Costco says the time to raise membership prices is 'about now,' but it won't just yet: 'We'll let you know'

• For now, Costco is not raising the fee for members of its warehouse club, CFO Richard Galanti said Thursday.
• The company last increased its fee in 2017 from $55 to $60 for a basic one-year membership.
• More than 68 million households have paid memberships, netting the company over $4.2 billion last year.

At a time when everything seems to be getting more expensive, Costco's membership will stay the same — for now, at least.

The Issaquah, Washington, mega-retailer told investors Thursday that, for the time being, it would not raise the annual fee for its Gold Star membership from $60.

When asked about a fee hike, Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti acknowledged that the pattern of prior hikes would lead to one "about now," but said no increases were imminent.

"It's a question of when, not if," he said. "We'll let you know."