In the cooler months of late 2026, when households begin to measure the year's spending against the year's needs, Costco extends a small invitation to those who have stepped away from its warehouses. Anyone who has been absent for eighteen months can rejoin under either its standard or Executive Gold Star membership and receive a $45 digital Shop Card, a modest sum that softens the first year's fee. The offer is a reminder of how retail loyalty is often built not on grand gestures but on a single, well-timed reason to return. Its value depends on two deadlines, purchase by December 20 and rede
Costco Offers New Members a $45 Digital Shop Card with Gold Star or Executive Membership Through Jan. 2027
Buying by the deadline is not enough; the membership has to be redeemed too.
Mark
So what is actually on offer here?
Mimi
A $45 digital Shop Card for new Costco members who sign up for either Gold Star at $65 a year or Executive Gold Star at $130.
Mark
Who counts as new?
Mimi
Anyone who hasn't been a member in the last 18 months. So a lapsed member may still qualify.
Luke
That's worth stressing, because the eligibility line is the one most likely to trip people up. Does the piece say how Costco checks it? No, it doesn't.
Mark
What does the Executive tier add?
Mimi
A 2% annual reward on Costco and Costco Travel purchases, capped at $1,250 a year, plus early shopping hours, travel perks and a $10 monthly delivery credit on eligible orders of $150 or more.
Luke
Whether Executive pays off depends on how much someone spends. The piece doesn't run that math, so any claim that it's worth it is the reader's own to test.
Mark
And the dates?
Mimi
Buy by Dec. 20, 2026, redeem by Jan. 31, 2027, and the card is emailed within two weeks of redemption.
Luke
One more thing: this is a promotional piece, and it offers no data on how many people use the deal. We know the terms, not the uptake.
Le Pouls
- A holiday promotion is pulling lapsed Costco shoppers back toward the warehouse doors with a $45 digital card.
- The offer hinges on a tight window: buy by December 20, 2026, and redeem by January 31, 2027, or the reward slips away.
- Shoppers weighing the $65 Gold Star fee against the $130 Executive tier must decide whether the 2% annual reward, capped at $1,250, justifies the higher cost.
- The Shop Card arrives within two weeks of redemption, so the real payoff lands in the weeks after the holiday rush has passed.
- Gift-givers face the same clock, needing to act early enough that the membership is activated before the January cutoff.
In the cooler months of late 2026, when households begin to measure the year's spending against the year's needs, Costco extends a small invitation to those who have stepped away from its warehouses. Anyone who has been absent for eighteen months can rejoin under either its standard or Executive Gold Star membership and receive a $45 digital Shop Card, a modest sum that softens the first year's fee. The offer is a reminder of how retail loyalty is often built not on grand gestures but on a single, well-timed reason to return. Its value depends on two deadlines, purchase by December 20 and redemption by January 31, which quietly decide who walks away with the card.
Costco is running a holiday promotion aimed at people who have drifted away from its warehouses. Sign up for a new membership, and the company will send a $45 digital Shop Card to spend on later purchases. The offer covers two tiers: the standard Gold Star membership and the Executive Gold Star.
The Gold Star membership costs $65 a year and opens the doors to warehouses worldwide, members-only prices on everyday goods, online shopping, fuel, travel services, and pharmacy and optical care. The Executive tier costs $130 and adds an annual 2% reward on Costco and Costco Travel purchases, capped at $1,250, along with early shopping hours and a monthly delivery credit. For a standard member, the $45 card covers a good share of the first-year fee.
The terms are strict. Applicants must not have been Costco members in the past 18 months. The membership must be bought by December 20, 2026, and redeemed by January 31, 2027. The digital card follows within two weeks of redemption, so anyone buying as a gift or planning ahead should keep both dates in mind.
Costco is running a holiday promotion for people who have not been members lately: sign up for a new membership and the company will send a $45 digital Shop Card to spend on later purchases. The offer covers two tiers, the standard Gold Star membership and the Executive Gold Star membership.
The standard Gold Star membership costs $65 a year. It opens the door to Costco warehouses worldwide and to members-only prices on groceries, cleaning supplies, clothing, electronics, furniture and household goods. Members can also shop online, buy fuel at Costco gas stations, and use Costco Travel, along with the pharmacy, optical and hearing aid services. A second card comes at no charge for someone 16 or older in the same household.
The Executive Gold Star membership costs $130 a year and includes everything in the standard tier. Its main addition is an annual 2% reward on Costco and Costco Travel purchases, capped at $1,250 a year, which members can apply to later Costco purchases. Executive members also get early shopping hours before the warehouse opens to the general public, extra benefits on Costco Travel packages, and a $10 monthly credit on eligible same-day delivery orders of $150 or more through Costco's Instacart-powered service.
The $45 Shop Card applies to both tiers. For a standard member, it offsets a good share of the $65 first-year fee. Fox News frames it as spending money for holiday gifts, entertaining supplies, or the sort of Costco trip where a short list for milk and eggs grows into a full cart.
The terms are specific. To qualify, a person must not have been a Costco member in the past 18 months. The membership must be purchased by Dec. 20, 2026, and redeemed by Jan. 31, 2027. Costco says it will email the digital Shop Card within two weeks of redemption.
That gap between purchase and redemption matters. Buying by the December deadline is not enough on its own; the membership has to be redeemed by the end of January, and the card only follows after that. Anyone considering the offer, particularly as a gift, should keep both dates in view.
The article is a promotional consumer piece, and it does not give figures on how many people the offer might reach or how long similar promotions have run. What it does set out is the price of each tier, the perks that come with them, and the two dates that decide who gets the card.
Citations marquantes
Costco will email the $45 digital Shop Card within two weeks of redemption.— Fox News, describing the offer terms
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