when I'm visiting in November and get it done there with both of us together? I haven't had a Costco membership in years!

[ricky and elaine 8]

Hi! I'm Canadian and I use my Costco membership in the states whenever I am there. I do get the points from my US purchases (if you have Executive member card $100) As far as putting your partner on the card you can add anyone who can provide documentation that they live at the same address as original member ie drivers license, utility bill blah blah.

[floridaboundcanuk 7]

I hear Sam's club is better. Sadly they left Canada after little fanfare they decided to build their warehouses in the middle of no where and were shocked no one showed up.

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Hi! I'm Canadian and I use my Costco membership in the states whenever I am there. I do get the points from my US purchases (if you have Executive member card $100) As far as putting your partner on the card you can add anyone who can provide documentation that they live at the same address as original member ie drivers license, utility bill blah blah.

I was afraid that would be a rule. Obviously we don't live in the same address, sadly. I can't think of a way to prove that to Costco when we live in different places.

[Ms Hogan 295]

I just signed up in the U.S. and was told I can use it in both places. I don't know anything about the specific rules though so not much help there.

[canuckbos 10]

Check out the different memberships.

When we sign up our employees at work, all their spouses get a free membership. It's the deluxe membership I believe. The one where you get back a % of your purchases once a year which offsets the cost.

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

I've been checking it out and unless my fiancée is interested in buying the new living room set there (and there are some discount furniture chains which have frankly better pricing) the executive membership isn't worth it for us this year. It will be, next year, when we're setting up the household for ourselves together, but right now we won't buy enough stuff at any given time to probably make that up since we're each feeding one person and so on.

And I think I may have found a sneaky cheat--I can order the membership online. The cards get sent to a residence and we can just have our photos added to the cards when we go into the store. The membership terms do say living at the same address, but as far as I'm concerned, we should get an exception since we're going to be spending boatloads of money trying to achieve that condition of sharing a membership!

So I may cheat a little. And see if that works.

[VeeNDee 44]

When my husband and I were still engaged and visiting each other long distance, we stopped by Costco one day to get passport photos taken. He asked if he could add me to the card. She said sure, took my photo and name and printed me a card on his account. I was pretty surprised since we had different last names and weren't living together. I guess she just assumed it was okay because we showed up together? Guess we got lucky!