Costco has spent decades building one of the strongest brands in American retail. But its biggest warehouse club rival is increasingly finding ways to make the shopping experience more convenient.
Even though Sam’s Club and Costco are competing for many of the same shoppers, Costco has long had the edge when it comes to value and brand loyalty, particularly with its Kirkland Signature private-label products.
But Sam’s Club has developed another advantage that’s becoming increasingly important to shoppers — technology.
Now, Walmart and Sam’s Club are embracing a change that could make a meaningful difference at checkout. And it’s something Costco should be worried about.
Sam’s Club takes another shot at Costco
Sam’s Club and Walmart have added Tap to Pay at select locations, giving members another way to pay for their purchases without having to swipe or insert a physical card.
The technology is part of a broader effort by Walmart and Sam’s Club to make shopping faster and more seamless.
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Walmart plans to make the technology available at all of its U.S. stores and Sam’s Club locations by the end of 2026, with fuel stations expected to get the capability by mid-2027.
The feature works with eligible contactless credit and debit cards, as well as phones and smartwatches.
Shoppers can also add eligible Walmart, Sam’s Club, and OnePay cards to their digital wallets, giving Sam’s Club members another option alongside existing payment methods such as cash, traditional credit cards, and Walmart Pay.
“Giving customers and members more choice at checkout is part of a broader effort to make managing and using their money easier,” the company said.
Shuttersotck
Walmart’s technology bet could boost Sam’s Club membership
The combination of Tap to Pay and Sam’s Club’s Scan & Go technology, which allows members to scan items with their phones while shopping and pay without going through a traditional checkout line, is widening the technology gap between Sam’s Club and Costco.
During Walmart’s most recent earnings call, CEO John Furner described the company’s approach as “people-led, tech-powered” and said Walmart believes artificial intelligence can improve nearly every part of its business.
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“We’re using AI to make our work easier and help our associates grow and be at their very best. We believe AI will improve nearly every part of our business by making shopping better and our associates work easier,” Furner said.
That philosophy is already showing up at Sam’s Club.
In Walmart’s second-quarter fiscal 2027 results, Sam’s Club U.S. e-commerce sales increased 26%, while the company said members were increasingly using convenience-oriented services including Scan & Go.
Tap to Pay fits neatly into that strategy by giving members one more way to finish a purchase quickly.
Costco needs to step up its game
For some Costco shoppers, a quicker checkout process may not be enough by itself to justify switching clubs. Costco still has powerful advantages, such as its Kirkland Signature brand and reputation for value.
But losing members to a more convenient shopping experience is a possibility Costco will increasingly have to grapple with if Sam’s Club keeps innovating and Costco lags behind.
At Sam’s Club, faster delivery, mobile shopping, Scan & Go, and now broader contactless payment options all attack the same problem — the time and inconvenience that can come with a warehouse-club trip.
And as Costco and Sam’s Club continue to compete for the same households, convenience could increasingly determine where those shoppers spend their money.
Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco and Walmart.
