To cancel a Costco membership, the primary cardholder either visits the membership counter at any warehouse or calls Member Services at 1-800-774-2678. Costco refunds the full annual fee whenever you cancel, with no proration and no deadline. The cancellation itself takes a few minutes. The consequences, especially if you carry a Costco credit card or hold an Executive membership, are worth understanding first.
Who Can Make the Request
Only the primary member on the account can cancel. A household cardholder or authorized secondary user cannot do it on the primary’s behalf. The exceptions are narrow: an executor with a death certificate can close a deceased member’s account, and someone holding a legal power of attorney can act for the primary member.
You’ll need your 12-digit membership number, printed on the back of your physical card or shown on your digital card in the Costco app.1Costco Travel. Membership If you’re going in person, bring a government-issued photo ID so staff can confirm you’re the primary account holder.
Canceling at a Warehouse
Walk into any Costco and go to the membership counter, usually near the entrance or exit. Tell the representative you want to cancel, hand over your ID and membership card, and you’ll get your annual fee back on the spot.2Costco Wholesale. How Can I Cancel My Costco Membership This is the only method that produces an immediate refund.
Canceling by Phone
If a warehouse trip isn’t practical, call Member Services at 1-800-774-2678 and ask for a live agent. Phone hours are Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific, and weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific.3Costco. Contact Us – Section: Membership and Warehouse The agent verifies your identity and closes the account. Phone refunds go back to the payment method used for your most recent renewal and usually appear within five to seven business days.
Costco’s cancellation page lists only these two paths. There is no self-service button on the website that ends the membership.2Costco Wholesale. How Can I Cancel My Costco Membership Online, you can only manage auto-renewal.
Turning Off Auto-Renewal Instead
If you’d rather ride out your current year without being charged again, disabling auto-renewal keeps you a member until your term ends and then stops the billing.4Costco Wholesale. How Can I Manage Membership Auto Renewal Online
On Costco.com:
- Click “Sign In / Register” in the upper right corner and sign in.
- Select “Account,” to the left of “Orders & Returns.”
- Choose “Renew Membership” and remove your saved payment card from the auto-renewal settings.
Timing is strict. Remove the card at least three business days before the first day of your renewal month, or call 1-800-774-2678 (or chat with Member Services) at least 72 hours before the renewal date. Miss the window and the card gets charged; you’ll then have to request a refund separately.4Costco Wholesale. How Can I Manage Membership Auto Renewal Online
Downgrading Executive to Gold Star
If the reason you’re leaving is that your 2% Executive reward isn’t covering the $130 fee, downgrading to a $65 Gold Star membership can be a better move than canceling. You keep warehouse access and simply drop the reward program.
Downgrade at a warehouse counter or by calling 1-800-774-2678.5Costco Wholesale. Customer Service Costco refunds the difference between the two fees, but any 2% reward you’ve already received or accrued is subtracted from that refund. If your reward exceeds the refund, you get nothing and forfeit the excess.6Costco. Executive Rewards So a $40 accrued reward against a $65 upgrade refund leaves you with $25; a reward check you’ve already cashed for more than $65 leaves you with zero.
The Refund
Costco’s satisfaction guarantee promises a full refund of the annual fee at any time if you’re dissatisfied. No proration, no time limit. Cancel at two weeks or eleven months and you get the whole fee back.7Costco. What Is Costcos Return Policy Current annual fees are $65 for Gold Star and $130 for Executive.8Costco Wholesale. Membership Fee Increase
How the money comes back depends on the method. Warehouse cancellations refund on the spot. Phone cancellations credit the payment method used for the most recent renewal, typically in five to seven business days.
What Happens to Your Costco Credit Card
If you carry a Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi, canceling the membership ends the card too. The card is tied to an active membership, and Citi will close the account once your membership lapses. Any cash back you’ve accumulated for the current year but haven’t yet received as a certificate is forfeited.
Closing a card also has credit-score effects. It reduces your total available credit, which can push up your utilization ratio, and if the Costco card is one of your older accounts, it lowers the average age of your credit history. Not catastrophic for most people, but if a mortgage or auto loan is on the horizon, timing matters.
What Happens to the Household Cardholder
The household card that comes with the membership is canceled when the primary member cancels. The secondary cardholder cannot block or delay it, and privacy rules keep Costco from sharing the primary member’s account details or renewal status with them in the first place.
A household cardholder who wants to keep shopping has to sign up for their own primary membership at the standard fee. There’s no path to convert a household card into a standalone membership.