What Happens When Costco Customers Reach 40 Years Of Membership

Costco does pretty much everything on par with — or even better than — most other warehouse chains out there. Its custom cakes, while a little outdated to order, are widely acclaimed, and its Kirkland Signature store brand products are go-tos over the name brands for many of its shoppers (it's no wonder; the process to become a Kirkland product is rigorous). All this has culminated in some pretty loyal customers since Costco launched under its current name in 1983, a little over 40 years ago, and some of them have been there since the start or near to it. So if you reach the 40 year membership milestone, does anything happen? Does Costco give you a free hot dog and soda combo meal or put your face up on its website? Unfortunately, no, but it does send you something special in the mail.

Costco will send you a fancy new membership card that reads in big, bold type "40+ Year Member," with your new pass in either gold (presumably for Gold Star members, which is a snazzy upgrade) or black, the same as always for Executive members. It comes mounted on a piece of paper with a message that thanks you for being a member, from the CEO himself, Ron Vachris. If being an Executive member already has you feeling superior, only imagine what attaining this rare card would do for your ego.

Wondering how many more years you have until you hit the Big 40 milestone at Costco? There are a few ways to try and find out, but unfortunately none of them involve checking your card, which typically only displays the expiration date for your membership. First, and easiest, is to check the app. You will need to verify your identity to access account information, but once you've done that you should be able to find a page that lists both the expiration date and the date you signed up – not only the year, but the day and the month, too.

If you don't have the app and don't want to get it, but you're still dying to know how long you've been a member, you might pay a visit to the membership counter at your location (if they can tell you when it expires, they can also surely tell you when you first joined). Likewise, if you don't want to drive anywhere, you can also call customer service.

Just a note, though, about memberships. If you're a real OG from back in the day when it was Price Club, and you're hoping your membership reflects that, you might be disappointed. One Redditor reported that when Price Club switched to PriceCostco (before it became just Costco), their membership "reset," and they lost those years as bragging rights.