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Member Terms & Conditions

Costco Wholesale New Zealand

Member Privileges and Conditions

We look forward to serving you as a Costco member. Your membership and the privileges and conditions of membership are described below.

Membership

  • Membership is available to all qualifying* individuals 18 years of age and over.
  • Costco reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant and membership is revocable on notice to the member without cause. Your membership fee will be returned in full if your membership is revoked.
  • Membership is subject to any and all rules adopted by Costco including our privacy policies and practices, and they may be amended from time to time. Any changes to these Privileges and Conditions of Membership will be posted online and at the membership counter. If you are not happy with any of the changes we make, you may cancel your membership and receive a full refund in accordance with our returns policy.

Membership Cards and Fees

  • Membership fee is for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of enrolment of the primary cardholder and entitles you to acquire products and services at any Costco location worldwide.
  • Your card is valid at any Costco warehouse worldwide.
  • You will be requested to show your card when entering Costco warehouses and when checking out at the register.
  • Your membership card must have a card number and your photo to be valid. If your photo is not on your card, stop by the membership counter to have your photo taken and added to your card. If your card is ever lost or stolen, your picture prevents unauthorised use.
  • Report lost or stolen cards to any Costco membership counter immediately, or email membership@costco.co.nz.
  • Memberships may be terminated at Costco's discretion. Cards remain the property of Costco and must be returned upon request. Your membership fee will be returned in full if your membership is terminated.
  • Cards are not transferable.
  • A free household Card is available to a primary cardholder's spouse, domestic partner, or immediate family member over the age of 18 and living at the same address. Household Cardholders will be asked to present proof that they live at the same address as the primary cardholder.

Renewing your Membership

  • When you enroll as a member on our website, you will be registered for annual auto-renewal of your membership. You can choose to ‘opt-out’ of the annual auto-renewal when you enroll and you can ‘turn off’ your annual auto-renewal at any time through your online membership account on our website.

* To qualify for membership, you must satisfy the following criteria:

  • (1) you must provide a valid photo ID and proof of current address in New Zealand;
  • (2) you must not have had your Costco membership revoked by Costco previously; and
  • (3) if you are applying for a business membership, you must provide an NZBN.
  • If you are the primary cardholder and are registered for auto-renewal:
  • the payment method you use when you initially become a member (e.g., credit or debit card details) will be saved in your online membership account (this information is held by our payment services provider and not by Costco);
  • your auto-renewal date will be each anniversary of the last day of the calendar month of your enrolment;
  • we will send you a reminder before your auto-renewal date (to give you time to opt-out of renewal if you would prefer to do so);
  • your membership will auto-renew on the auto-renewal date and we will process Costco’s then-current annual membership fee using your saved payment method;
  • your membership will auto-renew for all cardholders on your membership at that time; and
  • the primary cardholder must authorise any changes to your selected auto-renewal option.
  • If you are not registered for annual auto-renewal of your membership (for example, if you register at a Costco warehouse or if you have chosen to ‘opt out’ of auto-renewal on our website):
  • we will send you a renewal notice at 60 days before expiry of your membership;
  • renewal fees are due no later than the last day of the month your membership expires;
  • you may remit your renewal fee online at www.costco.co.nz or at any New Zealand Costco warehouse;
  • you will need to complete membership renewal for all cardholders on your membership when the renewal is processed; and
  • if your membership is renewed within 2 months after expiration of the current membership year, it will be extended for 12 months from the expiration date. If your memberships is renewed more than 2 months after such expiration it will be extended for 12 months from the renewal date.
  • You will not receive new membership cards each year.

Cardholder changes

  • The primary cardholder must authorise any cardholder changes, including additions or deletions, and is responsible for the membership.

General Policies

  • Members are welcome to bring their children and up to two guests into the warehouse, however, only Costco members may purchase and pay for items.
  • Parents are responsible for their children and should not leave them unattended.
  • Members are responsible for their guests and other family members Costco reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase, etc., upon entering or leaving the warehouse.
  • To ensure that all members are correctly charged for the merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be checked as you leave the warehouse.
  • Shirts and shoes are required.
  • Liquor and tobacco sales cannot be made to minors.
  • For information on our return's policy, see www.costco.co.nz/return-refund-policy

Privacy

  • We respect your right to privacy and our Privacy Policy outlines our policies and practices in detail (including in relation to your payment information). Please obtain a copy from our membership counter, or view/ read the privacy policy at www.costco.co.nz/privacy-policy.

Enquiries

New Zealand Costco Shop Cards Terms and Conditions

1. Application

Your purchase or use of a Costco Shop Card constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions. As the Shop Card is a gift product, you may gift a Costco Shop Card that you purchase to another person or permit another person to use your Costco Shop Card (including a non-member of Costco).

Any other person who uses a Costco Shop Card purchased by you will also be bound by these terms and conditions. References to “you” in these terms and conditions means the person who purchased and any person who is gifted or uses a Costco Shop Card.

You cannot reload your Costco Shop Card or obtain a refund of any unused card balance.

2. Changes to these terms and conditions

Costco may amend these terms and conditions from time to time by uploading the revised terms and conditions to the link at the bottom of the Costco.co.nz home page. The changes will automatically apply from the date they are uploaded to the website. However, we will provide reasonable notice on our website if the changes are likely to be material to you.

