Well, this was unexpected!
Snacking on tasty free samples at Costco is as much a part of the warehouse club experience as its $4.99 rotisserie chicken or one of the food court’s oversized chocolate chip cookies. And if your kids aren’t picky eaters (lucky you), you can practically make a family meal out of the sample offerings while you shop.
But Costco is enforcing a more limiting sample policy (albeit very quietly), and some club members are complaining that it’s creating a roadblock between them and their free samples. After all, when you pay a Costco membership fee annually, you expect to enjoy the perks. Those don’t just include Costco’s low prices but also the other fun stuff, like samples.
So let’s explore how this policy might affect your next shopping trip.
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How is Costco limiting its free samples?
Kids are not allowed to retrieve a sample if they aren’t accompanied by an adult. You’ll be hard-pressed to find this in official writing, but on Reddit, Costco employees say this is absolutely the message being sent to staff. No grown-up? No sample. In fact, some college students who are older than 18 have even reported being carded in order to receive a sample! (One of the downsides of a youthful face.)
Why are samples limited for kids without an adult?
There are a couple of reasons at play here—namely, allergies and excess.
“It makes sense from a few perspectives,” says consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch. “First, children may not mind their manners and grab more samples than they should, leaving other shoppers empty-handed. It can also pose as a medical issue if the child has a food allergy. Ultimately, children should be staying by their parent’s side when shopping, so it may also aid in reducing the chaos of kids running around the store on their own.”
Does the rule apply to kids of all ages?
The Costco rule applies to “kids” up to the age of 18. However, as several Redditors mentioned, an employee manning the sample stands may question anyone who even remotely looks 18 or younger. While you might roll your eyes and be annoyed (one Redditor said it was so inconvenient to get out their ID, they moved on, without the sample), consider it a compliment, like when you get carded for buying alcohol decades after your 21st birthday.
Can kids still get a sample if they’re with their parents?
Yes. As long as a parent is by their side to give the OK, children can still receive Costco samples. Above all else, the policy is meant to keep the warehouse club’s youngest “members” safe. And while this may sometimes feel annoying, it’s hard to argue with that.
Are there any other limitations when it comes to samples?
There aren’t any other official limitations in terms of Costco samples. In theory, it’s technically not against Costco law to take as many samples as you want. It also may be at the discretion of the sample handler. Not all are so loosey-goosey. However, in our experience, there’s always a crowd around the samples. So if you clear the tray, you’re going to make some enemies out of your fellow club members. Use your best judgment.
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Sources:
- Reddit: “Is there actually an age requirement for samples?”
- Reddit: “How old do my kids have to be to get their own sample?”
- Andrea Woroch, consumer and money-saving expert; interviewed, August 2025
