For travelers who lean on warehouse clubs to stretch their vacation budgets, Costco’s Executive Membership has long tempted road warriors and frequent flyers with the promise of bigger rewards. With fresh perks added in 2025, including exclusive early shopping hours and expanded travel incentives, the question is more relevant than ever: is the $130 Executive tier genuinely worth it for people who are always planning their next trip, or is the basic Gold Star card enough?

The answer depends on how you travel, how you shop, and how disciplined you are about squeezing value from every benefit the membership quietly hides in the fine print. For a complete overview of how Costco membership tiers, travel rewards and credit card benefits work together, see our Costco Membership and Travel Benefits explained guide.

How Costco Executive Membership Works in 2025

As of late 2025, Costco offers two primary membership tiers in the United States: the standard Gold Star membership at $65 per year and the Executive Membership at $130 per year. The Executive fee is essentially the Gold Star cost plus a $65 “upgrade” that unlocks higher rewards and extra benefits.

Both tiers give you access to shop in warehouses, online, at Costco gas stations and at the food court, so you are paying the premium solely for the incremental perks layered on top of the basic access you already get with Gold Star.

The hallmark benefit of Executive Membership is the annual 2 percent reward on qualifying Costco purchases. That reward applies to most in-warehouse spending, many online purchases and eligible Costco Travel bookings. The reward is issued once a year in the form of a certificate that you can redeem toward most merchandise at the register, or convert into a Costco Shop Card that can then be used online.

The reward is capped at $1,250 per year, which corresponds to $62,500 in qualifying purchases, a ceiling that only heavy-spending families or small-business owners are likely to hit.

Costco is explicit that the 2 percent reward is not guaranteed to exceed the $65 Executive upgrade fee. That means the program is designed so that some members will pay more in upgrade fees than they receive back in rewards. On the other hand, Costco backs memberships with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

If at any point you decide Executive status is not paying off, you can revert to Gold Star and Costco will refund the current year’s upgrade fee. For travelers, that guarantee effectively allows a low-risk trial period during a year when travel and big-ticket purchases might spike.

In 2024 Costco increased membership prices for the first time in seven years, lifting Gold Star and Business fees from $60 to $65 and Executive from $120 to $130. At the same time, it raised the maximum 2 percent reward from $1,000 to $1,250.

For frequent travelers who push substantial spending through Costco’s ecosystem, that higher ceiling makes the Executive tier more capable of returning a four-figure sum each year, especially when combined with Costco Travel packages and services that can quickly add up.

The 2 Percent Reward and the Traveler’s Break-Even Point

For anyone considering the upgrade, the key math is simple: the extra $65 you pay for Executive status needs to be offset by at least $65 in extra rewards and perks. Since the 2 percent reward is the primary quantifiable benefit, most travelers should start by calculating their realistic annual Costco spending, including travel, before getting excited about the more intangible perks such as early hours or service discounts.

On pure spend, you reach break-even at $3,250 in qualifying purchases per membership year. That figure comes straight from the math: 2 percent of $3,250 is $65, which exactly matches the Executive upgrade fee. If you spend less than that amount across Costco warehouses, Costco.com and Costco Travel combined, the 2 percent reward alone will not cover the premium. If you spend more than $3,250, the Executive tier starts to generate net positive value, at least on paper, before even counting soft benefits like time savings or convenience.

For many travelers, reaching $3,250 in annual Costco spending is not far-fetched. Consider a family that books one mid-range Costco Travel package for a resort stay in Hawaii or Mexico, rents a car through Costco Travel twice a year, fills up at Costco gas stations whenever possible, and does a few large stock-up runs for groceries and household essentials in between trips. It is not unusual for that pattern to cross the break-even line.

If you book a single $4,000 international package through Costco Travel in a year, the 2 percent reward on that booking alone is already $80, meaning the Executive upgrade has paid for itself before you even buy your first airport snack pack or luggage set.

The break-even calculation does have nuances that travelers should understand. Not all charges tied to a trip earn the 2 percent reward. Taxes, fees, surcharges, resort fees, gratuities, and portions of travel purchased through third parties such as local tours or baggage fees do not qualify for the Executive rebate.

That means a headline package price will usually translate into a slightly lower qualifying amount. Still, Costco’s own customer-service documents make clear that the core trip cost purchased through Costco Travel counts toward your reward once travel is completed, which allows big trips to carry a lot of weight in your annual total.

Costco Travel: The Secret Weapon for Executive Members

Costco Travel is arguably the most powerful reason for frequent travelers to consider Executive Membership. The travel arm functions almost like a mini online agency within the Costco ecosystem, bundling flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars and theme park packages. Unlike many online agencies, Costco Travel layers in its own package rebates in the form of digital Costco Shop Cards or resort credits, and Executive Members receive an additional 2 percent reward on eligible bookings on top of those baked-in extras.

