Sam's Club Is Letting Costco Members Shop There for Free This Weekend

From Good Housekeeping

Last week, Costco officially switched its accepted credit card from American Express to Visa. That means that all shoppers can only use Visa credit cards (and all forms of debit cards), and Costco credit card members were sent new Citibank Visa cards in the mail. But some customers are furious about the change, and rival Sam's Club is capitalizing on it.

Now through July 4, any Costco members can use their membership cards to shop at any Sam's Club in the United States, without an entry fee. They can also use Sam's Club branded gas stations without any additional fees. The idea is clearly to get peeved customers to switch their loyalties.

Sam's Club posted about the promotion on Facebook, digging at Costco by noting that "Sam's Club accepts ALL major credit cards."

The promotion is a direct parody of Costco's marketing around the switch to Visa. Sneaky!

Costco and Citi say that issues surrounding their new store credit cards are smoothing out, but Sam's Club is hoping that customers are peeved enough to make the switch. According to The Street, Sam's Club has boosted its digital technology and services, and is trying to get better products on shelves, to compete with the bulk behemoth that is Costco.