The Food Court Freebie Sam's Club Offers With New Memberships, But Costco Doesn't

Costco and Sam's Club are locked in an unspoken rivalry — despite some similarities, the two bulk retailers are quite different. Costco, for example, has the superior food court hot dog, and despite both selling rotisserie chickens, only Sam's Club sells super-convenient rotisserie chicken pieces in its coolers. And now there is yet another difference that sets the two warehouse chains apart: through March 31, 2025, Sam's Club is offering a free pizza, worth $9, from its café with new membership sign-ups. Costco, on the other hand, isn't sweetening its deal with any freebies.

There are a few catches to the free pizza; first, you can't head over to your local Sam's Club Café counter or kiosk and order it directly. Instead, you'll have to download the retailer's app and use the Scan & Go Café portion to place your order, then at the assigned time, let the person working the counter know that you ordered via the app and you're there to retrieve your freebie (you might want to keep the info up on your phone to show them). Second, this pizza deal is a limited-time only, offered to customers that sign up before the end of March, and you have to redeem your pizza by April 13. Sadly, this offer is valid for new members only, so those who need to renew an existing membership will have to pay full price for any food court items.

Whether you were already debating on investing in a Sam's Club membership or you simply love free food, you may be wondering: is the free pizza from Sam's worth a sign-up? If you want the honest answer, it depends who you ask. There are people who love the Sam's Club Café pizza, and those who would rather pass on it and head straight to Costco's food court to buy one from there. Compared to Costco's pizza (which is $9.95 for an 18-inch pie), Sam's Club's offering is just 16 inches, and it has alternately been described as super greasy, but also "much better than Costco's," per users on Reddit who can't seem to agree. People also like the foldability of Costco's pizza crust; in contrast, the Sam's Club version is a lot less pliant. It's truly subjective, so the answer will come down to what type of pizza you like: greasy, floppy, or simply cost-effective. 

It is worth noting, though, that there are more topping combinations to choose from at Sam's Club. Whereas Costco only has two options, cheese and pepperoni, Sam's offers both of those classics alongside an additional four-meat slice. Still, if you remain immune to the charms of free food, it must be mentioned that this freebie pizza deal is being offered in conjunction with a 50 percent discount on regular Sam's Club memberships — for a limited time, that is.