On select vacations, Costco Travel offers Executive-only bonuses such as shipboard credits on cruises, daily resort credits at beach properties, complimentary room upgrades or included breakfasts. Recent examples have included several hundred dollars in food and beverage credit at Hawaiian resorts, cabana credits at Caribbean properties, and digital Costco Shop Cards tied to cruise bookings and all-inclusive packages.

For travelers willing to compare package details, these Executive-exclusive add-ons can meaningfully tilt the value equation when weighing Costco against booking direct.

Executive Members must remain at that tier when the trip begins in order to earn the 2 percent reward on Costco Travel purchases, and the reward is applied after travel is complete. That timing is important for planners who might be tempted to upgrade briefly just for a big trip and then immediately downgrade. If you cancel or reverse Executive status before the reward is issued, you risk forfeiting the accumulated rewards on that travel. For travelers, the smart move is usually to upgrade shortly before a heavy year of trips, remain Executive through at least one full membership cycle, then reevaluate once your reward certificate arrives.

Because Costco Travel often negotiates discounted rates with major rental car brands, Executive Members can stack savings: an already competitive base rate, a potential bundled Costco Shop Card as part of a vacation package, and the 2 percent Executive reward on qualifying travel spending. Over the course of multiple road trips or city breaks with rental cars included, that layered value can easily surpass the annual upgrade fee if you book most of your travel through Costco rather than mixing and matching across many platforms.

New Perks in 2025: Early Hours, Monthly Credits and Fuel Value

In 2025 Costco quietly shifted the Executive Membership from a mostly reward-centric program toward a more tiered experience with tangible lifestyle perks. The most visible change has been the return of exclusive shopping hours. Under the new policy rolled out across the United States, Executive Members can typically enter warehouses at 9 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, while standard Gold Star members must wait until 10 a.m. Saturday openings for Executive shoppers begin at 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m., with Gold Star access delayed until the standard opening time.

For travelers, those early hours can be more than a nice-to-have. If you are on a tight schedule before a flight or road trip, being able to breeze in during a quieter morning window to stock up on snacks, drinks, travel-size toiletries or road-trip meals can save significant time. Airports and highway convenience stores tend to levy large markups on the same items, so planning a quick Costco run before departure can recoup dollars and avoid logistical headaches. Crowd-averse travelers who value a calmer shopping environment may also find that early access upgrades the overall experience at busy urban or suburban locations.

Costco has also introduced a $10 monthly credit for Executive Members to use on eligible Same-Day delivery orders over a qualifying threshold when shopping through its delivery partners. While the fine print around minimum order size and participating services is important, the net effect for frequent travelers is straightforward. If you place even a handful of substantial delivery orders each year, particularly around trip departure or return dates, you can get essential items brought to your door while still capturing a modest monthly discount that chips away at the Executive fee.

Fuel remains another important variable for travel-oriented members. Costco’s gas stations are known for consistently competitive prices, and the company has expanded gas station hours to capture more commuter and traveler traffic. Although the 2 percent Executive reward often does not apply to fuel purchases themselves, the savings at the pump combine with the overall 2 percent reward on in-warehouse and travel spending to improve the effective value travelers receive from sticking with Costco as their default pre-trip supply stop.

Beyond Travel: Stacking Rewards with Credit Cards and Services

To fully evaluate whether Executive Membership is worthwhile, travelers need to look beyond flights and hotel packages and consider how Costco fits into the rest of their financial ecosystem. The most obvious synergy is with the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi.

That card offers elevated cash back on travel and gas purchases and additional rewards on Costco purchases, which then layer on top of the Executive 2 percent reward. In a best-case scenario, a traveler might earn cash back from the credit card issuer, an Executive reward from Costco, and a shop card or resort credit from Costco Travel, all stemming from the same trip.

Costco also promotes a range of third-party services that can appeal to frequent travelers, including pet insurance, storage and moving services, and identity protection. Executive Members typically receive extra discounts or value-adds on these services compared with Gold Star members.

For example, moving and storage partners may offer Executive-exclusive offers, and pet insurance plans can include additional perks embedded in the first year. If you are a traveler who relocates often or needs long-term storage between assignments or extended trips abroad, these ancillary services could quietly subsidize the cost of your membership.

However, it is important not to inflate the value of services you would not otherwise buy. The Executive tier becomes genuinely compelling when it amplifies spending and behaviors already in your life: travel, car rentals, big-box stocking trips, and occasional use of bundled services. If you find yourself signing up for questionable extras purely because they are tied to Executive Membership, you are likely eroding the program’s financial advantage rather than enhancing it.

