2 Sam's Club Member Perks That Let You Skip The Checkout Lines

While the answer to whether you should get a Sam's Club or Costco membership is ultimately subjective, the former makes a pretty good case for differentiating itself from the latter. There are many differences between Costco and Sam's, but one of the standouts is Sam's Club's more robust app. After all, contained in its app are two ways for shoppers to checkout without having to wait in line: The Scan and Go feature, and the Curbside Pickup option.

We think Costco shoppers would love to have Sam's Club's Scan and Go feature because it can save you time (and money). Once you press on that icon at the bottom of the app (it looks like a shopping cart on the go), a barcode scanner appears, and you can scan items as you put them into your cart. Not only does this allow you to keep a running tally of how much you're spending (so you can maybe put a few of those frivolous purchases back), but it lets you complete checkout in the app, too. You can literally pay as you head for the door, bypassing checkout entirely.

With Curbside Pickup, someone actually shops and checks out for you; all you have to do is place your order and set a time pickup. Then, show up at the Club at your designated time and check-in on the app after parking in Curbside Pickup space. An employee brings your stuff out to you, and you never have to leave your car.

Unfortunately, in a few cases while using Scan and Go at Sam's Club, you will have to wait and go through the checkout line. However, most cases don't require an actual employee, and you can still use self-checkout. One example is alcohol. Some states don't allow customers to purchase alcohol using Scan and Go, so while you can buy everything else, you might have to use a special register to obtain your booze. In cases where an item is kept in the back with only a tag out on the floor, you'll have to purchase your item at a manned register, so the employee can actually retrieve the item. This was the case once for me when purchasing an Apple watch; I paid for everything else using Scan and Go, but was obliged to wait in line for the watch.

There are some limitations to Curbside Pickup, too, including most jewelry (though, interestingly, you can buy watches with Pickup), clothes, books, magazines, music, and movies, and car batteries; for most of these you can still skip the checkout lines and buy them using Scan and Go. You must also go into the store to get your custom bakery orders, your prescriptions, and to purchase memberships, extended warranties, and mobile phones.