Comments on: PriceSmart / COSTCO

By: Marty Holmes

Marty Holmes — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:51:24 +0000

On the subject of inter-store acceptance of PriceSmart cards, I tripped across this in

http://www.pricesmart.com/Membership/mem_FAQs.htm

“Where can I use my PriceSmart membership?

Your membership is international and you can use it in any of the eleven countries and one U.S. territory where we operate (the number of clubs in each country is in parentheses): Costa Rica (4), El Salvador (2), Guatemala (2), Honduras (2), Nicaragua (1), Panama (4), Aruba (1), Barbados (1), Dominican Republic (2), Jamaica (1), Trinidad and Tobago (2), U.S. Virgin Islands (1).”

Regards

By: Don Ray

Don Ray — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 16:44:12 +0000

From all the people I have heard from in Panama, they know the difference here.

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 16:17:13 +0000

Pricesmart and Costco are not owned by the same company, though as a PSMT shareholder I would not mind seeing Costco make an offer to take it over.

Since they are not part of the same company, it would certainly make no sense for them to accept one-anothers cards where they do not share fees. Of course, they could reach some agreement to do so, but I don’t believe that they have. If a store employee at Costco accepted a Pricesmart card, it is likely just that they didn’t know any better; can’t hurt to try.

By: Don Ray

Don Ray — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:02:34 +0000

While Costco and Pricesmart were related in the past, they no longer are in Panama. You were wise to wait.

By: L. Carter

L. Carter — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 20:02:17 +0000

I just came from the new Costco here in Austin, TX and they wanted $50 for the card. We will wait till be get to David to purchase one!

By: Don Ray

Don Ray — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:08:34 +0000

I am not aware of PriceSmart having a Panama Website. Here is a link for the Central America locations. http://www.pricesmart.com/Warehouses/wh_locations.htm

By: EJ Glaude

EJ Glaude — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 16:56:02 +0000

Does Costco have a website in Pnama City or David?

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 05:14:50 +0000

A smaller selection at Price Smart in David will probably be a good thing for me when we visit. I live in Washington State, and shop often at the Burlington store. I can walk in with a list of 3-4 items, and walk out with a full cart that cost me $300. Yes, even here, if you see it, and want it, buy it now because it may be the only time its there.

My husband and I will be visiting in October in hopes of finding property. I have another 5 years before I can retire, but we are both ready for a simpler life, and more than 2 months of nice weather vs 10 months of cold gray rain. We were in Panama last March for two weeks, and loved it! It was the first time we have been away from home for two weeks and did not want to come back.

By: Don Ray

Don Ray — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 13:48:37 +0000

As an update, I just read on one of the Yahoo Panama Groups that a person had recently asked the David PriceSmart store if they would honor the US Costco card. They got an answer of “no”, and bought a PriceSmart card for $21. I have no idea if it should have been honored or not. I feel sure that it is in the best interest of the Panama PriceSmart store to have a new card purchased. And for $21 it is not that big of a deal.

I do know that the US Costco in Texas took my Panama PriceSmart card with no reservations. Again, I doubt if the US Costco is in need of a membership fee as much as the Panama PriceSmart store might be.

By: Don Ray

Don Ray — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:57:14 +0000

Well I could have been lucky and the Costco company in the US might have been prepared to accept any card. Whatever the case, they did accept my PriceSmart card.