Cancelled Costco membership today

[Tfish]

First time I went to use a foreign credit card at a costco gas pump. Did not realize in the moment it could be an issue. I was completely unaware cash could not be used.

I understand it is a small issue and probably does not affect anyone else on here and maybe 1 out of every thousand coscto customers but it is poor thinking. Maybe raising the price of gas 100th of a cent would be enough for Costco to fix this.

I do not have a zip/postal code.

I purchased the stuff yesterday in good faith and what I purchased today I wanted to purchase yesterday but the location does not stock it.

I accept Costco does not care but all I am going to do is vote with my feet.

I've had good luck entering the numbers from my postal code adding two zeros at the end. That's probably the work around at Costco.

Mike

 

[am1]

I've had good luck entering the numbers from my postal code adding two zeros at the end. That's probably the work around at Costco.

Mike

If my billing address had a postal code that may possibly work as well.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

Trust me, I feel your frustration. I have been considering canceling since I found out they accept foodstamps!

 

[DaveNV]

Trust me, I feel your frustration. I have been considering canceling since I found out they accept foodstamps!

Why would that make any difference? They sell food, just like your local grocery store.

Dave

 

[bizaro86]

And
Where do you live that has no zip codes, but credit cards? I'm sure your credit card company has a workaround for the zip code.

I believe the only country in the world with zip codes is the USA. Many countries have postal codes, which are most often alphanumeric. That has the advantage of allowing more possibilities and being easier to remember.

There are dozens and dozens of countries without postal codes, and I suspect credit cards are available in all of them.
https://hellowahab.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/list-of-countries-without-postal-codes/

The literal answer to the question where has zip codes and credit cards is every country other than the USA, but I don't know where the OP is from.

 

[Talent312]

I have been considering canceling since I found out they accept foodstamps!

Nothing wrong with that, except a narrow-minded, high-born comment.

.

 

[davidvel]

I believe the only country in the world with zip codes is the USA. Many countries have postal codes, which are most often alphanumeric. That has the advantage of allowing more possibilities and being easier to remember.

There are dozens and dozens of countries without postal codes, and I suspect credit cards are available in all of them.
https://hellowahab.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/list-of-countries-without-postal-codes/

The literal answer to the question where has zip codes and credit cards is every country other than the USA, but I don't know where the OP is from.

I didn't mean zip codes vs. postal codes. My interpretation was that her address has no code at all.

 

[LisaH]

I believe the only country in the world with zip codes is the USA. Many countries have postal codes, which are most often alphanumeric. That has the advantage of allowing more possibilities and being easier to remember.

I believe China use something similar to zip code with 6 digits. For instance, the neighborhood where I grew up has a postal code of 200080.

 

[Bucky]

Just like bizaro86 stated above, there is a work around. Doesn’t help OP now but then again, I would have pursued this further myself before canceling.

First I would call my credit card company and lay out the whole circumstances and see if they have a workaround. Something like a generic code to designate Canadian or other countries. Costco may actually have a generic workaround for foreign credit cards on the gas pumps. I don’t know, just sayin I would have pursued it much further before just tossing my chips in.

 

[WinniWoman]

Why would that make any difference? They sell food, just like your local grocery store.

Dave

I am speculating, but this comment might have been made because it might seem unusual to the poster that someone on food stamps could afford to pay the membership fee for one thing? Don't bite my head off- I would wonder about that as well. Plus, buying in bulk saves money in the long run, but it is still expensive to shop there if you are living week to week financially.

 

[Eric B]

I am speculating, but this comment might have been made because it might seem unusual to the poster that someone on food stamps could afford to pay the membership fee for one thing? Don't bite my head off- I would wonder about that as well. Plus, buying in bulk saves money in the long run, but it is still expensive to shop there if you are living week to week financially.

I kind of side with Dave on this; it doesn’t really matter to me whether someone else is using food stamps. It’s also possible that the individual has membership from their extended family or friends, or some other way. Personally, I’d rather see our governmental support to the needy expended efficiently at a place like Costco than at more expensive stores.

