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Email this7:46 pm
October 21, 2013
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Some members have mentioned that they have this card and find it a good thing to have, so I am considering getting one. I already belong to Costco and plan to continue shopping there.
I had understood in the recent past that it was a card with an annual fee but that if you didn't get enough cashback to cover the fee, then you could get the cost of the card refunded at Costco. That seemed a tedious arrangement to me. I felt it was borderline whether I would make my money back, and didn't want to feel manipulated into to spend more money at Costco in order to make it worthwhile.
Yesterday I looked at both the Amex site and the link from Costco.ca to Amex (which leads to the same page), and it says there is no annual fee at all.
http://www.americanexpress.com.....=s2wJ8mnVc|dc_pcrid_29987814033_plid__kword_costco%20credit%20card%20canada_match_b
If you click on the Application form, you immediately see the Terms and Conditions.
Is this correct, or is there some other card that I am missing? Has it changed, or did I misunderstand earlier?
It seems a no-brainer to me, if one is a Costco member, to get this card, if there is no fee, since it gives you hard cash back from Costco purchases and gas (.25% to 1% for regular purchases and 2% for gas). The other benefits will be useful to many people. I don't often go to restaurants that take Amex (3% cashback), and have a card I prefer for other purchases, where I get a better return, but without Amex you never get anything back for purchases at Costco - and this one is free!
9:52 pm
December 23, 2011
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Hi Loonie. Years ago we were approached in Costco by one of their folks carrying one of this hand held doo dads that could access our account. They convinced us to upgrade our Costco membership to "Executive" which also gives cash back. And it allowed us to enter the store earlier than the regular members. I don't know if they have two sets of entry hours any more. And at one time or a another we upgraded our Amex card to cash back or we applied for one....not sure.
So the Costco membership costs 116 with tax. And this year the Costco executive card gave us around $103 back which pretty much pays for the card for purchases at Costco only. The Amex card gave us 250 back for all purchases. I know everyone has their preference for cash,air miles or what ever but we have made the cash back card our primary card to use and our BMO MasterCard (Airmiles) our secondary card. We pay everything we can with Amex like car and house insurance, time share fees, Telco, and for holidays and cross border shopping. More places are accepting Amex in Canada but restaurants are the hold out because of their high fees.......but not the case in the USA. So it pays the Costco card and we get couple hundred for the combination. Maybe you can do better for your needs but at this point we like!
I also take delivery of the Amex statement by email and they also send you a reminder to pay by email.
11:25 pm
October 21, 2013
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Thanks, kanaka. I think you've explained my confusion. I must have been thinking about the Executive membership, for which one does pay an additional fee, not the Amex card.
So, I can still go ahead and get the Amex card without getting the Exec membership; it won't cost me anything, and it will pay me back. Good!
I try to review all our Costco receipts annually to see if it would be worth the upgrade to Exec, and so far it's borderline so have not bothered. If I were to make a major online or in-store Costco purchase, then I would definitely do it though, as it would make sense. -- Thinkin' about a great-big-TV soon, which we've never had!
We have an old Diner's Club MasterCard which is our preferred card for most things. BMO owns it now but they don't advertise it because they have changed it so that it is now only available to people who own businesses, I think, whereas it used to be for everyone. When we first got it, we were hooked on an opening free offer of the equivalent of 25,000 aeroplan points, but have stuck with it because we like it. The return is 1.7% in travel money. There is a fee but it is not exorbitant, less than most if not all of its type. Makes sense for us, overall.
That's good that Amex sends you a reminder about your bill. One thing I don't like about this Diner's Club card is that they haven't figured out how to let us pay it preauthorized through bank account, which we do for most things which can't go on a credit card.
I also keep a "plain Jane" Visa card to use when the DC MC is rejected, which happens too frequently, and always for no valid reason. It seem their system gets upset if we make purchases at more than 2 grocery stores in one day (hich happens with some regularity as we search out the best deals),and then it declines us at the till. We had the same problem years ago with BMO Air Miles MC, and so we cancelled it.
I would never get to Costco early enough in the morning to benefit from early opening, but I sure would like it if they extended their hours at the end of the day, especially on weekends, for an hour. The line-ups at the cashiers are fierce here. I might be persuaded to upgrade for THAT!
Anybody listening out there in Costco land?
8:41 am
December 23, 2011
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Just go to the service desk and they can tell you from your membership number how much you have spent each year. We only shop there for groceries in Canada and USA. Over the years we have bought a couple of leather chairs, a bar, bedroom furniture; all was needed and their price was the best. I think we all buy a few of those baited purchases as a treat with in reason. Costco hours don't affect us as we usually shop in the afternoon Mon-Thur leaving the their other days for the working folks to bump into each other, like the crowds and to fight over parking spots.
