Retail Chains With The Best 'Member-Only Savings'

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Everyone loves a discount. Getting a price reduction on the things you are likely to buy anyway can feel like a win, and that emotional high is likely a big part of why couponing and discount-delivering browser extensions are so popular. It's also why retailers offer discounts in the first place. Getting customers through the door can help drive additional sales, after all. However, many outlets bundle their best deals behind a membership wall. 

While you'll likely find relatively routine price drops throughout your retail options, to really take advantage of the best pricing a store has to offer it's often necessary to sign up for a loyalty card, give your email address, or perhaps even pay for a membership-based discount program. While this last option might sound counterintuitive, for many buyers, a small upfront fee can ultimately save tons of money long-term. Luckily, there are many retailers offering great member pricing offers — and some won't even cost you anything to access.

Amazon is potentially the most visible retailer on the planet. While asian eCommerce titan Alibaba is technically larger, Amazon has a presence in Europe, Africa, South America, and parts of Asia including India, Singapore, and Japan. More to the point for American shoppers, Amazon was set to make up over 40% of all eCommerce market share in the U.S. in 2025, per Upcounting. Amazon's business model revolves around many divergent threads, and there are even a few sneaky ways the retailer tricks shoppers into spend more. With that said, Amazon's Prime membership is one of its biggest breadwinners. 

Per a Statista report, it's estimated that there are more than 180 million Amazon Prime members in the U.S. — meaning more than half of the population is a subscriber to the service. That makes Amazon Prime the most popular retail membership among U.S. consumers and one that, per Statista, netted the company over $44 billion globally in 2024 before even selling a single item.

Prime members get access to free one- and two-day delivery services, and even same-day delivery on selected items. Prime subscribers also gain access to streaming services like Prime Video and Amazon's music service, in addition to photo storage and games through Amazon Luna. Plus perks like access to Amazon Fresh, Prime Day deals, and even Amazon credit card options (although using a store-specific credit card isn't always a good idea).

Best Buy features three My Best Buy membership levels. The free option requires a basic sign up involving your email address and some standard personal information. Once you've enrolled in the membership program, you can access free shipping without having to hit any minimum purchase amounts. This is the standard shipping option, but it can add a decent savings volume if you're an online shopper that frequently buys from the outlet.

Beyond the free membership program, The "Plus" option costs $49.99 per year and features an extended 60-day return window on most products. This can be a major help for many purchasers, especially around the holidays. Plus members also gain access to exclusive pricing and deals, free two-day shipping, and access to member-only sales, events, and product releases. 

For those who are big Best Buy shoppers, the "Total" membership costs $179.99 per year and offers 20% off repairs, in-store and remote services for computers and tablets, 24/7 tech support, and protection plans built into purchases. This is on top of the benefits outlined in the other membership levels. You'll also find "product ratings" alongside the two paid tiers, in which tens of thousands of customers have reviewed both — giving both 4-plus star ratings.

REI Co-op (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) is a quality source for all things outdoors. The outlet stocks everything you might need for a camping or hiking trip. The retailer also offers an interesting membership model. Paying a one-time $30 sign-up fee makes you a member for life. As a member you enjoy an annual 10% back on all eligible purchases plus other benefits like get free standard shipping throughout the U.S., and member-only discounts. For instance, REI frequently runs specials and sales exclusively for members, sometimes even including an extra 25% off on REI Outlet purchases. Members can also buy and trade-in used gear, getting something back for older equipment and giving new life to other gear that still has something in the tank but no longer serves its original owner's needs. Trade-ins are a great way to enjoy discounted pricing while lengthening the life of an item and keeping it out of a landfill.

Realistically a one-time membership purchase that yields a big discount might pay for itself in just one transaction. This could mean a long relationship with the retailer that gives back perks for many years after the sign-up fee has paid for itself, and because its a co-op, you get a stipend each year based on how much you spent. However, as of late 2025, REI is facing significant financial challenges, much like many other popular retail chains with financial problems.

CVS operates more than 9,000 locations across the country, and can be found in nearly 3,500 American cities. CVS offers a free membership, the ExtraCare membership program, which can make the store's offerings more valuable. Members can save hundreds on routine purchases in store, with access to special sale pricing, free delivery, and an extra 2% ExtraBucks back on spending (both in-store and online). Even if you aren't a frequent CVS shopper, the free membership program is well worth a sign-up to gain access to a nice selection of perks when you do fly into the store.

Or, ExtraCare Plus costs $5 per month and offers 20% off CVS Health branded products, free same-day delivery, and other benefits like free same-day prescription deliveries and a 24/7 pharmacist helpline. These are all particularly useful benefits for those who already use CVS as their primary pharmacy location.

Nordstrom, and its outlet offshoot Nordstrom Rack, are both common sights in shopping malls and beyond. The "Nordy Club" offers members one point per dollar spent, providing a bankable reward that can be translated into in-store purchasing power later on. Signing up for the Nordy Club is free and only requires you to give Nordstrom your phone number when checking out. 

