The Costco Hack That Lets Nonmembers In On The Fun

Who doesn't love Costco? The sprawling warehouse store has it all: Bulk toilet paper deals, ready-to-eat meals that are great for picnics, pies as big as the tires in its auto section, and so much more. At least, that's what you've always heard. As a nonmember, you can't shop there. No card, no cart, right? Wrong; there's a hack to getting your hands on some Costco goodies without a membership — or even having to set foot in the store.

All you have to do is order through Instacart, but there are a few things you should know beforehand. To start, you need to get on the Instacart website or app and make sure that Costco delivery is available in your area. Once you've cleared that initial hurdle, it's just a matter of adding the items you want to your cart. If you're concerned about being limited to specific goods, know that the majority of items in the store (including our favorite Kirkland Signature staples) are available through Instacart: Regular groceries, laundry supplies, pet goods, frozen items, cakes, and more!

When you're ready to check out, select your delivery time and enter your payment information to see a breakdown of your total, including any service and delivery fees. Instacart often offers same-day or next-day delivery depending on your location and product availability. Of course, there's a catch: The prices on Costco items through Instacart are a bit higher than the ones you see in the store, or even directly on the Costco website. It's also customary to tip Instacart delivery drivers, especially if they're picking up large orders.

Just because you can do something, doesn't always mean you should. The higher prices of Costco items through Instacart may be reason enough to skip ordering through there, depending on how much you're ordering. There are a lot of things you need to know before buying a Costco membership, but the main takeaway is that it can be worth the annual fee ($65 for a standard membership) if you're shopping at Costco often.

You can also still get delivery as a Costco member, and this doesn't mean going through Instacart again. Well, not directly anyway. If you're in a qualifying zip code — meaning you live within reasonable driving distance of a participating Costco — you can use the wholesale club's same-day delivery service, also known as CostcoGrocery. Costco also offers two-day delivery on certain items for members in most states. Interestingly, Costco's delivery service is still partnered through Instacart, but it lets members take advantage of their membership and skip the higher Instacart fees. Be forewarned that there are order minimums for both same-day and two-day deliveries.

You also need to go to the store directly for custom cake and bakery orders. On top of that, you need a membership for oversized items such as furniture, sports equipment, and large appliances. You can still schedule a delivery with Costco for these items by ordering at the store or on the Costco website, but you can't go through the regular CostcoGrocery service or through Instacart. Finally — and this may make-or-break your decision to get a membership — you cannot order food court items for delivery. For that, you need to try some Costco food court ordering hacks directly in the store.