First Time Ordering Same-Day Groceries From Costco? Here's What You Need to Know

Part of the fun of shopping at Costco is roaming the aisles, discovering new products, and enjoying some yummy food samples. But even so, you may decide to have your Costco groceries delivered to your door on occasion rather than go to the store and buy them yourself. In fact, you may decide to make Costco grocery delivery a regular thing if you don't have access to a vehicle or work a demanding job and have little time to shop for food in person.

If you've ever ordered groceries for delivery before, you may find that your same-day Costco grocery delivery experience isn't so different. But here are a few key things you need to know about same-day delivery from Costco.

1. You'll pay more

This might seem obvious, but the cost of ordering same-day groceries from Costco will be more expensive than buying them in-store. Just how much extra you'll pay, though, will depend on your local market. Also remember that it's nice to tip your personal shopper for grocery delivery, so that's an extra cost to account for. 

2. There's an order minimum, but it's not hard to meet

To get same-day grocery delivery from Costco, you need to spend at least $35. However, that's not so hard since Costco sells food in bulk. It may be that just a few items put you over that threshold. And if not, you may be able to order certain perishables and freeze them to hit that minimum.

3. You'll get 2% back on same-day delivery purchases

If you have an Executive membership at Costco, you're no doubt aware that in exchange for the higher fee, you get to score 2% cash back on your Costco purchases. And the good news is that same-day grocery delivery counts in that regard. So if you place a same-day delivery order worth $100, you'll get $2 back. Better yet, if you pay for your order using the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, you can score 4% back -- 2% from your Executive membership and 2% from your credit card. 

4. You can't combine same-day grocery delivery with orders from Costco.com

Costco.com carries a host of items, from kitchen gadgets to apparel to shelf-stable grocery items. But Costco's same-day grocery delivery service is separate from Costco.com, since the former is powered by Instacart. As such, you can't combine same-day delivery with a regular Costco.com order. 

5. You can't use a Costco Shop Card to pay for same-day grocery delivery

Costco's Shop Card is the chain's version of a gift card, and you can use it in stores on a variety of items. You can also use it to pay for purchases made on Costco.com. However, you can't use a Shop Card for same-day grocery delivery. 

Ordering groceries from Costco for same-day delivery might cost you more than shopping at the store, but it's not necessarily a poor personal finance choice. If you're self-employed and doing so allows you to spend more time working and earning money, for example, then the added cost of delivery may be considerably lower than the extra amount you're able to bring home. 

Similarly, if you have a gaggle of young kids and wrangling them at Costco doesn't sound like a fun experience, then you may want to give same-day grocery delivery at Costco a try, even if it does cost you more. Just know how the program works in advance, so your initial order goes smoothly.