If you’re going to shop at wholesale grocery clubs like Costco or BJs then you have to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth. After all, you have to pay for membership. If you don’t save enough throughout the year by shopping there, then the membership isn’t worth it. Here’s a guide to BJs membership types to help you determine what’s right for you.
BJ’s Membership Types: Inner Circle
The regular BJ’s membership is called the Inner Circle. If you want to shop for groceries at BJs, then you need to have some type of membership. This is the one you’re most likely to get as a newbie. It costs you $55 per month. Here’s what you’ll get, other than the ability to shop at the members-only store:
- One primary household shopping card plus a second one that anyone in your home can use
- Access to online shopping including in-store pickup
- Coupons that provide additional discounts on groceries, similar to what you see in the Costco monthly coupon book
- Good deals on store brand items which may be priced lower than comparable items at other grocery stores
- Access to additional services including discounted gas, tires for your car, eyeglasses, and travel services
BJ’s Membership Types: Perks Rewards
If you like to get cash back when you shop then you might want to take a look at the Perks Rewards program. This progam offers you all of the same things that you get with the Inner Circle membership. However, you also get 2% cash back when you shop at BJs.
This BJs membership costs $110, so it’s twice as much as the regular program. You have to make sure that you’re going to earn at least $55 per year in cash back rewards for it to be worth it. If you make BJs your regular grocery store, and you shop often for a large household, then you should be able to maximize this BJs membership.
It’s important to know a few things about this program:
- Most items are included for cash back but there are some exceptions. Read the terms carefully before you choose this BJs membership.
- You can’t cash out your rewards until you’ve reached $20. Moreover, rewards are only available in $20 increments.
- You can use your rewards to get that amount of a discount but you don’t get actual cash back. For example, if you only owe $15 at checkout, you aren’t going to get $5 in cash.
BJ’s Membership Types: Shop Online
If you only want to shop online and not in the store then you might consider getting the BJ’s Online Access Membership. You’ll have access to good deals on the store’s website. However, this is a limited membership. You don’t get any of the “extras” (like discounted gas or travel deals.) Moreover, even though you get good prices, they may not be as cheap as what you’d get with a full Inner Circle or Reward Perks membership. That said, this is a cheap BJs membership. It only costs $10 per year.
Other Things to Know About BJ’s Memberships
Those three memberships are the major BJs membership options for individuals. Here are a few extra things that you should know:
- You can also get business memberships from BJs.
- BJs offerships membership discounts to college students and members of the military.
- BJs often runs promotional deals for discounts on their memberships. If you’re not in a rush to shop there, wait for one of those.
- BJs does accept manufacturer coupons for better prices in store.
- They offer a 100% guarantee and you can cancel your BJs membership at any time. You’ll receive a refund.
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