Sam's Club Vs Costco: Who Dishes Out The Cheaper Pizza?

Members of Sam's Club and Costco could spend all day debating which one is their favorite warehouse chain and why. And it's not just limited to the membership benefits, parking, products, or customer service (although in several of these areas Sam's Club outperforms Costco). One of the most debated features of the stores is the food court menus and, in particular, which one has the cheaper pizza.

Much like the fixed price on Costco's legendary $1.50 hot dog and drink deal at the food court, its whole 18-inch pizza (either cheese, pepperoni, or half-and-half) has remained at the same price of $9.95 for many years. And, also just like its hot dog combo, the pizza is a loss leader. That means it's kept as a low-price deal to get people in the door and keep them there so they buy other products.

If you want to get specific, Costco's 18-inch pizzas (which are always uniformly sliced) cost $0.04 per square inch. The Sam's Club pizza is only 16 inches, and although it's cheaper at $8.98, it's not a better deal, working out at $0.05 per square inch. That penny might not sound like much, but it equates to the Costco pizza being 20% cheaper per square inch than the Sam's Club pizza. 

Ordering pizzas from Costco's food court can be done by phone or in person. Either way, you'll need a Costco membership to buy food from its food court. There was a workaround, using a Costco gift card to buy the pizza if you didn't have a membership, but crackdowns (and the installation of scanners at the entrances) seem to have taken away that option at many Costco locations.

In contrast, Sam's Club's cafe seems to be much easier for non-members to use. Although some people do report being turned away, many others have shared their experiences of using it without a membership. In fact, one Sam's Club employee even posted on Reddit, saying "We don't require a membership at our club for the cafe or pharmacy. I work in the cafe and some times whole offices full of people come and get a couple pizzas." For some people, this might tip the balance back in favor of Sam's Club despite the chain's pizza being a little bit more expensive per each square inch.