There are many reasons to be a BJ’s Wholesale Club member. For one, with just a single purchase, you could save enough to pay for your membership.
It’s a strong competitor in the bulk-buying club arena, but it’s not for everybody.
Depending on your personal situation, there are a number of reasons why you might not want to part with a minimum of $60 per year to be a member.
If you live alone, for example, you likely don’t need the option of purchasing in bulk that’s such a big part of BJ’s appeal. Others may have to travel far to their nearest location, which can offset any potential savings.
Here are several reasons why a BJ’s membership just might not be right for you.
1. It costs the same as Sam’s Club
BJ’s hiked its membership fees in January 2025 — something it hadn’t done since 2018.
The cheapest annual option for individuals is the Club membership, which is now $60, up $5 from $55. The cost of the Club+ membership, which comes with an annual 2% reward on purchases, has risen by $10, from $110 to $120. Both tiers now cost the same as regular-price Club and Plus memberships at Sam’s Club.
2. You can shop without a membership
A BJ’s membership isn’t always required to shop there.
Shopping online is one way to get around annual membership fees, but you’ll need to check out as a guest and get BJ’s 1-Day Online Pass. The pass will give you 24 hours to make purchases without a membership and is valid for online purchases with shipping. You can’t use it for same-day delivery or curbside pickup.
Also, each BJ’s member is allowed to bring two guests with them when shopping in club locations. But you’ll have to work out how to reimburse the member, since BJ’s will only accept payment from members.
3. You can get warehouse club benefits elsewhere
Of course, BJ’s isn’t the only membership store out there. Sam's Club is a division of Walmart Inc. and, depending on where you live, could be a better option for you. With hundreds of locations worldwide, Costco might be an option too.
A growing number of non-warehouse-club retailers now offer memberships, including Walmart and Amazon, that come with benefits beyond bulk shopping.
So, it might make more sense to opt for a Prime or Walmart+ membership, especially if you don’t buy many groceries in bulk or if you prefer shopping online.
4. You moved recently
BJ’s has more than 260 U.S. locations in over 20 states, mostly located east of the Mississippi, so they’re not near everyone.
Some shoppers may not mind driving far for a BJ’s shopping excursion, but for plenty of others, the distance is just too far.
If you no longer live near a store and don’t find the website a good substitute, it might be time to end your membership.
Also note that BJ’s has opted to “temporarily stop selling merchandise to consumers in California,” due to the company’s lack of confidence that its product labels meet the state’s health warning requirements.
So residents of the Golden State will have to do their warehouse club shopping somewhere else.
5. You live alone now
BJ’s sells its products mostly in bulk, and as your family size and personal needs change over the years, that just may not make sense for you. If you’ve recently separated or lost a partner or your children are now on their own, you may not have enough need for bulk purchases to make a BJ’s membership cost worthwhile.
If you’re limited on storage space in your freezer or pantry, you could struggle to consume food items before they go bad. That’s a big waste of money and just one case where bulk shopping doesn’t make sense.
You may also struggle to find enough space to store big packs of paper towels and toilet paper if you’ve downsized.
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