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Is Google Express for Costco Delivery A Good Deal?

on 6/9/17 by Miguel A. Suro
2 Comments

Costco is one of those places many of us can’t live without. For cheap, quality goods, it is second to none. However, it can be a time-consuming madhouse, especially on busy days and weekends. Google Express for Costco delivery is one way to make your life easier and less stressful.

Let’s see what it’s all about!

Table of Contents

  • What Is Google Express for Costco Delivery?
    • Do You Need to Be A Costco Member?
    • Is Shipping Free on Costco via Google Express?
    • Are Prices Higher than In-Store?
  • Pros of Costco Delivery Via Google Express
  • Cons
  • Bottom Line

What Is Google Express for Costco Delivery?

Google Express is a service from Google that features Costco delivery. You purchases are delivered in ~1-3 days, in a cardboard box.

It’s important to note that this is different from grocery delivery services like Shipt and Instacart, where someone goes to the store in real-time and shops your order. Google Express is more like Amazon, in that your orders appear to be shipped from a warehouse and take at least a day to arrive.

Do You Need to Be A Costco Member?

As far as I can see, do you need to be a member of Costco to use the service (I’m not – I save 10% as Sam’s instead). I tried to check out without a membership, and got this message:

google express costco

Is Shipping Free on Costco via Google Express?

Shipping is only free if you spend $75 or more.

Are Prices Higher than In-Store?

They may be:

google express costco

Pros of Costco Delivery Via Google Express

You save time, money, and hassle. Shopping at Costco can be fun, but it can also be an hours-long ordeal. By getting it shipped to you, you save time and gas money.

You also don’t have to carry a heavy load, especially if you tend to go to Costco alone. It’s awesome for bulky or heavy items like big packs of drink bottles or paper towels.

Cons

You can only buy dried goods (including some breads). This is a huge negative. As far as I can tell, Google Express will not ship you refrigerated perishables, nor alcohol.

Therefore, the available inventory is severely limited. (Instacart, on the other hand, will actually send someone to Costco to shop for you and bring you pretty much anything they have, but at probably inflated prices).

Also, you have to wait 1-3 days for Costco delivery, and therefore cannot use it if you need something now.

Finally, prices may be higher than in-store. This is also the case with Sam’s shipping, so it’s kind of par for the course when buying online at warehouse stores. In contrast, this is not the case with Walmart and Amazon, where you won’t be charged more for buying stuff online.

Bottom Line

I’d say Google Express and Costco are fine if you need big orders and don’t have a convenient Costco close by. Though, personally, I prefer to get my stuff shipped from Sam’s – I find it’s cheaper, and I can get around 10% back by using several apps and discount programs.

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About Miguel A. Suro

I'm Miguel A. Suro, a Miami dad, attorney, journalist, and entrepreneur devoted to helping you live well for less. I've been seen on the NY Times, CNBC, NBC News, and more. Get to know us on:

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Comments

  1. Mrs. Adventure Rich says

    June 9, 2017 at 9:11 am

    We recently discovered GoogleExpress and have been really happy with it so far! One of the big draws for us is that our nearest Costco is 2 hours away (we recently moved… so we still have our Costco membership from CA). They are building one near us now, but in the meantime, I can still buy the essentials (like you said- dry goods only) from Costco and the home delivery is quite convenient for a full-time working mom! Even when Costco is nearby, I think I will still use GoogleExpress for the dry goods so that I can expedite my trips to the store and just go for the frozen/fresh foods and alcohol deals.

    Reply
    • The Rich Miser says

      June 9, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Hi, I definitely agree that if your nearest Costco is currently 2 hours away Google Express is worth it, since it is certainly a better deal than the time and gas a round trip to Costco would cost you. It has its limitations, but also its virtues.

      Miguel (The Rich Miser)

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