What happens to Costco membership when someone dies

“Your membership card is valid at any Costco warehouse worldwide and is not transferable. ... Cards remain the property of Costco and must be returned upon request.”¹

Costco's "Deceased Primary" path changes the Primary Cardholder for a membership in the event of a loss. The card itself is non-transferable; what continues is the membership under a new Primary Cardholder.²

Only purchases by the Primary and active Primary Household Cardholder apply toward the 2% reward. If one of them is removed during the accumulation period, their purchases are removed from the reward amount.³

The Primary Member can cancel at any warehouse membership counter and receive an immediate refund, or by calling the Member Services Center.⁴

Under its "Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on Membership," Costco states "We will cancel and refund your membership fee at any time if you are dissatisfied." It is a full refund of the fee, not a prorated one.⁵

On cancellation or downgrade of an Executive Membership, "Any 2% Reward issued or accrued will be subtracted from the refund and forfeited to the extent it exceeds the amount of any refund."³

The 2% reward is capped at $1,250 for any 12-month period, and accumulations under $1 are not issued. It can be redeemed only while making a purchase or renewing a membership, by an active member, and cannot be cashed out on its own.³

Shop Cards are non-refundable and not redeemable for cash "except as required by law": a balance under $15 in CA, under $5 in CO, HI, ME, MA, MT, NJ, OR and WA, under $2.50 in TX, and under $1 in RI and VT.⁶

When Costco's Unclaimed Property Department writes about an unclaimed Shop Card, the member may get a replacement card at the membership counter within 30 days of the letter or follow the letter for a check refund. After 30 days the funds are claimed through the state's unclaimed property program.⁶

A 2% reward can be converted to a Costco Shop Card only when the member is incapacitated or has moved out of the area, on request by the Primary Cardholder or Account Administrator. Death is not a listed circumstance, so a conversion on a death is a discretionary request.³

Costco Shop Cards never expire, though a lost or stolen physical card cannot be replaced. The date on a 2% reward certificate is the date the reward was issued, not an expiration date.^{6, 3}

Costco charges the membership fee automatically to a saved Visa or Mastercard on the first day of the renewal month unless Auto Renewal is cancelled at least 72 hours before.^{7, 1}

To let a membership expire, Auto Renew is removed at least two business days before the first day of the renewal month. A fee already charged is still refundable in full under the "Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on Membership."^{7, 5}