10 Warehouse Club Perks You’re Not Taking Advantage Of

From discounted eyewear to vacation packages, these benefits should be on your radar

Cameron Huddleston,

AARP

Comments

En español

Published June 23, 2026

a shopper pushes a cart past things you can get from a warehouse club store, like gas, cars, and vision exams

Kyle Hilton

Key takeaways:

If you’re not filling up your gas tank at warehouse club stations, you could be missing out on savings.
BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s Club sell discounted gift cards for restaurants, gaming and more.
You can score lower rates on hotels, cruises, car rentals and vacation packages by booking through a warehouse club.

To say that David and Susan Schwartz are Costco fans would be an understatement. The New York City couple have visited the warehouse club’s stores in all 47 states where it operates and in 13 countries. They’ve even written a book, The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z, about their experiences.

When they shop at Costco, the Schwartzes take advantage of more than just the discounted prices on products sold in bulk and the retailer’s famous $1.50 hot-dog-and-drink combos — they also tap into the store’s lesser-known benefits for members.

“If you use Costco just for groceries and household items, you’re missing out on so much,” David Schwartz says, ticking off a laundry list of other products and services on offer: car rentals, audiology tests and hearing aids, eye exams, glasses and contact lenses, prescription drugs, insurance, tires and gas. “You can even book vacations,” he adds.

BJ’s Wholesale Club and Sam’s Club also offer services and benefits many members overlook. Here are 10 lesser-known warehouse club perks you might be missing.

Gas

If you’re shopping at warehouse clubs without filling up at their fuel centers, you could be making a costly mistake. “Especially during times like this, where gas is on the rise, the savings really help,” says Michael Rodriguez, founder of financial planning firm Equanimity Wealth in Glendale, California. “I’ve seen prices run 20 to 30 cents cheaper than the corner gas station. That adds up fast.”

To maximize savings, consider using a co-branded rewards credit card. BJ’s One Mastercard users get 10 cents off per gallon at the club’s gas stations, Costco Anywhere Visa cardholders get 5 percent cash back on gas purchases at Costco stations and Sam’s Club cardholders get 5 percent cash back on gas at the company’s fuel centers.

Gift cards

BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s Club sell discounted gift cards for restaurants, gaming and more online and in stores. For example, Costco offers $100 worth of Cracker Barrel, IHOP and Outback Steakhouse gift cards for $80, while BJ’s sells $100 Jiffy Lube gift cards for $75 and Sam’s Club sells $50 Outback gift cards for $40.

Jim Wang, founder of personal finance website Best Wallet Hacks, says he often finds gift cards at Costco that cost 20 percent less than their face value. “We have pizza night every Friday with friends, and I’ve been buying Papa Johns gift cards for years,” he says.

a woman in the middle of an eye exam, surrounded by dollar symbols

Kyle Hilton

Glasses and hearing aids

It’s easy to walk past the vision center in BJ’s, Costco or Sam’s Club, but don’t overlook the opportunity to save on eyewear and vision care. Members can get their vision checked at these centers or use prescriptions from other providers to take advantage of the clubs’ low-priced frames, lenses and contacts.

Costco and Sam’s Club also offer free hearing tests and deals on hearing aids.

Home improvement projects

BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s Club partner with local contractors to offer members savings on a range of interior and exterior projects, from bathroom and kitchen renovations to window and garage door installation. They also offer installation and assembly for items such as sheds, gazebos, furniture and exercise equipment.

Costco shoppers get free delivery and installation, plus removal of their old appliance, when purchasing appliances online through Costco Direct. “We recently replaced our clothes washer, and it was painless,” says Wang, adding that Costco’s price was $50 less than that of other appliance stores.

Sam’s Club includes free delivery, installation and haul-away for LG and Samsung appliances bought on its website. For other brands, appliances are typically delivered to the customer’s doorstep, says Tyler Thomason, director of external communications for Sam’s Club.

Insurance

Many insurance pros recommend shopping your policies around every year or two to make sure you’re getting the best rates. One place to check is your warehouse club. Costco offers members discounted home and auto insurance through American Family Insurance, life insurance through Protective Life, pet insurance through FIGO and employee health insurance for business owners.

Sam’s Club members get a 15 percent discount on Spot Pet Insurance plans for cats and dogs. The warehouse store also offers a dental savings plan through Humana that costs $49.92 per year for an individual plan or $69.96 per year for a family plan.

a man pushes a shopping cart with a giant prescription bottle

Kyle Hilton

Prescription drugs

Costco and Sam’s Club have in-store pharmacies that offer discounted medication and vaccines. Costco members can get up to 80 percent off popular drugs such as Celebrex, Lipitor, Propecia and Prozac. Sam’s Club members can get 10 popular generic drugs, including lisinopril, metformin and sertraline, for free; they can also purchase a 30-day supply of more than 600 generic drugs for $10 or less.

Pet owners can fill discounted prescriptions for their beloved companions at Costco and Sam’s Club. Wang says he buys a 12-month prescription flea-and-tick medication for his dog that costs $100 less at Costco than from his veterinarian.

Rental cars

Costco members can get discounted rates from major rental car companies by booking through Costco.com. When the Schwartzes flew to cities across the U.S. to visit stores, they saved about 25 percent on auto rentals through this perk, David Schwartz says.

BJ’s members can get up to 35 percent off automobile rentals from several companies, including Avis, Budget and Hertz. Sam’s Club offers discounts on car rentals from companies such as Alamo, Enterprise and Thrifty.

Tires and cars

Need a new set of wheels? Sam’s Club offers up to $100 off select tire sets, and BJ’s members can access tire deals from a variety of brands. Costco shoppers can buy discounted tires from brands like Michelin, Bridgestone and Velox and get free installation when purchased at a Costco Tire Center.

In addition, Costco and Sam’s Club members have access to haggle-free car-buying services. Costco partners with car dealerships to offer members pre-negotiated prices. “You don’t have to haggle with the dealership, because the price is set low,” David Schwartz says. Sam’s Club partners with automotive marketplace TrueCar to offer members pre-negotiated pricing on new and used vehicles.

Costco members can also get discounts on eligible RV models at Camping World, while Sam’s Club customers can shop for special member pricing on RVs, boats, motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, golf carts and snowmobiles through SamsClub.com.

a worker holds a small model plane in one hand, and a flower lei in the other

Kyle Hilton

Travel and entertainment

Before booking your next vacation, check out the travel deals your warehouse club offers. BJ’s and Costco offer discounted rates on hotels, cruises, car rentals, vacation packages and theme parks, while Sam’s Club members can score savings on hotels, car rentals, theme parks and ski resorts.

Costco also sells discounted sports and movie tickets. For example, members can get two tickets for lower-level seats at Major League Baseball games for just $99.

Sam’s Club members can save up to 40 percent off concerts, sporting events and shows such as Broadway musicals, plus up to 45 percent off movie tickets and concessions.

Wireless phone plans

BJ’s and Sam’s Club members can score savings on smartphones and wireless plans through partnerships that the warehouse clubs have with major carriers.

BJ’s members who switch to AT&T can get up to $1,000 off a new smartphone with an eligible trade-in, plus a $250 American Express prepaid gift card for each line transferred. Sam’s Club members who switch to T-Mobile and activate a new phone can get a $150 Sam’s Club gift card and a $200 prepaid Mastercard.

%{postComment}%

Cameron Huddleston is an award-winning personal finance journalist and author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances. Her work has appeared in Kiplinger.com, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Forbes Advisor, Chicago Tribune, Business Insider and many more online and print publications.