Why Montana Costco Members Are Getting More Than Ever in 2026

There has been some big news about Costco lately in Montana lately. The biggest news was the opening of a new store in Kalispell last November. 

New Costco Store Opens in Kalispell 

There have been some other stories about the company, and a lot of it has been good news for its members.  

Faster Checkout Is Already Changing the Shopping Experience

Costco has worked to speed up the checkout process. For those who don’t have a lot of items in their carts, employees can now scan the contents while people are in line. They then send that information to one of the Self-Checkout lanes; the customer then pays and is on their way. This was new to us during our last shopping trip.

READ MORE: Montana Costco Stores Expanding Hours—And That’s Not the Only Change

Executive members have added perks, like expanded store hours. They can shop at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than regular store hours.

READ MORE: Here’s What Montana Costco Members Are Saying About the Early Openings 

Costco isn’t just for groceries. Many drivers purchase their gas at Costco, and for good reason. They provide some of the cheapest fuel in Montana, according to GasBuddy.com. For those who get Costco gas, you know they don’t take cash. You must use either a debit or a credit card. If you use a Costco credit card, there is another perk. 

Costco members who use the Costco Anywhere credit card from Citi now receive 5% cash back, up from 4%, according to The Street. Costco also reported a record year for gas volumes in 2025. Now they want to reward those who use their credit card to purchase gas.