The Best Thing I’ve Learned About Ordering Groceries Online with Costco

Recently, I found myself feeling unwell and unable to leave my home, yet also in need of a decent-sized grocery haul. Not feeling great, I didn’t want to make the trip to Costco (for my own sake, as well as the well-being of my would-be fellow shoppers!).

I’ve been well aware that Costco partners with Instacart for grocery delivery services (which you can use even if you’re not a Costco member!). But I’m not an Express member and don’t budget for the delivery fees, and groceries can be more expensive on the platform than in the stores. (It’s worth nothing that I have used the service in various situations, mostly during emergencies.) The whole point of being a member at Costco is to get great products while saving as much money as possible!

Feeling torn, I then remembered that the store has its own Same-Day Service, which is still serviced by Instacart. If you’re a Costco member, you can shop directly through the store’s website, as opposed to Instacart’s site. You log in with your Costco account and you can take advantage of the member pricing. Stuck inside with a list of family favorites, I got to shopping online. Here’s how it went!

I shopped for the frozen foods I go through quickly, including wild blueberries, asparagus spears, strawberries, and pineapple. I also ordered fresh bananas, cereal, crackers, my favorite oats, yogurt, and a few other produce items.

I checked out (there were multiple delivery times available) and paid with the card Costco already had on file. On the day of my delivery, I had contact with my delivery person during the entire trip (and they were wonderful by the way!) and everything arrived in great condition. 

Note: The texts and deliveries go through Instacart’s app even though I ordered via Costco’s website, which was a bit confusing at first.

While I won’t be using the service every week (mostly because I love going into Costco whenever I can!), I do think the Same-Day Delivery service is a great alternative when shopping in-store is not feasible. It’s not quite as cheap, but it sure is close enough. I paid roughly a $5 markup for a $100 order for the convenience of same-day delivery (not counting the tip I left). My final thoughts? It’s definitely worth having a Costco membership to be able use the store’s Same-Day Delivery.

If you’ve ever used Costco’s Same-Day Delivery Service, what did you think? Would you use it again?