3. Purchasing your Costco Shop Card

You must be a Costco member to purchase a Costco Shop Card.

4. Purchase Limit of Costco Shop Cards

The total value of all Costco Shop Cards that you purchase must not exceed NZ$4,999.99 at any one time. Costco reserves the right to not permit you to purchase a Costco Shop Card if Costco, in its reasonable opinion, considers the purchase would breach this purchase limit.

5. Value Limit of Costco Shop Card

Costco Shop Cards are available for purchase in any denomination from NZ$25 to NZ$999.99.

The maximum possible available balance on your Costco Shop Card (“Available Balance”) is NZ$999.99 (“the Card Limit”). This means that you can only make purchases with your Costco Shop Card of up to the Card Limit.

6. Card purchases

You may use your Costco Shop Card to purchase merchandise, services and Costco memberships at any Costco warehouse location in New Zealand or Australia subject to the below.

Your Costco Shop Card cannot be used:

  • to purchase petrol from Costco;
  • for any online purchases of Costco products;
  • to pay any amount owing on a Costco business account; or
  • to withdraw or receive cash, .

7. Use of your Costco Shop Card in Australia

You may use your Costco Shop Card to purchase goods or services at a Costco warehouse location in Australia. If you do so, the Australian dollar purchase amount will be converted into New Zealand dollars by Costco’s shop card service provider based on an internal exchange rate table determined by Costco at the time of sale and that sum will be deducted from the Available Balance on your Costco Shop Card.

8. Expiry of your Costco Shop Card

Your Costco Shop Card has no expiration date.

10. Lost or stolen Costco Shop Card

You should retain the original purchase receipt for your Costco Shop Card in a safe place.

If your Costco Shop Card is lost, stolen or you are aware it has been used without your consent, you must notify Costco immediately by visiting a Costco warehouse location in New Zealand or using the contact details set out below.

You should look after your Costco Shop Card. Costco is not obliged to replace your Costco Shop Card if it is lost or stolen and Costco is not responsible for any unauthorised use of your Costco Shop Card.

If you have retained your original purchase receipt any remaining value on a lost / stolen cash card may, at the sole discretion of Costco, be transferred to a new Costco Shop Card.

11. Faulty Costco Shop Card

A Costco Shop Card will be deemed to be faulty where it fails to function as a result of an inherent manufacturing defect or other technical fault or defect.

If your Costco Shop Card is damaged or faulty you will need to return it to any Costco New Zealand warehouse location with a description of how the fault or damage occurred. Costco has the sole discretion to replace a faulty or damaged Costco Shop Card with a new card and transfer the Available Balance from the faulty or damaged Costco Shop Card.

12. Cancelling your Costco Shop Card

Costco will cancel your Costco Shop Card, at your written request, subject to you returning your Costco Shop Card to a Costco warehouse location in New Zealand.

Costco may, at any time and for any reason, cancel your Costco Shop Card.

If we, or you, cancel a Costco Shop Card, Costco may, at its sole discretion, transfer the available balance to a new card (if, for example, your card has been stolen or lost).

13. Selling or transferring your Costco Shop Card

You cannot on-sell or transfer your Costco Shop Card to a third party without Costco’s prior written consent.

14. Costco Shop Card balance

When you make a purchase using your Costco Shop Card, your available balance (being the amount left on your card for use) will be reduced by the amount of that purchase.

Your available balance will also be displayed at the point of sale (which will be in New Zealand dollars if you are using it in a New Zealand warehouse location or in Australian dollars if you are using it in an Australian warehouse location).

15. Returning items purchased using Costco Shop Card

If you return any goods, you may be entitled to a refund in accordance with our returns policy. If the goods were purchased using your Costco Shop Card, the value of the goods will be refunded to a replacement Costco Shop Card.

We note that purchase history is not recorded for non-members, so receipts must be presented for proof of purchase.

16. Interest

No interest is payable to you on your available balance on your Costco Shop Card.

17. Funds

No funds are held by Costco for you or on your behalf in connection with the purchase, or use, of a Costco Shop Card.

18. Privacy

Costco does not collect personal information from or about you in relation to your Costco Shop Card. However, if Costco collects personal information about you for any other reason, Costco’s Privacy Policy will apply (see www.costco.co.nz/privacy-policy).

19. Liability

To the extent permitted by law, Costco excludes any liability for indirect or consequential loss and Costco’s liability to you in connection with these terms and conditions and/or your Costco Shop Card is limited to the available balance on your Costco Shop Card at the time of the claim, unless such liability is directly due to the fraud or willful breach by Costco.

20. Contact us

If you have any questions, compliments or complaints in relation to your Costco Shop Card, please contact us at your local warehouse or by email to membership@costco.co.nz.

21. General

For the purpose of these terms and conditions, Costco is a reference to Costco Wholesale New Zealand Limited (NZ Business Number 9429046946775).

We may assign or transfer our rights or obligations under these terms and conditions without your consent.

These terms constitute the entire agreement between us, and supersede all prior communications, representations or agreements between us, in relation to the Costco Shop Card.

If any of these terms are held to be invalid, unenforceable or illegal for any reason, that term shall be deemed deleted and the remainder of these terms and conditions shall remain in full force and effect.

These terms and conditions are governed by New Zealand law and the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Zealand.

Last Updated: 20 October, 2022