9:23 am
February 22, 2013
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Loonie:
1> You can stop at the membership desk anytime and they will tell you (a) number of visits this year to date (b) number of visits last year (September to August I seem to recall is their yearly cycle) (c) spending this year to date and (d) spending last year - and all this by store so I see our Canadian visits here and at my Aunts and also in Florida. I used to try to add up what I was spending using my Quicken data but it is far simpler to go visit them. Executive membership also gives you special coupons not avaiable to the $55 folk (of which I am still one), as well as a slew of other stuff you will see on your way out, long distance, travel insurance, furnace and A/C purchases and installation, coffins in some areas, etc.
2> Line up being fierce is a Costco marketing tactic called "line stacking". The marketing theory is that with longer lines one will buy more per visit to "make it worth the wait". If you watch, as the lines dissipate (and they do) they will close cash lines. It isn't worth stopping in for a bag of milk and a box of cereal if you are going to be in line for 3-5 minutes. When you walk to their bathrooms, past the employee lounge you will see a white board with their staff members names and current rankings based on, if I recall correctly, dollars per minute through the cash and items per minute through the cash. This really drove home for me how much they track.
3> There was a 60 Minutes segment on Costco a while back and they alluded to the fact that they make their money on the membership fees and break even on the stuff they sell. I doubt it is that simple.
4> Our closest Costco is 60 minutes away and I try to get there monthly to stock up on what we buy regularly. I used to live closer to a Costco and was able to stop in on the way home from work. Then I had the Executive membership.
GS
9:28 am
December 23, 2011
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I also heard that Costco's return policy, with receipt, is good because they do not bear the cost of the return, the supplier does. And often they sell the goods before they pay the supplier. Also prices ending in .97 have been marked down.
9:44 am
December 23, 2011
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GS would it still not be worthwhile to have an Executive membership as long as the cash back gave you enough credit to bring your membership to $55 or less?
6:06 pm
October 21, 2013
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Thanks for the tips, GS and kanaka.
I had not heard of "line stacking" before. It works too, as I always spend more than I intended to, and I always have a "good" justification for it! I regard going there as running the gauntlet in some ways. The stores here are very busy even on weekday afternoons, and it can be hard to find a semi-convenient parking spot even on a Monday afternoon, and even with a disability permit. I have tried all times of day. The best time in my experience is within a half hour before closing, but you have to sacrifice the free samples at that hour.
The store closest to me has the worst Customer Service of the 4 that I visit with some regularity, unfortunately. Most have staffing to help you pack your stuff as you go through the cashier, but this one does not, and they don't wait for you, they just keep pushing the next one through. I find this rather uncivilized, as other stores of theirs do have staff for this purpose and things run more smoothly.
I will have to ask at CS about my annual bill, sometime when the line-up there isn't too bad - again, end of day is best. They really want to get us out of there at the end of the day, and it's all hands on deck to do so.
My own tip is to look at their clothing. It's all very casual stuff but we have found it to be well made, durable, laundry-resistant, and very inexpensive. For years I ignored it, as it is not displayed attractively, but I learned that a friend of mine shops there a lot so I tried it out. Once, an employee actually helped me find something in the size I wanted! (Now, that's rare for Costco!)
I have never had any problem returning anything to Costco, and I do it regularly! I always have my receipt. Once, with some fresh produce that had moulded before its expiry date, they threatened not to accept it, but they did. I had put it in the freezer when I found the mould, as I couldn't do anything else until my next trip to Costco. We always kept it refrigerated. After 3 or 4 episodes where it always went mouldy, I finally got wise and stopped buying it, so that I wouldn't have to line up to return it any more!
9:37 pm
February 22, 2013
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kanaka said
GS would it still not be worthwhile to have an Executive membership as long as the cash back gave you enough credit to bring your membership to $55 or less?
Yes -- the $55 threshold is the key. I am at about $40 and don't feel the other $15 is worth my while. But, of course, I then find something special to buy.
Recent purchase misses have included an APC UPC - $69.99 and free shipping from Amazon.CA and I saw it for $59.99 on my last trip to Costco.
GS
9:47 pm
February 22, 2013
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Loonie:
I buy their jeans and they outlast those from Polo, Eddie Bauer and a host of other name brands. Mrs GS was looking for fundamental towels (i.e those without a lot of fancy ribbing design that simply doesn't dry oneself) and she finally found them at Costco.
Despite your experience Costco has the best produce of most other stores. I learned something when we were in South Carolina and also in Florida during the October - December timeframe. We, in southern Ontario, get better fruits and vegetables than those in SC and FL do. I struggled with that and asked lots of produce managers for their opinion.