Travelers who work remotely or live nomadically may find special value in the combination of bulk household goods, low-cost eyewear, pharmacy access and discounted gift cards for restaurants and entertainment. When layered with Executive rewards and the right credit card, Costco can serve as a flexible backbone for life on the move, smoothing both domestic and international stretches with a familiar, predictable place to restock.

Traveler Profiles: Who Wins and Who Loses with Executive Membership

Whether Executive Membership is “worth it” ultimately comes down to your specific travel style and spending pattern. Road-trip enthusiasts who drive long distances several times per year, regularly rent vehicles through Costco Travel and use Costco as their default stop for snacks and supplies are classic winners. They can easily cross the $3,250 spending threshold while benefiting from early hours and convenient delivery credits around departure and return dates.

Families who take one or two large vacations a year are also prime candidates. A single cruise booking or resort package through Costco Travel can push them close to or past break-even on the Executive fee before accounting for any everyday shopping. For parents, the ability to buy bulk snacks, sunscreen, diapers, and other travel necessities at warehouse prices ahead of long flights or drives amplifies the sense of value and reduces last-minute airport purchases at inflated prices.

On the other hand, light travelers who rarely leave their home state and only visit Costco a handful of times a year are less likely to benefit. If your buying pattern is limited to occasional bulk paper goods and a few holiday treats, you may never reach the spend level necessary to justify the Executive premium. Similarly, travelers who prefer boutique hotels, independent guesthouses or alternative platforms instead of the mainstream chains and cruise lines featured on Costco Travel will not be able to leverage the strongest part of the Executive value proposition.

Digital nomads, students and budget-conscious solo travelers fall somewhere in the middle. If they use Costco primarily for groceries and household staples, they must look carefully at their annual receipts and projected trips. Occasional international flights booked through other channels may leave too little spending to justify the upgrade unless they commit to routing more of their travel volume through Costco Travel.

That said, limited-time promotions that offer substantial Costco Shop Cards to new Executive Members, particularly for students, can tilt the math in favor of at least a one-year experiment with the premium tier.

How to Test Executive Membership as a Frequent Traveler

For travelers on the fence, the smartest approach is to treat Executive Membership like a one-year experiment with clear benchmarks. Start by reviewing the last 12 months of your Costco receipts and estimating your total warehouse and online spending. Then layer in what you realistically expect to book via Costco Travel in the coming year: perhaps a spring break trip, a cruise, two car rentals and pre-trip stock-up runs. If your combined projected spend surpasses $3,250, the numbers alone suggest that Executive status is at least worth testing.

Once you upgrade, track your Costco purchases more intentionally. Note which trip-related expenses qualify for the 2 percent reward and which do not, particularly resort fees and third-party add-ons. Observe whether early shopping hours actually change your behavior around travel days or if you still end up going during regular times. If you consistently find yourself taking advantage of the 9 a.m. access window to shop in a quieter warehouse, that intangible benefit may justify part of the fee even if your 2 percent reward certificate barely clears $65.

At renewal time, Costco will send your Executive reward certificate roughly two months before your membership anniversary. That is your moment of truth. Add the certificate amount to any value you received from exclusive travel credits, shop cards, resort benefits or monthly Same-Day delivery credits. Then compare that total to the $65 Executive upgrade fee. If you are clearly ahead, and your travel plans look similar for the coming year, renewing at the Executive level is a rational choice. If you fell short or your travel schedule is shrinking, you can downgrade back to Gold Star and recover the difference going forward.

Because Costco’s satisfaction guarantee allows you to cancel Executive status at any time for a refund of that year’s upgrade fee, travelers have unusually low downside when testing the tier. The real risk is complacency: upgrading because it feels “premium” and then failing to route enough travel and household spending through Costco to make the math work. A deliberate, data-driven test year lets you decide based on your actual behavior rather than marketing copy.

The Takeaway

For travelers, Costco’s Executive Membership in 2025 is no longer just a slightly enhanced version of the standard card. It has evolved into a true premium tier that blends hard-dollar rewards with softer experiential benefits like quiet early shopping hours and monthly delivery credits. When paired with Costco Travel packages and a rewards credit card, the 2 percent Executive rebate can turn one or two big trips a year into a substantial annual payout that more than covers the $65 upgrade fee.

Yet the Executive tier is not universally wise. Travelers who rarely book through Costco Travel, prefer niche accommodations or seldom step into a warehouse will struggle to reach the spending levels necessary to justify the premium. For them, the basic Gold Star membership remains the sensible choice, granting full access to warehouses and gas pumps without the pressure to chase rewards.

