How Many Guests Can Costco Members Bring With Them?

Getting a Costco membership is often seen as a significant investment for the whole family. When a Gold Star membership is purchased, the primary member can include one additional household member, aged 16 or older, to their membership as long as they share the same primary address. Business members can add a third member to their account for an additional fee. Cardholders are also allowed to bring a limited number of non-members to accompany them while shopping. 

According to Costco's Membership Privileges and Conditions, "Members are welcome to bring children and up to two guests into the warehouse." This rule applies to both primary and household cardholders, meaning a couple with membership cards can each bring two additional people, totaling four non-member guests, plus any children they may have.

Costco specifies that members are responsible for the behavior of their guests, including children, who must not be left unattended while inside the warehouse. Guests of cardholding members can walk around, add items to the cart, and even snag a sample or two, but only the member with a membership card is allowed to pay for items at both the checkout counter and the food court. If you break these membership rules, Costco reserves the right to revoke your membership.

One potential reason that Costco becomes very crowded during evenings and weekends is because members bring their families along for the trip. This has sparked quite a bit of discourse among the Costco community, as some feel that large families cause crowds and delays while shopping. One user on Reddit wrote, "Why do people need to bring all of their kids with them to shop at Costco[?] It's already crowded."

However, this argument proved to be a rather unpopular opinion in the forum, as it doesn't take single parents, families with limited access to childcare, or parents who view Costco as a learning experience for their children into consideration. Another Reddit user challenged the idea that children don't belong in hectic shopping spaces, asking, "How are the kids supposed to learn to be functional adults if they don't see their parents doing it and participate in it?"

Waiting their turn for samples, learning grocery cart etiquette in the aisles, and practicing patience while Costco employees check your receipt on the way out are all valuable skills parents model when they bring their children into the warehouse. As long as parents do not leave their children unattended, they have every right to be in the shopping space. Of course, for those who grumble at the sight of children while grocery shopping, it might be helpful to plan ahead and choose a day or time of the week to visit Costco that best suits your preferences.