Will Sam's Club Match Costco Prices? What To Know About Each Store's Policies

Being a member of a warehouse club like Sam's Club or Costco opens up a whole world of super-sized products at a great price, not to mention all the other treasures you'll find. If you can only join one club, can you at least be sure that you can get the same pricing as the other retailer offers? Unfortunately the answer is probably not.

If you're wondering which membership between Costco and Sam's Club is a better value, both have large sizes of products, in-store brands, and food courts. But Sam's Club is considered to offer somewhat cheaper prices than Costco. For example, its basic membership costs $50 to Costco's $65. Also, Sam's Club has a generous discount senior membership. Groceries at Sam's Club were found to be cheaper on average than at Costco, according to a survey done by AARP. Because Sam's Club prides itself on already offering low prices, the retailer's official policy is that it will not price match competitors, including Costco, a pretty direct competitor. However, Sam's Club does have the option to match another Sam's Club location's pricing if it's different, but it won't match a marked down item from a different store, as that product's pricing may have to do with a particular club's needs, such as how well the item is selling. Sam's Club also points out that some items may be differently priced in different regions due to rebates and government funding, and uses LED bulbs as an example.

Sam's Club admits that pricing on an item may even vary day to day based on economic conditions. Costco does not implicitly point out that it does this with pricing. But Costco does state it will not match the price of other sellers of a product. Costco won't even price match its warehouse prices with Costco.com purchases if the item is priced differently in both places. Costco will however, consider price adjustments in the case of any items that have lowered in price within 30 days of the date of purchase. Costco specifically points out that Gold Bullion bought at the warehouse is not eligible for price adjustments or any promotions. Ultimately, Costco says it reserves the right to deny any price adjustments for any reason.

Depending on what you bought, there are different ways to go about getting a price adjustment at Costco. All warehouse purchases are handled at the returns counter. If you bought something from a special order kiosk or a home improvement installed product, you have just 14 days before and after a promotion to apply it to your purchase, which would be one of the pros and cons of buying an item, like a fridge, at Costco. And if you are requesting an adjustment to any tire or wheel purchase made online, you need to submit an online form. Just know that Costco points out it may change its price adjustment policies in the future.