 

[DaveNV]

I am speculating, but this comment might have been made because it might seem unusual to the poster that someone on food stamps could afford to pay the membership fee for one thing? Don't bite my head off- I would wonder about that as well. Plus, buying in bulk saves money in the long run, but it is still expensive to shop there if you are living week to week financially.

I kind of side with Dave on this; it doesn’t really matter to me whether someone else is using food stamps. It’s also possible that the individual has membership from their extended family or friends, or some other way. Personally, I’d rather see our governmental support to the needy expended efficiently at a place like Costco than at more expensive stores.

I posted my comment because I don't understand why anyone would think Costco isn't a viable place to shop if someone happens to be receiving food stamps. The people in that situation aren't going to be buying exclusive cuts of meat or fancy bottles of wine. But they might be buying staple foodstuffs in bulk, that makes their budget stretch further.

One example: I just bought a 24-pack of eggs for $3.99 at my warehouse. One dozen of the same type of eggs at my local Safeway store is $2.99. Two one-gallon containers of milk is $4.29. At Safeway it's $2.99 a gallon. If I was on a tight food budget, I would have just saved myself $3.68. Multiply that by other bargains in the warehouse, (obviously on those things that are cheaper, which is just about everything in canned goods, bread, or bulk staples,) and it just makes smart financial sense. A Gold Star membership costs $60 a year, just $5.00 a month. It seems pretty smart to try and use Costco as a place to save, if the money (or food stamps) goes further. That anyone would consider cancelling their own membership because Costco accepts food stamps for someone else seems very shortsighted.

Dave

 

[Eric B]

Frankly, I go there because it’s less expensive for good quality stuff. I’m happy if people on food stamps do, too. The only things I’d differ with Dave on are (1) I don’t think they’d be able to pay for the membership with the food stamps, so the economics for them are a bit different since they’d need a different funding source to cover that, and (2) I buy chicken feed instead of eggs, which my hens give me in exchange for the chicken feed; they eat the bugs in my yard, too, as a free service, including those nasty stink bugs....

 

[DaveNV]

Frankly, I go there because it’s less expensive for good quality stuff. I’m happy if people on food stamps do, too. The only things I’d differ with Dave on are (1) I don’t think they’d be able to pay for the membership with the food stamps, so the economics for them are a bit different since they’d need a different funding source to cover that, and (2) I buy chicken feed instead of eggs, which my hens give me in exchange for the chicken feed; they eat the bugs in my yard, too, as a free service, including those nasty stink bugs....

People on food stamps also receive money - I wasn't meaning to imply they would pay for the membership with food stamps. (I think there are different levels of support, and some people who are employed also receive food stamps - it's not just a total welfare recipient who may get them.)

Raising your own chickens is a great idea, if you happen to live in a way that lets you do that. I haven't priced chicken feed lately, so don't know what it sells for. Someone in a rental apartment (likely most of the people on food stamps) aren't likely to have a place to do that. I own my own home, and have plenty of room, but there are local city and CC&R restrictions on keeping any sort of livestock or domestic fowl inside the city limits. For the hassle and time demands, it's cheaper for me to buy eggs at the store. And lately, that has been Costco.

Dave

 

[Eric B]

To each his own. Most of the time, I feed them spent gain from a few craft breweries that have opened near me, with a bit of scratch & oyster shell thrown in to round it out. A few of the brewers give me free beer in gratitude for taking it away, too. Used to be one of the city folks, too, but moved to the country 10 years ago and there are plenty of poor folk out here, too....

 

[Chrispee]

I’m a city-dwelling person with a couple of chickens, and I’d hate to amortize the cost of my eggs as I’m pretty confident Costso’s Are cheaper.

 

[Talent312]

I have been considering canceling since I found out they accept foodstamps!

