{"slug":"costco-vs-walmart","title":"Costco vs Walmart: Membership, Stores and Fees","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","faqCount":6,"faqs":[{"question":"Do I need a membership to shop at Costco or Walmart?","answer":"Costco warehouses are for members; a Gold Star membership is $65 a year and Executive is $130 in the U.S. and Canada. Walmart stores and walmart.com are open to everyone. Walmart+ is an optional $98-a-year membership for delivery and other perks."},{"question":"How much is a Costco membership compared with Walmart+?","answer":"Costco: $65 a year for Gold Star, Business or Business add-on, and $130 for Executive, effective September 1, 2024. Walmart+: $98 a year, or $12.95 a month at its 2020 launch. Walmart lists a $49 annual fee for qualifying government assistance recipients."},{"question":"What does the Costco Executive membership add?","answer":"Executive members earn an annual 2% Reward on qualifying purchases, capped at $1,250 a year since September 1, 2024 (it was $1,000 before). It costs $130 a year, made up of the $65 primary membership plus a $65 upgrade."},{"question":"Is Costco cheaper than Walmart?","answer":"It depends on what you buy and how much. Costco sells a limited selection, often in larger packs, to members; Walmart sells a wider range in standard sizes with no fee. Prices change by item and location, so compare your own regular basket and include the membership fee."},{"question":"Which has more stores?","answer":"Walmart. Walmart reports more than 10,900 stores in 19 countries. Costco reported 939 warehouses on October 7, 2026, including 647 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico."},{"question":"Does a Costco membership cover a second person?","answer":"Yes. Costco says every membership includes one free household card for a member of the household aged 16 or over."}],"faqPageSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#faq","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Costco vs Walmart: Membership, Stores and Fees — FAQ","description":"Frequently asked questions about Costco vs Walmart: Membership, Stores and Fees","dateModified":"2026-10-16T00:00:00.000Z","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"isPartOf":{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#article"},"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#faq-speakable","cssSelector":[".faq-answer"]},"mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#q1","name":"Do I need a membership to shop at Costco or Walmart?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#a1","text":"Costco warehouses are for members; a Gold Star membership is $65 a year and Executive is $130 in the U.S. and Canada. Walmart stores and walmart.com are open to everyone. Walmart+ is an optional $98-a-year membership for delivery and other perks.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#q2","name":"How much is a Costco membership compared with Walmart+?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#a2","text":"Costco: $65 a year for Gold Star, Business or Business add-on, and $130 for Executive, effective September 1, 2024. Walmart+: $98 a year, or $12.95 a month at its 2020 launch. Walmart lists a $49 annual fee for qualifying government assistance recipients.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#q3","name":"What does the Costco Executive membership add?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#a3","text":"Executive members earn an annual 2% Reward on qualifying purchases, capped at $1,250 a year since September 1, 2024 (it was $1,000 before). It costs $130 a year, made up of the $65 primary membership plus a $65 upgrade.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#q4","name":"Is Costco cheaper than Walmart?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#a4","text":"It depends on what you buy and how much. Costco sells a limited selection, often in larger packs, to members; Walmart sells a wider range in standard sizes with no fee. Prices change by item and location, so compare your own regular basket and include the membership fee.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#q5","name":"Which has more stores?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#a5","text":"Walmart. Walmart reports more than 10,900 stores in 19 countries. Costco reported 939 warehouses on October 7, 2026, including 647 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#q6","name":"Does a Costco membership cover a second person?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart#a6","text":"Yes. Costco says every membership includes one free household card for a member of the household aged 16 or over.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/costco-vs-walmart","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}}]}}