Costco Wholesale Corporation
Terms & Conditions

(last updated November 2011)


CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

Membership Card

  1. Membership is available to qualifying individuals aged 18 years and over.
  2. The membership card can only be used by the individual to whom the card has been issued.
  3. The member's photograph is required to validate the card. Photographs are taken at the warehouse.
  4. Costco reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant. Membership is revocable by Costco without cause.
  5. The membership card is the property of Costco and must be be returned upon request.
  6. Your membership card must be shown on entering the warehouse and at the tills.
  7. Membership is subject to any and all rules adopted by Costco, and these rules may be amended from time to time without notice.

Lost/Stolen Cards

  1. Lost or stolen cards should be reported as soon as possible to the membership desk.

Membership Fee - Executive Membership

  1. The total annual membership fee for Executive Trade members is £50 plus VAT, and £55 plus VAT for Executive Individual members. Both include a complimentary spouse/domestic partner card. It does not include additional card holders on either Trade or Individual membership account(s).
  2. The Executive Membership upgrade fee for a current Costco member is an additional £30 plus VAT for both Trade and Individual members. (Upgrade amount will be calculated on a pro rata basis depending on the months remaining on your current membership).
  3. The Conditions of Membership for Trade members will also apply to Executive Trade members.
  4. The Conditions of Membership for Individual members will also apply to Executive Individual members.
  5. There is a limit of one Executive Membership per business or household.
  6. Salvage members and Export members do not qualify for the upgrade.

Membership Fee - Trade

  1. Membership fee is £20.00 (plus VAT), which includes a complimentary spouse/domestic partner card, is for a twelve (12) month period from the month of enrolment. This entitles the member to one personalised membership card.
  2. Up to six additional cards are available, charged at £12.00 (plus VAT) each. Each additional cardholder will be issued a personalised membership card.
  3. All additional cards expire at the same time as the primary membership card, regardless of when they were issued. The primary member is responsible for payment of fees for all additional memberships.

Membership Fee - Individual

  1. Membership fee of £25.00 (plus VAT), which includes a complimentary spouse/domestic partner card, is for a twelve (12) month period from the month of enrolment. This entitles the member to one personalised membership card.
  2. A second card is available to an individual over the age of 18, who resides at the same address as the primary member.
  3. The fee for the second card is £12.00 (plus VAT).

Payment

  1. We welcome cash, cheques and debit cards (UK Maestro, Visa Debit), and all forms of American Express. We do not accept any other credit cards.
  2. Cheques must be in the exact amount, issued on the member's account, and pre-printed with the member's name. Debit cards and American Express cards must be in the members name.
    Cheque writing privileges are subject to limits set by the warehouse manager.
  3. Costco charges £25 for every cheque returned by the bank for non-sufficient funds.
  4. If any legal action is brought by Costco to collect monies, the member will pay the face amount of the cheque, plus interest thereon at the rate of two per cent (2%) per month, plus expenses incurred during collection.
  5. The primary member will be liable for returned cheques written by any additional cardholder.
  6. Title to all merchandise passes to the member when full payment is received, and cleared in the case of payment by cheque.
  7. Only members with valid membership cards may purchase items at Costco, although we welcome two guests per cardholder.

Membership Renewal

  1. The primary member must authorise renewal and all changes, including additions or deletions.
  2. Renewal is for a 12 month period based on the month of initial enrolment, whether or not shopping privileges have been exercised.
  3. Renewal fee may be paid at any Costco warehouse or by post. The additional cards expire at the same time as the primary card.
  4. Payment must be made for all cardholders when renewal is processed.

Miscellaneous

  1. Parents are responsible for their children. They must be kept with them at all times.
  2. Costco can refuse entry to anyone at any time, at its discretion.
  3. Smoking is not permitted at Costco warehouses.
  4. Members will be required to purchase any packages opened or damaged by them or their guests.
  5. Costco reserves the right to search members belongings and purchases.
  6. All transactions, including returns, can only be made by a card holder.

Costco Guarantee

  1. Everything you buy at Costco is first quality and is guaranteed by a full refund from Costco or is covered by the Manufacturer's Warranty.
  2. We will refund your annual membership fee at any time if you are not fully satisfied.

ADDITIONAL TERMS - EXECUTIVE MEMBERSHIP

Costco Purchases

The Reward programme is subject to the following restrictions:

  1. Costco Wholesale reserves the right at its discretion to discontinue or change the Reward Programme at any time, without prior notice, or disqualify the member or cancel his/her participation.
  2. A member must be an active, paid Executive Member both at the time the Reward is earned and at the time the Reward is issued in order to receive the annual 2% Reward.
  3. Only purchases made by the primary or spouse cardholders in the UK will apply towards the Reward.

2% Reward

  1. As a Costco Executive member, you receive a 2% Reward based on your annual Costco Wholesale purchases in the UK (see "Calculation of Reward" below).
  2. The reward certificate is mailed with your renewal notice and may only be used towards purchases in Costco Wholesale UK warehouses within 12 months of the reward certificate being issued.
  3. The Reward is capped at and will not exceed £400 for an Executive Trade member in any 12 month period.
  4. The Reward is capped at and will not exceed £300 for an Executive Individual member in any 12 month period.
  5. The Reward must be used against one transaction.

Calculation of Reward

The Reward programme is subject to the following restrictions:

  1. Generally, Rewards are 2% of the purchase price of goods (exclusive of VAT), and will be calculated on most purchases by UK residents of goods through main at Costco Wholesale UK warehouses.
  2. Rewards may not be calculated (i) cigarettes or tobacco related products, postage stamps or charitable donations, canvas prints and photobooks from the online Photo Centre, baby milk for infants up to the age of 6 months old; (ii) on purchases made by anyone other than the Executive Membership account primary or spouse cardholders; (iii) where prohibited by law; and (iv) on certain other categories of purchases that may be determined at Costco's discretion.
  3. Rewards are accumulated until 3 months prior to the renewal date. Purchases made after then will count towards the next year's reward.
  4. The reward will be calculated on the value of net purchases only, excluding coupons and refunds.
  5. The period of calculation will run from the date of the member's paid upgrade to Executive Membership or the Reward programme start date, whichever is later, through to the date 3 months prior to when Costco Wholesale mails the member his/her next membership renewal notice. Purchases from the last 3 months will be added to the following year's Reward calculation.
  6. If the Executive membership is downgraded to a standard membership before the Reward is mailed, all Rewards calculated up until that point will be lost. If the membership is upgraded again at a later date, the Reward calculation will start from the new upgrade date and any previous Rewards earned will not count towards the final Reward.

Use of Reward

  1. Reward certificate may only be redeemed by the primary or spouse/domestic partner cardholder towards most purchases of most goods through the main checkouts at Costco Wholesale UK warehouses, and must be used within the date the Reward was issued.
  2. Reward certificates may be used towards purchases of goods only; they have no cash value.
  3. Reward certificates may not be used (i) towards purchases that are not recorded through the main checkouts such as purchases made at Costco Wholesale's Food Courts, (ii) where prohibited by law; and (iii) on certain other categories of purchases that may be determined at Costco's discretion. Reward certificates will not be replaced if lost or stolen.

"COSTCO" and "EXECUTIVE MEMBER" are trade marks.