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There are many reasons Costco has an army of fans. For starters, the store combines high quality with low prices. Plus, you can get great value on everything from gas to insurance. Not only that, but people also rave about its customer service.

The downside? For the most part, you’ll need to pay an annual membership fee to shop there.

A regular Gold Star membership will set you back $65 a year, while its premium Executive membership fee is $130. Costco uses those fees to keep prices low and offset its operating costs. Costco bosses are so confident that members get good value from their annual fees that they rarely discount the cost.

Even so, you can offset the annual fee by using a top credit card for spending at Costco to get cash back every time you shop. There are also two ways for some new members to get Costco gift cards when they sign up, which is tantamount to a discount. Here’s how.

1. Look for offers on Groupon and other discount sites

Roughly once a year, new members can get a Costco gift card when they sign up using certain coupon sites. Luckily, there’s a promotion running at the moment. Until Dec. 22, you can get a $45 Costco Shop Card if you buy a new membership through Groupon or Stack Social.

If you’re buying the Gold Star membership, it effectively reduces your first year’s fee to $20. You’ll receive the $45 card by email within two weeks of signing up. New members or people who haven’t had a Costco membership in the past 18 months qualify.

2. Check out ID.me’s offers for certain professions

Costco has teamed up with ID.me, a digital identity network, to offer credits to certain groups of people when they join. If you qualify, you can get a $20 or $40 Costco Shop Card for signing up for the Gold Star or Executive memberships respectively. Unlike the time-sensitive deal above, there’s no expiration date on the offer. However, it isn’t open to everybody.

To get the credit, members of the following professions need to register at ID.me, follow the sign up links, and enroll in auto-renew.

• Nurses
• First responders
• Teachers
• Medical providers
• Government employees
• Students
• Seniors

As with the Groupon and Stack Social offer, it’s only open to new members or people who haven’t had an active membership for the past 18 months. You’ll also need to pay using a Visa credit card to get the incentive.

Get more value from your Costco membership

If you can swing a new member welcome credit when you get a new Costco membership, that’s extra money to spend in-store or elsewhere. Even so, a $20, $40, or $45 credit pales in comparison with some of the cash back rewards you might earn.

The average American household spent over $6,000 last year on groceries, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you spend even a part of that in Costco, you might be able to earn hundreds of dollars in rewards. In fact, you could cover your annual membership fee and still have bonus money.

How? The first step is to think about what credit card you want to pay with. Look for a card that’s compatible with Costco (which only takes Visa cards in store) and pays decent rewards on everyday spending. Even better if it won’t charge you an annual fee. Click here to learn more about our best strategy for saving money at Costco.

If you can stack benefits, so much the better. For example, if you spend more than $3,250 at the warehouse giant, consider upgrading to an Executive membership. One of the big perks is 2% cash back on the majority of your Costco spending. If you have a big household and regularly shop at Costco, the extra membership fee could quickly pay for itself and then some.

New member promotions are the icing on the cake

If you’re unsure about getting a Costco membership, these promotions might act as an extra push to jump in. Once you do, Costco believes you’ll get so much value that even a full-price membership will pay for itself. In truth, a lot depends on your household, spending habits, and whether there’s a Costco near you.

During your first year, see if you can keep a mental tally of any savings or extra costs. That way, when your membership is up for renewal, you’ll know if it is worth paying for it again.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

We love versatile credit cards that offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco! This card is a standout among America’s favorite credit cards because it offers perhaps the easiest $200 cash bonus you could ever earn and an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, even when you shop at Costco.

Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it’s no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

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Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Emma Newbery has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.