inside
costco
Ex ecutive Members
receive rewards
and perks
Executive Membership
servicessampler
Auto insurance
Free roadside assistance
PHOTODISC
Get more from your
Costco membership
Auto buying
15% off parts, service,
labor and accessories at
participating dealers
Auto loans and
refinancing
Lower rates
By Steve Fisher
TALKING ABOUT Executive Membership is easy
for members who have it. For many, the excitement
comes from the annual 2% Reward, earned on
most pretax purchases (excluding gas, food court,
tobacco and alcoholic beverages in some states).
“We have a lot of members who upgrade
because of the 2% Reward, but we want to be sure
members know that as an Executive Member they
receive additional benefits from the various services
that Costco offers,” says Sandy Torrey, assistant
vice president of Costco Services. “These service
offers will also bring additional value to the Executive Member.”
According to members, there are plenty of reasons
to upgrade. Mesa, Arizona, attorney and Executive
Member Marlon Branham ( www.branhamlawoffice.
com) recalls a man who had just moved to the area
and called Branham for advice on starting a small
business. “Without hesitation, the first thing I told
him,” says Branham, “was to go to Costco and get an
Executive Membership. The advantages you get in
the long term will greatly outweigh the fee
you pay to join up.”
Erin Mackey, whose company
Emerson USA Inc. (www.emerson
usainc.com) is an Executive Member,
readily endorses the program. She tells
The Connection, “It clearly pays for itself
and offers a broader range of benefits than
the standard membership. Each Executive
Member service is below market average cost
and provides additional savings to that of the
regular membership.” Emerson uses Costco’s small-business medical and dental insurance, Web site services, phone services, DHL ShipReady, merchant
credit-card processing, check printing, auto insurance and travel.
Most Costco services are available to all members, but Executive Members receive additional values—such as free roadside assistance when using
auto insurance and lower rates for auto financing.
Some services offer Costco Cash cards or additional
Credit reports and
monitoring
Lower monthly fee
interest credits upon signing up that offset the
Executive Membership upgrade fee. For instance,
with a home equity loan or line of credit, Executive
Members receive a $100 Costco Cash card. And
some small-business services are exclusive to
Executive Members.
To see if upgrading to Executive Membership is
right for you, visit a warehouse membership counter or call toll-free 1-800-220-6000. A quick check of
your account will show if you would benefit from
an upgrade. You can also research more information on the various Costco services by going to
costco.com and clicking on the “Services” tab on the
top of the home page.
It’s also a good idea to check when preparing
to make a large purchase, such as a big-screen TV,
jewelry or furniture. Often, the reward earned
on that purchase alone will pay for the cost to
upgrade your membership. C
Home equity financing
$100 Costco Cash card
Merchant credit-card
processing
Waiving of $25 activation
fee and $4.95 monthly
statement fee
Mortgage and refinancing
$300 Costco Cash card
Personal and business
checks
Save an additional 20%
Real estate agent
$100 Costco Cash card
Affordable, reliable delivery
THE MODERN conveniences of electronic communications
have eased some of the concerns of small businesses, but
not all. Sometimes, you still have to send things in physical
form, whether paper or product. When that need arises,
common sense calls for a method that’s fast, reliable and cost-
effective. Costco offers just such a service with DHL ShipReady.
Boxes, packs and envelopes are available, all prepaid, for delivery within the
contiguous United States. Delivery is guaranteed by noon the following day for envelopes and packets, and 5 p.m. on the second day for boxes. If, for some reason, the
delivery is not made on time, DHL provides you with an identical ShipReady product, free of charge. And Costco members save approximately 45 percent compared
to the market average price. DHL ShipReady is a Costco service that really delivers.
For more information, go to costco.com, then click on “Services,” or call toll-free
1-800-514-0351.—SF
