Sam's Club Vs Costco Vs BJ's: Which Has Better Benefits?

If you like shopping in bulk (and doing so at an often-massive discount), there is no question that a wholesale club membership is worth the investment. But with so many warehouse chains to choose from, knowing what the best choice is for your specific shopping needs can be a difficult task. 

Among wholesale clubs, there are three major competitors, all of which have locations across the country: Costco Wholesale, BJ's Wholesale Club, and Sam's Club. Each of these stores offers its own extensive lists of perks for members, and while, in many ways, membership benefits are similar across different warehouses, there are some unique features of each card. 

Although it is not our place to say which one of these memberships is objectively the best, we've identified all of the benefits that differentiate these wholesale clubs from one another with the goal of helping you find the right one for you. Keep reading for a list of all of the special benefits available at Costco, BJ's, and Sam's Club.

In order to access the low prices and unbeatable sales at a wholesale club, you will undoubtedly have to foot a membership fee (here's why stores like Costco are members-only). Although these three warehouses have comparable costs, Sam's Club and BJ's have ever-so-slightly lower fees than Costco. 

Both Sam's Club and BJ's boast $60 basic and $120 premium annual membership costs, while Costco offers the same memberships at $65 and $130, respectively. It might not seem like a lot of money, but those costs can add up quickly, and they are worth considering when choosing which wholesale club to join. After all, that little markup might be one of the reasons why Costco makes a staggering amount of cash from memberships alone. 

When choosing your wholesale club membership, make sure to keep this slight price differential in mind. You might find that the extra $5 to $10 are worth it based on Costco's other benefits, but don't be surprised if you are swayed by some of the unique benefits of Sam's Club and BJ's.

Unlike Sam's Club and BJ's, Costco offers more than two tiers of its membership. The one that is right for you will depend on your specific shopping priorities (and how much extra you are willing to pay for bonus rewards). 

The standard Costco membership, the Gold Star Membership, goes for $65 annually and gives you the basic access to Costco's international locations, as well as a bonus household card. Costco's Business Membership tier is also $65 annually, and in addition to all of the benefits of Gold Star, you will also have the opportunity to purchase items for resale, as well as to add affiliate cardholders to your membership for an additional $65 each. Finally, Costco's highest membership tier is the Executive Membership, which also comes with all of the benefits of Gold Star, plus an annual 2% reward on qualifying purchases and further discounts on select Costco services and products.

With these three tiers, Costco's membership system gives you more options than Sam's Club and BJ's, which each offer two tiers. If the Gold Star, Business, or Executive membership tiers appeal to you, just make sure to read up on the things you need to know before buying a Costco membership.

One of the major perks of joining any of these three wholesale clubs is that you have access to discounted gas that is far cheaper than usual market rates. However, BJ's throws in an extra special deal for its BJ's Club+ members (its premium tier of membership): guaranteed cash back on fuel. 

If you pay the $120 annual membership fee for a BJ's Club+ card, you will get five cents back for every gallon you spend on gas. Just like with avoiding Costco's membership fee markup, these small savings will definitely add up over time. This deal is especially sweet, given that the five-cent discount comes on top of gas prices that are already cheaper than usual. Take advantage of these savings, and you will be well on your way to making that premium membership worth your while, especially if you live near a BJ's Gas station.

There are few sweeter times of year than when a wholesale club, which already offers goods at discounted prices, has a major sale. If you have a Sam's Club Plus Membership (the store's highest membership tier), you can beat the throngs of online shoppers during sale week with up to 12 hours of early access to special-event sales.

From holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday to fleeting deals in the form of Sam's Club's iconic Doorbusters, members who pay the Plus tier's $120 annual fee will not have to fight the metaphorical online "crowds" for the markdowns they want. It is the best way to ensure that any discounted items they have their eyes on will not sell out during the rush of a busy sale. While this Sam's Club membership perk often flies under the radar, for the right shopper, it alone could be worth the investment in a membership.

If you have one of the premium-tier memberships at Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's, then you will receive cash back on eligible purchases. All three wholesale clubs offer a cash-back rate of 2%, but where they differ is their limit on your annual rewards. 

Costco has, by far, the highest annual cash-back rewards limit, allowing Executive members to receive up to $1,250 back on qualified purchases. Sam's Club travels behind with a $750 annual limit for its Sam's Club Plus members, while BJ's has the lowest annual cash-back limit of all, $500, for its BJ's Club+ members.

Unlike some of the other more minute cost differences on this list, these cash-back limits are extremely disparate. After reading the fine print, if you foresee yourself spending enough money on qualified purchases that 2% of your cash back will exceed $750, then a Costco Executive membership might be worth the extra money.

As irreplaceable as the experience of entering one of these massive, floor-to-ceiling-stocked warehouses can be, sometimes it is just too overwhelming to walk the aisles of a Sam's Club or a BJ's. That's why both of these wholesale clubs offer curbside pickup as an added benefit for its members.