It comes down to two facts -- we are close to the Ontario Food Terminal and stuff arrives here without any trans-shipment from FL and California and typically only one hop from Mexico and Chile. California, Michigan and Canadian produce going to Florida stops three or four places along the way - and finally sits on a HOT shipping dock when it does arrive.
When we are in Florida during October - December we get radishes from Quebec, Tomatoes and Peppers from Ontario. The mushrooms are not fit to eat. Go figure!
GS
9:54 pm
October 21, 2013
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GS said
kanaka said
GS would it still not be worthwhile to have an Executive membership as long as the cash back gave you enough credit to bring your membership to $55 or less?
Yes -- the $55 threshold is the key. I am at about $40 and don't feel the other $15 is worth my while. But, of course, I then find something special to buy.
Recent purchase misses have included an APC UPC - $69.99 and free shipping from Amazon.CA and I saw it for $59.99 on my last trip to Costco.
GS
It occurs to me that you may not know that you can get the Exec membership but if it doesn't pay for itself you can ask for a refund and they will give it to you. I had heard this before at another website, and asked about it at CS myself a while ago and the answer was 'yes'.
Check it out! Nothing to lose really. I just haven't wanted to bother yet as I'm afraid it will encourage me to buy more than I should!
10:23 pm
October 21, 2013
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I am not surprised the Costco jeans are more durable although I have not bought any yet. There isn't much selection, but it's always worth checking what they have. Eddie Bauer has really gone downhill in recent years - they went into receivership or something not too long ago. They have even closed their warehouse outlet store just outside of Toronto which is really too bad as there were some great bargains there in shirts - the prices were consistently about a third of regular, often less, which made them very worthwhile. They told me they might b reopening elsewhere. Lands End is still pretty good; they seem to have recovered to some extent from the crap they were selling when Sears bought them out.
I can't imagine Costco makes all their money on memberships. It just doesn't make sense to me, as they're not ThAT expensive. I think they make it on volume and limited selection. They only sell stuff that moves fast. They operate worldwide, which gives them huge bargaining power for some kinds of items. Also, they patronize obscure manufacturers, especially in some of their food products, so I think that must allow them to get special deals as they are surely the biggest customer. I'm thinking in particular of some of the frozen products that come from Alberta and Quebec, which enable them to avoid border crossings altogether - and the products are often better quality than the "name-brands".
Hadn't thought of buying towels there. Haven't bought any in a while, but I know what you mean about "fundamentals"!
It's strange how the produce moves around the continent. I've heard before about situations where the best of something produced locally ends up somewhere else, but can't remember any examples at the moment. We try to avoid food that has travelled a long distance to the extent that it's reasonable to do so, for environmental reasons, but there are limits! I heard Maude Barlow speak recently and she talked about the water crisis in SoCal and AZ as being supported by the export of water-laden fruits and veg from SoCal. In other words, when we buy veg and grapes from SoCal, the water content is also being lost to that area and not returned, which is causing a big problem. They need to diversify. I now only buy Ontario and QC -grown tomatoes rather than Mexican, and don't buy them at all in mid-winter. The item I had so many problems with was pomegranate arils that come in a package of two small tubs - it's OK if you intend to use them immediately but they just don't keep well. I have found that some Costcos keep them in the refrigerated area and some do not, so you have to watch the storage issues in-store.
You never know what you are going to find at Costco, which can make it difficult to plan where to shop for something you actually need, and thus get best value out of your membership.
7:44 pm
December 23, 2011
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Not sure if you have concerns about origins of some foods purchased by Costco, and the conditions they are grown in and how clean the processing is.
Frozen shrimp and prawns,...Thailand or Vietnam....grown in sewer water.
Pickles and relish.....India
Canned mushrooms.....China
Canned peaches, in the bottle.....read the label.
12:57 am
October 21, 2013
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kanaka, I don't know anything personally about the conditions in which Costco's foods are grown, but I have trouble imagining that they're any worse than those of other manufacturers. The countries you name produce food for many vendors. I can buy shrimp from Thailand and Viet Nam, pickles from India and mushrooms from China in major supermarkets too.
The only ones on your list that I have tried are the peaches, and they didn't have much flavour. I was sceptical when I bought them but decided to try them, once. I should have taken them back but didn't get around to it. There is still a jar in the basement gathering dust.
I was just looking at a thread at redflagdeals concerning Costco. It is really really long, and I only read a small portion, but it was said there that Costco monitors members' returns, and if you return too much stuff they may cancel your membership. Apparently there is a screen on your record which instantly identifies what-all you have returned. Good grief! If they have an issue with something(s) that a member has returned, then they should deal with it at the time and/or by modifying their policies - publicly, not in secret.