However, if you sign up for a Nordstrom store credit card you can rack up additional points on purchases (up to three points per dollar). This allows for an even faster accumulation of rewards points that can be used for shopping at a later date. Newly approved credit card members get $40 off their next purchase, and can save an additional 5% at Nordstrom Rack when using their card. It's also worth noting that your best bet for finding extra good bargains is to shop Nordstrom Rack on certain days.

McDonald's has long been known as a cheap and cheerful fast food option, and the retail brand has even been exploring ways to increase savings for its customers. While the outlet's McValue platform is a newer offering, the MyMcDonald's Rewards app is another important feature of the customer experience.

The app allows you to earn bonus points on orders and redeem them for free menu items. You can also link your payment card directly to the app, allowing you to accumulate extra points with app-based payments. Plus, this helps streamline the process of ordering at the restaurant and earning points for your meals. You can also get free food items by filling out the survey that prints on receipts. Keeping these receipts in your wallet or car and redeeming them for free food whenever the mood strikes is another great way to reduce the cost of a meal.

You can earn one star for every dollar spent at Starbucks, and two stars for every dollar spent loading up your Starbucks card. This can translate into plenty of bonus points for those who frequent the coffee chain. Creating an account is easy, and using the app allows you to explore your rewards options and manage your details. You can even purchase drinks, food items, and credit directly through the app. For reference, a hot or iced brewed coffee or a bakery item costs 100 stars, while a bag of coffee beans will run you 300 stars.

Plus, members can get free food and other perks like an annual birthday treat. The coffee giant also offers star bonuses including double star days, bonus earning challenges, and games to make collecting these rewards perks even more interesting. Users can link eligible Bank of America cards to their Starbucks rewards card to earn an extra 2% cash back as well as bonus stars. This can help you accumulate benefits faster, especially if you're a frequent coffee drinker.

Walmart has been a mainstay of the American retail experience for more than a generation, opening its first store in Arkansas in 1962. Today the brand has more than 4,600 stores in the U.S. and over 10,750 globally, spread across 19 countries. The chain's membership program, Walmart+, offers free grocery delivery and price reductions on things like gasoline that help reduce the cost of things you buy on a regular basis. At just $8.17 per month, missing out on Walmart+ is a great way to spend extra money at the outlet. The program also includes a basic subscription to either Paramount+ or Peacock (streaming services that currently cost $7.99 or $10.99 per month, respectively). This means you can nearly recoup the entirety of the fee just by canceling your direct streaming app account and instead bundling access into your Walmart membership.

Members also get free pharmacy delivery, and free same-day grocery delivery, and 25% off Burger King digital orders — plus a free Whopper every three months. You can also get access to free flat tire repair and early access to Walmart price reductions and deal offerings like the chain's Black Friday specials.

BJ's offers two membership levels – "BJ's Club" and "BJ's Club+." They'll set you back $60 or $120 per year, respectively. The regular membership offers access to the retailer, alongside built-in benefits like a 100% money back guarantee, the ability to add an additional household member to your account, manufacturers' coupon usage, and exclusive BJ's coupons through the retailer's app.

If you opt for the plus membership, you can enjoy 2% back in rewards on spending, as well as an additional 5 cents off per gallon at BJ's Gas locations. Curbside pickup and ordering is also free (or $3.99 on orders under $50 for regular members). You also get two free same-day deliveries with the more expensive membership tier. If you live near one of the over 200 BJ's locations across 17 U.S. states, it could be a solid option for routine discounts on the products you frequently purchase to run your household.

Sam's Club is a bulk retail outlet that operates 601 stores across the country. Sam's Club features special discounts and plenty of perks like lowered membership rates for teachers, students, health care professionals, and military service members (making is something that can work well in concert with other great military discount options). Other perks include members-only gas prices at Sam's Club locations, a second card for a family member or friend, and discounted pricing across the store.

The retailer operates two membership options, a "Club" and "Plus" tier. Plus members get 2% Sam's Cash back, early access to the store, savings at the tire and battery center, optical center, and pharmacy, and free shipping on orders over $50, among a few other enhanced benefits. Joining Sam's Club is a particularly attractive option for consumers seeking high-impact savings because both rates are discounted for members in their first year. While the standard price is $50, it is brought down to $15 in the first year. Meanwhile the Plus tier costs $110 for the year, discounted for new enrollees to $50. You'll likely save the discounted membership costs in just your first trip or two, making it worth looking into.

Costco has been the preeminent discount warehouse retailer for decades. Founded in 1983, there are now more than 800 Costco locations around the world and 634 in the U.S., with a presence in 49 states and territories. Costco stores are largely clustered around more metropolitan areas, making it an ideal choice for those in suburban and city environments.

Costco offers discounted pricing on numerous goods, including clothing and jewelry, groceries, and more. "Gold Star" membership is the standard, with a price tag of $65 per year. Or, for $130 per year, you can enroll in the "Executive Member" program, gaining access to additional Costco service discounts, a $10 monthly credit on Instacart and SameDay.Costco.com. Executive Members are also able to enter the store an hour earlier than regular members, allowing  them to take advantage of new product rollouts and price drops before others. Plus, Executive members also get a 2% reward on purchases.