One last parting shot at this: What skin is it off your nose?
IMHO, some people spend too much time judging other people's lives.
I shirley would not want you sticking your nose in my wallet.
.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

One last parting shot at this: What skin is it off your nose?
IMHO, some people spend too much time judging other people's lives.
I shirley would not want you sticking your nose in my wallet.
.

Excuse me?? Costco is a members only club. It's a lot of skin off of my nose and out of my bank account! As a business owner it gets really old supporting those that use the system the way I see that many do. If one can't afford food, how do they afford a club membership. Lots of skin off my nose buddy! Over $50,000 last year off my nose! I'm not even going to argue with your ignorant statement. Where's the block button?

 

[Free2Roam]

Excuse me?? Costco is a members only club. It's a lot of skin off of my nose and out of my bank account! As a business owner it gets really old supporting those that use the system the way I see that many do. If one can't afford food, how do they afford a club membership. Lots of skin off my nose buddy! Over $50,000 last year off my nose! I'm not even going to argue with your ignorant statement. Where's the block button?

This sounds like something deeper than Costco accepting food stamps. I don't understand the rage, but I found the block button.

 

[wilma]

Excuse me?? Costco is a members only club. It's a lot of skin off of my nose and out of my bank account! As a business owner it gets really old supporting those that use the system the way I see that many do. If one can't afford food, how do they afford a club membership. Lots of skin off my nose buddy! Over $50,000 last year off my nose! I'm not even going to argue with your ignorant statement. Where's the block button?

Russian troll?

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

Why would that make any difference? They sell food, just like your local grocery store.

Dave

Cause it's a private membership club. Membership paid with cash money. That's the difference. Wake up people!

 

[bluehende]

Excuse me?? Costco is a members only club. It's a lot of skin off of my nose and out of my bank account! As a business owner it gets really old supporting those that use the system the way I see that many do. If one can't afford food, how do they afford a club membership. Lots of skin off my nose buddy! Over $50,000 last year off my nose! I'm not even going to argue with your ignorant statement. Where's the block button?

Since 2% of the national budget is food stamps you would have to pay 2.5 million in taxes for that much skin to come off for food stamps.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

Since 2% of the national budget is food stamps you would have to pay 2.5 million in taxes for that much skin to come off for food stamps.

The point of the matter is the OP was upset because Costco did not take his credit card at the pump, I was simply stating what upset me at Cosco. It's ridiculous that a private club where one has to pay a membership would accept food stamps. So you're telling me, these unfortunate people can't afford to buy their own food but they can afford to pay for an expensive membership into a private club? Why not just allow section 8 to buy into some of the top timeshares in the country too?

 

[DaveNV]

Cause it's a private membership club. Membership paid with cash money. That's the difference. Wake up people!

People who receive food stamps also receive cash. If you read my Post #37 above, you'll see a real-world example of how someone on Public Assistance of any type could use Costco as a money-savings resource, compared to a retail grocery store. A membership costs as little as $5 a month, and if they can save over $5 in one shopping trip, compared to grocery store pricing, the membership just paid for itself. Costco also has what is called The Gift of Membership, where someone can buy a membership as a gift for someone else. So just because someone is receiving food stamps doesn't preclude them from being able to be a Costco member.

You seem to think you are somehow subsidizing someone who shops at Costco and pays with food stamps. Would you mind explaining how that would be? Perhaps you are aware of something I don't know about.

Dave

 

[bluehende]

The point of the matter is the OP was upset because Costco did not take his credit card at the pump, I was simply stating what upset me at Cosco. It's ridiculous that a private club where one has to pay a membership would accept food stamps. So you're telling me, these unfortunate people can't afford to buy their own food but they can afford to pay for an expensive membership into a private club? Why not just allow section 8 to buy into some of the top timeshares in the country too?

Why not costco. Like you and me they make the same decision. Is it worth it? I will take your straw man and go to the other extreme. I guess you would like those poor and lower middle class people to just go away so you can save a buck. It may surprise you that people may think differently than you. I have no problem with my tax dollars going to food stamps so families can feed themselves. 80% are working.