9:40 am
October 21, 2013
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Hi all,
I was in Costco the other day and was speaking with a CS manager. I was thinking of applying for the Amex Costco card, and he said that you can no longer apply for it through the local store as of about a month ago.
He recommended waiting until at least September because apparently the agreement between Costco and Amex is up for grabs and is being renegotiated. He could not say whether it would be renewed and thought there was a possibility that the field might be opened up to other credit card issuers. (It's about time!)
3:50 pm
December 23, 2011
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Just thought I would add the costco exclusions from their cash back program. This is NOT referring to Amex. I thought I saw at the gas pumps in the USA that they did give cash back. If so does that apply to a Canadian member? Also for those that get prescriptions.....maybe Safeways program is better. But not for me because I would have to pay a portion of dispensing fees but not at Costco and since my insurer pays for the prescription I cannot buy them using my Amex cash back card.
Here you go...
EXECUTIVE MEMBERSHIP 2% REWARDS EXCLUSIONS LIST
Items that fall into the following categories are not eligible for the 2% Reward
Excluded in all provinces:
- prescription drugs
- all tobacco products (including: cigarette paper, lighters, matches and tubes)
- all food court items
- all bottle deposits and refunds
- all taxes and levies
- all services (e.g., insurance, employee benefits packages, payroll processing, real estate
brokerage, long-distance telephone, etc.)
- eye examinations
- tire disposal fees (where applicable)
- tire mounting and balancing, and stud installation fees
- gift certificates and Costco Cash electronic gift cards
- membership fees
- oil disposal fees (where applicable)
- home delivery charges
- administration fees
- gasoline
- charitable donations
- third party insurance payments
- postage stamps
- environmental fees, deposits or levies
- other items, products and services specified as exclusions from time to time
Additional exclusions in the province of Nova Scotia:
- all liquid milk and cream items (e.g., 1%, 2%, homogenized and skim milk, chocolate milk, light cream, cream blends, coffee cream, whipping cream, egg nog, buttermilk, concentrated milk, etc.)
Additional exclusions in the province of Québec:
- all pharmacy items (including analgesics, cough and cold medication, allergy medication, eye care products, antacids, condoms, nicotine replacement therapies, vitamins, minerals, supplements, insulin, etc.)
- all alcoholic beverages
- all liquid milk items (e.g., 1%, 2%, homogenized and skim milk, chocolate milk, light cream,
cream blends, coffee cream, whipping cream, egg nog, buttermilk, concentrated milk, etc.)
- all optical centre items and services (e.g., eyeglasses, contact lenses, etc.)
Additional exclusions in the province of Alberta:
- all alcoholic beverages
4:52 pm
October 21, 2013
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That's quite a list, but nothing very surprising except that I didn't know you could buy many of those things at Costco, and maybe you can't here. I like that it appears you can buy alcohol at Costco in AB and QC.
I know you can do it in QC anyway but have never done so.
It made me think though about the car. I have never considered having car repairs done at Costco. Does anyone have any experience with that? If so, what did you think? (I hope it's better than Cdn Tire!)
5:03 pm
December 23, 2011
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Loonie said
That's quite a list, but nothing very surprising except that I didn't know you could buy many of those things at Costco, and maybe you can't here. I like that it appears you can buy alcohol at Costco in AB and QC.
It made me think though about the car. I have never considered having car repairs done at Costco. Does anyone have any experience with that? If so, what did you think? (I hope it's better than Cdn Tire!)
The only car stuff I have seen at Costco is for wheels and tires. I prefer the "one of repair" shops with a good reputation and I stay as far way as possible from Canadian Tire, Fountain Tire, Walmart and so on.... But I have purchased tires at Costco.....no problems.
Even though I live in BC, and I did work in Calgary for 5 years and still have ties there. I go back every couple of years to visit and do some major wine purchases as I can save up to 40% but you have to go there for another reason as accommodations and 3 tanks of gas make it not worthwhile. While nothing happens....it is still illegal to transport to another province.
8:13 pm
October 21, 2013
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Costco windshield wiper blades are good too, and go on sale periodically, the best I've used. I never thought about buying the tires there. I suppose they must sell batteries too, and we'll probably need one of those soon. Are the prices on the tires better than elsewhere?
The law on interprovincial transport of alcohol, at least wine, is changing. 
According to this article, BC already allows wine to be brought in from other provinces.
http://www.montrealgazette.com.....story.html
I didn't know it was cheaper in AB, but it figures! Happy travels!
12:53 am
October 21, 2013
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You can no longer apply for a Costco Amex card at all. Apparently the ones that people already have will still have the same rebate deal until the end of 2014.
Rumour has it that they are cutting a deal with CapitalOne instead, but I can't confirm that.
Please write your comments in the forum.