You Don't Need A Membership To Order Costco On Instacart, But Here's The Catch

True confession: I've never actually shopped at a Costco, or even set foot inside one of their stores. While this means I'll never know the glories of their loss-leader rotisserie chickens or be in on all the secrets of the food court, the fact is: I refuse to pay for the privilege of spending my money. As it turns out, there are a few ways I could shop at Costco without a membership, such as being another member's guest, or having them purchase me a Costco gift card, but this would require my actually knowing a Costco member who lives near me, and I don't. That does leave me with one more option, however: I could always order from Costco and have the items delivered by Instacart — but that's not happening. Why? There's too high a price to pay.

By "high price," I mean in the literal sense, not the metaphorical. Instacart doesn't require you to sell your soul or render up your firstborn child, but it does jack up the prices. Costco even admits this on its website, explaining away the unspecified markup on items ordered through its Instacart-powered same-day delivery service as a way for the company to cover expenses. While this markup applies to both members and non-members ordering through the Costco website, Costco notes that non-members have to order their items directly through Instacart and, as a result, will pay even higher prices.

No matter whether you are shopping at Costco or another retailer, the convenience of having Instacart deliver your groceries can be a pricey one. Not all retailers using Instacart mark up their shelf prices, but many do, and the average increase seems to be around 15%. Some Redditors, however, have noted that Costco prices can run from 20% to 25% higher. Even without such a markup, though, you're still looking at a service fee (these vary by location but could be over $10) and a delivery fee (which may start at around $8 if you want your groceries the same day).

Oh, and let's not forget the tip. Tipping etiquette seems to indicate that Instacart shoppers should earn tips similar to restaurant servers, meaning between 15% and 20%. This means that on a $100 grocery order, you're looking at an additional $15 to $20 on top of those assorted fees and the price markup. Okay, so you'll save $1.50 on that hotdog and soda combo you won't be buying, but really, do you need those other Costco groceries so badly that you won't consider switching to a cheaper retailer and/or delivery service?

My pick is Kroger Boost. Not only does this grocer (and all its numerous affiliates) not mark up the shelf prices, but a Boost Plus membership with free next-day delivery is slightly cheaper than a Costco membership. Best of all, there's no tipping since Kroger doesn't outsource employee compensation to its customers.