Costco Customers Are Rightfully Unhappy About The Constant Pressure To Upgrade Memberships

Nobody likes to be pressured to spend more money on something, especially after saying "no thank you," but according to Reddit user u/XSC, this happens at Costco. The shopper claimed an employee approached them at the self-checkout register and repeatedly pressured them to upgrade their Costco membership.

According to the Redditor, the employee initially asked the shopper to show him their membership card. After learning that the shopper didn't have the Executive Membership, the purported pressure began. "[The employee] starts talking about how I spend enough to make the Executive Membership worth it and why I should upgrade," the shopper's Reddit post said. The shopper considered the offer, but was in a hurry because they had "melting ice cream," so they declined.

The employee then mentioned how the shopper would "get a refund if you don't meet the criteria." After the shopper declined a second time the Costco employee supposedly rolled their eyes and walked away. The post received more than 130 comments, with some followers claiming it was probably worth it to upgrade and others sympathizing with the shopper feeling pressured.

In the Reddit thread, user u/happy_bottom said they had a similar experience and declined the offer, but later checked out the details online and decided to go for the upgrade. "Worked for us. Look into it," they said. Another follower agreed. "It's annoying, but I'm glad I upgraded. Costco is a weekly trip, so I'm somewhat glad they hassled me."

A third follower, who claimed to be a Costco employee, said the stores use purchase data to determine who they offer the upgrade to. "[Y]ou are literally spending enough, based on your annual purchase histories, to pay for your executive membership with the 2% back rewards if you were to upgrade," the wrote. Another person suggested that the shopper visit the membership desk and calculate out if they would actually benefit from an upgrade. The Executive Membership costs $120; the other two Costco membership tiers are $60, according to Costco.com. According to Insider, if a customer spends $3,000 or more a year at the store, they may want to consider bumping up their membership.

But a few other Reddit users echoed u/XSC's frustration. One shopper said, "I was also harassed almost the exact same way as you. It felt very gimmicky, aggressive, and forced." Another claimed Costco will "hold you hostage" with your card at the register to try to upsell you. "It's a horrible process and very un-Costco-like."