Can I use my wife's Costco card?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

Is it possible to use my wife’s Costco card if I show them my ARC, with my wife’s name listed as spouse?

Seems stupid for us to pay for two memberships.

2

Costco TW memberships include a free family card for spouse, parent, or child under 18 living at same address: https://www.costco.com.tw/membership

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3

Does she need to apply for a special family card or can I just take her card with my ARC and I’m all good?

4

TBH lots of people “borrow” their relative’s card to use at Costco. As long as they let you check out, you should be fine. Worst case, explain to them that your wife is a member and you need to get a family card (ideally with some proof you are married to her).

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5

Cool, thanks.

I’ll try it tomorrow.

6

They might not let you without a physical card. If it’s the business card you need to show a matching ID too.

7

I have my wife’s card. Its a personal card, but it says her old workplace for some reason. I’ll take that card, along with my ARC proving that the Costco card belongs to my wife to Costco in Xinzhuang tomorrow and find out.

8

I’m not sure whether you can just show up with your wife’s card, but you should definitely be able to get your own free card under your wife’s membership. See here:

How do I apply for a Household Card for my family?
A free Household Card is available to a primary or add-on cardholder’s spouse, domestic partner, or immediate family member over the age of 18 and living at the same address. Please download the [form here] (or get it from the warehouse), fill in the blanks and make sure that the applicant and the primary member both sign the signature columns. Then bring the form along with your Photo ID to any Costco Taiwan membership counter. Household Cardholders will be asked to present proof of relationship or that they live at the same address as either the primary or add-on cardholder.

There’s a form you need to fill out, and you presumably need your wife to sign it too. I’d probably just go to the membership desk of a store with your wife the first time to get the card.

I’m not sure what other proof you need. I recently got one for my girlfriend, which the staff at the Zhonghe branch didn’t like because although we live together we’re not married - there’s apparently a discrepancy between the Chinese version of the rules (which requires marriage) and the English or U.S./corporate versions (which don’t). They did give in eventually though and we got a second card. That shouldn’t be an issue in your case though, and you should definitely be able to get a second card.

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Cool, I’ll print this out and take it there signed tomorrow.

Thanks

10

Everytime we go, the staff give us a really bitchy passive agressive attitude. Me, my wife and her mom all go together and pay together, her mom is the card holder. And they say we cant buy through other peoples card. But we are immediate family so we give them the attitude right back. Quite dislike their training of attitude at the checkout. Kaohsiung.

But you could bring your arc, that has your address and wifes name. Anything more than that ask for their manager. Or get the family card.

11

Costco Taichung is telling me, only wife/husband can get a free card. Being an APRC holder written the same address as on my gf’s household registration … They so no, not good enough ?

What’s the story here now, is Costco talking BS on this ?

12

Can you just say you’re married? How would they know?

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I guess they’d want to see the ID card of the member.

14

My wife has her own Costco card, but she can never find it.

She always uses mine. Additionally, she always pays with my Costco credit card, which has my photo on it. We’ve done this for years. Never any issues.

Either nobody looks at photos, or it’s acceptable for a woman to use a card that has a guy’s photo on it.

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15

My wife actually got an extra card for her sister under our membership. They both live in different towns but they’re officially still living at their mom’s house. It’s never been a problem as far as I know.

16

Not sure about aprc, but jfrv will have your wifes name on it.

Can also star costin them money. I only save that if they are being rude. They hate spending money. get them call the wife. Hold up the line etc. You won make friends, but policy eventually evolves to the market…i really dislike costco for many reasons including these. Much prefer local companies.

17

Many people can apply for the Business Card version @$1,150… not just business owners.

18

That’s also what they told me in Costco Zhonghe (Taipei) as I mentioned above, so I had to argue it a bit until they gave in. It was a couple of months ago, but the issue was something like this:

  • The website for Costco Taiwan states that the household card is available to the cardholder’s “spouse, domestic partner, or immediate family member over the age of 18 and living at the same address.” According to this, I figured my girlfriend should qualify under the “domestic partner” bit.
  • The actual amendment form for Costco Taiwan, in contrast, states that the card is available to the cardholder’s “spouse, parents, brother or sister, child over age of 18 or any immediate family member over the age of 18 and living at the same address.” (i.e., no mention of domestic partner, whatever that means)
  • The Chinese version of the rules for Costco Taiwan also apparently excludes unmarried partners (based on what I was told by the staff in the Zhonghe branch).
  • The rules for Costco U.S. seem a lot more flexible: “A total of two people can be on a Gold Star Membership (either regular or Executive): one Primary Member and one free household member who is over 18 and lives at the same address. If you are the Primary Member, we leave it up to you to decide who receives the second card—something you can change at any time by visiting your Account Details or the membership counter at your local Costco.”

We had to go through several staff members/managers and repeatedly show them the info on the Costco Taiwan FAQ page until they let us have the second card, but we got there in the end. I would have been willing to argue for longer if they hadn’t given in, and I’d probably have escalated it to the Costco corporate office and/or cancelled my membership if they hadn’t, which would have been a minor irritation but I was in that kind of mood. (My understanding is that Costco Taiwan sometimes has different rules from Costco U.S., but can be sometimes be forced to adhere to the corporate rules if you get them involved.)

Maybe you could try a similar thing?

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19

I had a business one from overseas and showed them but Costco refused to let me get that one here unless I showed them a business registration. :frowning:

Actually what happened was they told me no problem (a lie) and after 30 min waste of my time filling forms they presented me the more expensive personal one. Cheeky buggers. They then told me about the refund policy of the card.
I got even by cancelling a week before expiry and got a refund. (Thanks for telling me about that option, Costco guys) it was only a $200 nt difference but I don’t like being lied to.

As a single guy I can’t justify the membership, used it three times in the year only

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20

I went to Costco today and applied for my free Costco card based on my wife’s membership. I brought the completed application form, her Costco card, her ID card and my ARC. It took just two minutes to get it.

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