Memberships
Costco membership fee: Gold Star and Executive
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What a Costco membership costs in the United States, what the September 2024 increase changed, and how much you need to spend for the Executive reward to cover its extra cost.
Costco Gold Star (individual) or Business, cost of a year on the annual plan
$65
| Price | $65 a year |
| Since Jul 10, 2024 | $60 to $65 (+8%) |
| Last change seen | Sep 1, 2024, +$5 |
List price read on Nov 1, 2026, before sales tax. Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored.
A Costco membership costs $65 a year in the United States for Gold Star or Business, and $130 for Executive, which adds a 2% annual reward on most Costco purchases. Costco announced the increase on July 10, 2024: from September 1, 2024, the basic fee went from $60 to $65 and the Executive fee from $120 to $130, while the maximum annual 2% reward rose from $1,000 to $1,250. Costco's annual report for the fiscal year ended August 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on October 7, 2026, still gives the US fee at $65. Executive costs $65 more than Gold Star, so it pays for itself from $3,250 of eligible spending a year, about $270.83 a month. Costco does not sell memberships by the month.
Does the Costco Executive upgrade pay for itself?
Executive reward minus the extra fee
You gain $55
| 2% reward (capped at $1,250) | $120 |
| Extra fee over Gold Star | $65 |
| Break-even spending | $3,250 a year |
Fees and the $1,250 cap from Costco's July 10, 2024 release. Some purchases do not earn the reward.
Prices read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
When Executive is worth it
The reward is 2% of qualified purchases, up to $1,250 a year. Below $3,250 of eligible spending, the reward is less than the $65 difference and Gold Star costs less. Above it, each extra $100 spent returns $2. The reward reaches its cap at $62,500 of spending. Costco's annual report calls it a reward of generally 2% on qualified purchases, subject to an annual maximum, redeemable at Costco warehouses; the purchases that do not qualify are listed in Costco's own reward terms.
How the 2024 increase was announced
Costco published the change in a press release furnished to the SEC on July 10, 2024, alongside a quarterly dividend. It raised Gold Star, Business and Business add-on fees by $5 in the United States and Canada, and the Executive fee from $120 to $130, described as a primary membership of $65 plus an Executive upgrade of $65. The release put the number of memberships affected at around 52 million, a little over half of them Executive.
Costco plans and prices today
| Plan | Ads | Monthly | Annual plan | Cost of a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Star (individual) or Business | none | $65 | $65 | |
| Executive (fee plus 2% reward) | none | $130 | $130 |
Costco price history
| Plan | Old price | New price | Change | Old price last seen | New price first seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Star (individual) or Business | $60 | $65 | +$5 (8%) | Jul 10, 2024 | Sep 1, 2024 |
| Executive (fee plus 2% reward) | $120 | $130 | +$10 (8%) | Jul 10, 2024 | Sep 1, 2024 |