At BJ's, curbside pickup is always free, although standard BJ's Club members must spend a minimum of $50 to utilize it (while BJ's Club+ members have no minimum spend). At Sam's Club, the same minimum spend applies (and doesn't apply) to standard Club memberships and Plus memberships, respectively. 

Meanwhile, Costco does not offer curbside pickup at all, regardless of membership tier. If you love to utilize this service at your local grocery store, you might consider opting for the wholesale giant's competitors; however, if curbside pickup is something you can live without, Costco's other unique benefits might make its membership a better pick for you.

Wholesale clubs can come in handy for a student looking to stock up on dorm room essentials and nonperishable food in bulk. To mitigate the high costs of these memberships for students, all three wholesale clubs offer student discounts — but they are not all created equal.

Costco's student "discount," if you can even call it one, is by far the most abysmal. The warehouse offers students who register as Gold Star members a $20 digital shop card, which is a one-time discount that does not soften the blow of an annual membership fee. The real competition is between Sam's Club and BJ's.

At Sam's Club, students get a discount of 60% for an annual Club membership or $50 off a Plus membership. Meanwhile, at BJ's, students can get a BJ's Club membership for $25 and a $10 reward or a BJ's Club+ membership for $50 plus a $20 reward. After crunching the numbers, it is clear that students save more with a BJ's membership.

Looking to beat the crowds? Rather than dealing with packed aisles on popular shopping days (or, perish the thought, joining the lines of people outside of Costco before it opens), you can shop during exclusive, early hours at both Sam's Club and Costco.

These early shopping windows are only available for the stores' premium members — Plus and Executive members, respectively — so expect fewer people, less bustling, and an overall more peaceful shopping experience. At Sam's Club, the early shopping window is always an hour before opening, but specific dates and times will vary based on location. At Costco locations, the duration and time of these early shopping hours also depend on which you visit. If you are considering becoming a member at either of these stores for this perk alone, check the early shopping hours at your local store to make sure they work for you.

It goes without saying that not every purchase you make at a wholesale club will work out — but returns can often be a painstaking process with enough fine print to make you wonder if it is even worth it. Luckily, at Costco and Sam's Club, the majority of merchandise can be returned at any time. 

It is worth noting that there are some exclusions at both stores. At Costco, electronics, precious metals and stones, cigarettes, alcohol, custom products, select travel and entertainment items, shop and gift cards, and optical and hearing products are all beholden to their own set of return deadlines (with some of them not returnable at all). At Sam's Club, the same items, as well as heavy equipment, collectibles, trading cards, and prescriptions, also have their own rules. That said, both of these return policies are more generous than the one at BJ's, which gives you a maximum of 365 days to bring your items back to the store.

Planning every aspect of a vacation can be stressful — and, clearly, Costco and BJ's hope to capitalize on that stress by selling comprehensive vacation packages to members. While Sam's Club also offers travel and booking services, they are only available à la carte. 

On the Costco Travel website, members can book trips and hotels in a host of national and international destinations, with the site promising upfront pricing for packages. Meanwhile, the BJ's Travel website advertises exclusive vacation package discounts for members, including to-and-from travel and resort stays in destinations such as Cancún, Punta Cana, and Aruba. Plus, with BJ's Travel's Price Match Guarantee, if you happen to find a more affordable price on your vacation package, the wholesale club will match it.

The Sam's Club Travel & Entertainment page still offers a number of travel services, including booking for local destinations, as well as cruises, hotels, and transportation, but you will have to book all of these separately. For the frequent traveler, this perk at BJ's and Costco could make all the difference.

As opposed to its two competitors, BJ's accepts manufacturers' coupons in addition to its own store coupons.  This might not sound like a big deal, but those who collect these coupons are acutely aware of just how much you can save with them. 

Of course, just as with any other potential for savings at a wholesale club, there are a few caveats to this deal. The main disclaimer for BJ's coupon policy is that it forbids online or digital manufacturers' coupons unless they are sourced through the BJ's gallery. That said, this is already eons better than the absolute prohibition of manufacturers' coupons at both Sam's Club and Costco and is one of the reasons why this underrated wholesale chain deserves all of its flowers. Between the relatively more affordable membership cost, the cash back on gas, and this less restrictive coupon policy, a BJ's membership might be the right choice for a shopper who is not afraid to put in the extra effort for some more savings.

Only two of the three wholesale clubs offer telehealth services for their members: Sam's Club and Costco. While the price of consultations, services, and prescriptions will vary by location and a shopper's insurance plan, both offer some impressive rates.

At Sam's Club, telehealth appointments can be as low as $0 for eligible patients, with appointments available 24/7 for primary, urgent, and chronic care, as well as laboratory orders, prescriptions, and weight management services. At Costco, virtual visits are as low as $29, but they cover a wider range of care needs, including the same offerings as Sam's Club, along with reproductive healthcare, mental health services, and skincare medication consultations.

As such, a Sam's Club or a Costco membership might be a good fit for a shopper looking for services that go beyond the stockroom. However, be sure to explore your options, as well as consult your insurance plan, before making the decision to become a member of a wholesale club based on telehealth policies alone.