First Time Shopping on Costco.com? Here's What You Need to Know

Many people are used to doing their Costco shopping at, well, Costco, as opposed to the company's website. The beauty of visiting a Costco warehouse is getting to not only check out new items in person, but often, getting to sample food items you've never gotten to taste. 

But there's another option for shopping at Costco -- making purchases on Costco.com. Shopping at Costco online, though, is a pretty different experience than shopping at the store. Here are some things to know if you'll be shopping on Costco.com for the first time.

1. You might see a much broader selection of items than what you find in stores

If you've ever been to a Costco warehouse, you know the stores tend to be huge. But even so, they can only hold so much inventory.

The benefit of shopping on Costco.com is that you'll typically find an even wider selection of inventory -- especially in certain categories. If you're looking for furniture, for example, that's one area where Costco's website is likely to have more options than your local store. You may also find a host of items that are exclusive to Costco.com and aren't available at any warehouse club location.

2. You're likely to pay extra for online purchases

The items you order from Costco.com need to be shipped to your door. And often, the cost of shipping is built into the prices you see listed on the site. In other cases, you may need to meet a minimum order, such as for two-day delivery, to get shipping for free, but it's frequently an option.

However, while you may not be charged a shipping fee directly, you'll end up paying for shipping indirectly by placing an order on Costco.com. That's because the online price for items also available in stores is almost always higher. If there's a given item you need that you aren't in a hurry to purchase, it pays to note the online price and then see if you can find it at your local Costco store for cheaper.

3. You can shop on Costco.com without a membership, but it'll cost you

You may be surprised to learn that you don't need a membership to shop at Costco.com. However, certain items on the site are designed members-only, so those will be off limits if you don't have a membership number to enter along with your order.

You should also know that as a non-member, you'll generally face a 5% surcharge over posted prices for Costco.com orders. Costco uses the revenue it collects from its membership fees to help offer its amazingly low prices. So if you're not paying for a membership, Costco needs to make up for that by charging you more.

You may want to consider a Costco membership if you plan to shop on Costco.com multiple times a year. It could be a smart financial decision. You can even decide to join Costco on the spot if you find that you're loading up a large online cart and don't want to be charged 5% extra.

Shopping on Costco.com is by no means the same as shopping in the store. It's good to know what you're in for when you do your Costco shopping online so there are no unpleasant surprises.