A while back I talked about the clever ways you can shop at Costco without a membership. The article was very popular and made me realize I should write the same article for Sam’s Club. Maybe you’re on the fence about dropping $50 for a standard membership, or you know you won’t buy enough in a year to make it worth it. Whatever the case may be, there are clever ways to get free access to the Sam’s Club warehouse throughout the year. Here is what you need to know to make it happen.

1. Use a Free 1-Day Pass

The easiest way to get into Sam’s Club and shop without a membership is to Print This One-Day Pass for free.

Be aware that you’ll be charged a 10% fee on all purchases and the 1-day pass cannot be used on Black Friday. If you live in California or South Carolina you won’t have to pay the 10% surcharge.

This is a great way to get in and check out Sam’s and not have to shell out $45 or $100 for an annual membership.

See Also: Sam’s Club Return Policy: Your 12 Burning Questions Answered

PRO TIP: SAM’S MEMBERSHIP COUPON

Visit the Sam’s Club official Coupon Page and they have a couple great membership coupons for new members to take advantage of. The first one is for $40 off a Plus Membership (brings it down to $70) and the other is for $25 off a Club Membership (brings it down to $25). They both expire on 1/31/25.

2. Shop Items That Don’t Require a Membership

Here are the items at Sam’s Club that you can buy without an active membership:

Alcohol: According to Glamour Living, “Because of a law that prohibits the sale of alcohol through members-only arrangements, all Sam’s Club stores will sell beer, wine, and the hard stuff to nonmembers.”

Prescription Drugs: From the Sam’s site, “You do not have to be a Member to buy your prescription medications from Sam’s Club. For pharmaceuticals with a script there is no fee for non-members.”

Optical Services: Also from the Sam’s Club site, “A Sam’s Club Membership will be required to purchase optical products.

However, a Membership is not required to see the doctor of optometry.”

Do you know of any other items you can buy at Sam’s without a membership? Let me know if you do.

PRO TIP: COLLEGE STUDENTS GET FREE $15

While not a free option, you can join the Sam’s Collegiate Membership and get a free $15 eGift card when you sign up for the $50 annual membership. Also, if you’re active or former U.S. military, you qualify for their Military Membership which scores you a free $10 eGift card when you renew or join for the first time. This offer is good for the spouses as well and expires on 12/31/24.

3. Shop During an Open House

Several times throughout the year, Sam’s Club hosts an open house event where all non-members are invited to shop the warehouse.

The best way to be kept in-the-know of upcoming open houses is to sign up for email alerts (look at bottom of page) from Sam’s or follow them on Facebook as they always let folks know in advance when an open house is in the works.

PRO TIP: SAM’S MEMBERSHIP HAS ZERO RISK

Similar to Costco, your Sam’s Club annual membership is completely refundable. So you can always buy it, then decide later if the saving the warehouse club provides is worth the cost. They’ll actually let you get a full refund on day 364 of your membership. You can request a refund in-store at the customer service desk, or call them at 1-888-746-7726.

4. Have a Member Add You

If you have a family member who has a Sam’s membership and is the only person on the account, they can add you to their account for free.

You’ll get a separate membership card in the mail and be good to go (and save).

Important note: You must be the primary account holder to add a complimentary cardholder.

5. Shop at Sam’s Club.com

Another smart way to take advantage of Sam’s Club pricing and selection is by shopping their website.

You DO NOT have to be an active member to shop on SamsClub.com, BUT you’ll be charged a 10% surcharge on your online purchases.

If you’re making a significant purchase from their site, and you’re not a member, consider asking a friend or family member (who is a member) to make the purchase for you.

See Also: Find Value With the Brands That Make Member’s Mark Items at Sam’s

6. Shop With a Friend

Avoid the 10% fee you’ll get charged with a 1-day pass, and simply shop with a friend or family member that is a paying member.

They’ll use their card at checkout and you can simply repay them for your purchases. This tip seems fairly obvious but is often an overlooked way to shop at Sam’s without paying for a membership.

7. Earn Cash Rewards That’ll Pay for Your Membership

Okay, before you holler at me, this final tip does require you to buy a membership, but….it could easily allow you to get if for free in the end.

It works by you signing up for the Sam’s Club Plus membership ($100/year) which earns you 2% cashback on all purchases. The 2% back can easily pay for your membership if you spend $420/month on average.

While that number might seem big, if you’re buying all your groceries and household items for your family at Sam’s that number is fairly easy to reach..

Ask the Reader: Do you think a Sam’s Club membership is worth the money or is it worth the effort to try and get an annual membership for free or cheap?

By Kyle James

Photo by Walmart.

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)