For frequent flyers, road trippers and families that reliably book mainstream vacations, the Executive Membership tends to be worth it, especially in years packed with travel. The key is to run the numbers honestly, align your travel bookings with Costco’s strengths, and use your one-year trial period to confirm that the benefits match your lifestyle. If they do, the Executive card can become a quietly powerful travel companion, turning routine purchases and big adventures alike into a reliable annual rebate.

FAQ

Q1. How much do I need to spend at Costco each year for Executive Membership to be worth it as a traveler?
Most travelers should use $3,250 in qualifying annual Costco spending as a basic benchmark. At 2 percent back, that level of spending generates $65 in rewards, which matches the Executive upgrade fee. If you expect to book at least one sizable trip through Costco Travel plus regular warehouse shopping, you will often surpass this threshold and come out ahead.

Q2. Do Costco Travel purchases always earn the 2 percent Executive reward?
Most core Costco Travel purchases do qualify, but certain charges do not. The 2 percent reward generally applies to the main trip cost purchased directly from Costco Travel once your travel is completed. Taxes, fees, surcharges, gratuities, resort charges and extras booked through third parties, such as excursions or baggage fees, are typically excluded. Checking the trip breakdown before booking will give you a realistic view of the reward you can expect.

Q3. If I upgrade to Executive just for a big trip, can I downgrade right after and still keep my reward?
You must be an active Executive Member when Costco issues your annual 2 percent reward certificate, which typically occurs about two months before your membership renewal date. If you downgrade or cancel Executive status before that reward is processed, you risk losing the accumulated reward. A safer strategy is to remain Executive through a full membership cycle that includes your major trip, then reassess when your certificate arrives.

Q4. Do gas purchases count toward the Executive 2 percent reward?
In general, fuel purchases at Costco gas stations do not earn the 2 percent Executive reward, although they may still earn rewards from a compatible credit card. However, the money you save at the pump, combined with rewards on in-warehouse and travel spending, still contributes to the overall value you receive from shopping and fueling at Costco as a traveler.

Q5. Are the early shopping hours for Executive Members really useful for travelers?
They can be, especially if you often shop on tight schedules before flights or long drives. Having an extra hour in a less crowded warehouse allows you to stock up on snacks, drinks and travel essentials efficiently. For some travelers, this convenience and calmer experience meaningfully improve their pre-trip routine, even though it is harder to quantify than the 2 percent reward.

Q6. What happens if my Executive reward certificate is less than the $65 upgrade fee?
If your annual 2 percent reward comes in below $65, it means your qualifying spending did not reach the break-even point. You can still use the certificate toward purchases, but you are effectively paying a premium for perks that did not fully pay for themselves. At that stage, you might either commit to routing more travel and shopping through Costco in the coming year or consider downgrading back to Gold Star at renewal.

Q7. Can I stack Executive rewards with credit card points or miles on travel purchases?
Yes. When you book Costco Travel or shop at Costco using a rewards credit card, such as the Costco Anywhere Visa, you can earn rewards from both programs. Your credit card may give you cash back or travel points, and your Executive Membership can still generate the 2 percent annual reward on qualifying purchases. For frequent travelers who manage cards carefully, this stacking effect can significantly increase the value of each trip.

Q8. Is Costco Executive Membership a good idea for digital nomads and long-term travelers?
It can be, but only if you can access Costco locations regularly and are comfortable booking mainstream travel options through Costco Travel. Digital nomads who spend long stretches abroad near cities with Costco warehouses, or who frequently bounce back to the United States, may find consistent value in bulk groceries, discounted eyewear, pharmacy services and travel packages. If you are often in regions without Costco or rarely shop in person, the Executive tier may be harder to justify.

Q9. Are there sign-up deals that make trying Executive Membership cheaper for travelers?
Yes. Throughout the year, Costco partners with third-party platforms and student-discount programs to offer promotional shop cards for new Gold Star and Executive Members. For example, a limited-time offer might include a $40 digital Costco Shop Card with a new Executive Membership, effectively reducing your first-year net cost. Travelers interested in testing Executive status can watch for these promotions to lower the risk of trying the premium tier.

Q10. What is the simplest way to decide if I should keep or cancel Executive Membership?
At the end of your membership year, add up your 2 percent reward certificate, any exclusive Executive travel credits or shop cards you used, and the value you personally place on early hours and delivery credits. Compare that total to the $65 upgrade fee. If the hard-dollar value clearly exceeds $65 and you expect similar travel patterns next year, renewing makes sense. If not, you can downgrade or cancel and rely on the standard Gold Star membership without sacrificing core shopping access.