8 Things Most Shoppers Don't Know About Sam's Club Samples

Sam's Club is a great place to shop when you want to buy in bulk, stock up on all the necessities you use on a daily basis, and fill your freezer with easy meals to make on weeknights. But there's another excellent reason to go to Sam's Club: to fill up on free samples. Like many grocery warehouse clubs, Sam's Club offers customers free samples to introduce them to new products and encourage them to try foods they might not otherwise purchase. Not only does this help you, as a shopper, better understand what's on offer at the store, but it also ensures that your trips to Sam's Club are a bit tastier and more exciting. After all, you might just find a new grocery favorite while you're there.

But even if you're someone who frequents Sam's Club often — and have therefore gotten your fair share of free samples — there's probably plenty you don't know about the store's samples policy. We're taking a closer look at Sam's Club's samples so you can make the most of them the next time you visit the warehouse club. Doing your grocery shopping for the month has never been tastier ... just make sure you don't make these common Sam's Club mistakes.

Since Sam's Club and Costco are similar stores, it only makes sense that they'd be compared on essentially every front. And when it comes to free samples, shoppers are certainly making plenty of comparisons. One Redditor took to the platform to question why Sam's Club's samples were so bad compared to Costco's. This poster was a member at both stores, and they'd noticed that while Costco offered a large array of samples, the same wasn't true for Sam's. And this hadn't been the case on just one occasion — the poster described the phenomenon as a pattern.

Another Redditor suggested that maybe Sam's Club's samples weren't stacking up because a separate company hands out the samples, not Sam's Club itself. A different poster suggested that Costco is designed to appeal to more well-off buyers than Sam's Club is.

But Reddit isn't the only place on the internet where shoppers have displayed disappointment with Sam's Club samples compared to Costco's. Business Insider also compared the free samples at both warehouse chains and concluded that Costco's samples were, in fact, much better for a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason for the quality discrepancy between samples at these two stores, the message is clear: Sam's Club needs to improve its samples game if it wants to compete with Costco.

Some people say that you shouldn't go to the grocery store hungry, since it'll prompt you to buy a bunch of stuff you don't really need, and that's just one of many grocery store mistakes you can make. But in some cases — like when you're going to a warehouse club that boasts an array of free samples — it might make sense to show up a little hungry. Some shoppers really embrace that idea and go to their local Sam's Club ready to consume a whole meal. One influencer in China even brought cooked rice with him to Sam's so he could more easily piece together different free samples to turn into a complete dish. His meal included pork ribs, lamb rolls, egg puffs, and more. Apparently, he even got seconds from some of the sample stations simply by asking for them nicely.

But this one influencer isn't the only person who's turned Sam's Club free samples into a meal. Commenters on a Facebook post have said that they've done the same, with one saying that's sometimes how their dad fed them and their siblings lunch as kids. Another said it was a good way to save money when they didn't have a lot to spend. Plus, it helped them decide what was worth buying and what wasn't, so they didn't waste any money on stuff they didn't end up eating.

When you think of free samples at a warehouse club, you're probably imagining snacks, frozen foods, or, if you're lucky, some small portions of meat. Sometimes, your Sam's Club might serve up energy drinks or other prepared beverages. But there are reports that some Sam's Clubs even give out alcohol samples. However, just like if you were buying alcohol, you'll need to show your ID to get one of these samples.

Chances are, you're just going to get a sip of these samples — don't expect a heavy pour at the free sample station at Sam's Club. But since Sam's Club sells in bulk, it's actually really nice to be able to try just a sip of an alcoholic product before deciding whether you want to buy it. After all, if you don't end up liking it, you'll be left with a ton of it. This way, you can get a better sense of what you actually want to stock up on ... and what's better left behind.

Generally, when a grocery store hands out samples, it's an actual person distributing them. Not only are they there to physically pass you the food, but they're also around to explain what you might use said product for, what ingredients it contains, and other relevant information you might want to know before you buy it. At Sam's Club, though, that's not always the case. The store has employed a machine made by a company called Freeosk that allows Sam's Club members to scan their membership card and receive a free sample on the spot, with no employees involved in the interaction. Sam's Club first introduced the machines in 2012 and rolled them out on a wide scale in 2014.

By early 2026, Sam's Club announced that it would start adding its own branding to the Freeosk machines it already uses, signaling that the company is doubling down on its sample vending machines. Sure, it's a way to distribute samples more efficiently, but it arguably also makes for a less friendly and engaging shopping experience.

If trying the samples at Sam's Club is just an extra bonus for you, not an integral part of the shopping experience, then you can go to the warehouse store any time and hope a few sample stations are out. But for those who prefer to optimize for peak sample selection, it pays to know the best times to go to maximize your sampling experience. According to a 2018 source, going between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a weekend is your best bet for snagging samples.

But in 2023, Facebook commenters had more varied takes on when the best time to shop at Sam's Club for samples was. Two commenters still said that weekends generally were ideal, while one respondent said that anytime from Wednesday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., was prime sample time. Another claimed that they found the best samples on Saturdays between noon and 4 p.m. Regardless of the specifics, though, it seems like one thing still holds true: Samples are best found at Sam's Club on the weekends.

You already know that when you're looking for samples from Sam's Club, you should stop by the big box store on the weekend to get the best chance at sampling what you want to taste. But if you're really trying to go all out on the samples, you might want to check when the next Taste of Sam's event is at your nearest Sam's Club. These events usually take place around the winter holidays, and they give guests an opportunity to try a wide range of samples, all at the same time. Often, they'll be held for a few days at a time, so even if you can't make it on a specific day, you'll still get the chance to stop by at your convenience.

Just keep in mind that because this event is limited to only a few days, it can get really, really busy during that time. It may not be the best time to do your standard grocery shopping, or you may want to make sure you're at least prepared for some longer lines and more crowded aisles before you show up. If you ask us, though, it's worth it to take advantage of all of those free samples.

A lot of the time, people assume that the people at Sam's Club who are handing out samples actually work at the warehouse club. But generally speaking, that's not actually the case. Instead, they work for an organization called Tastes & Tips. This company works with brands to get them in the spotlight, offering samples of their products to customers at Sam's Club. Although Sam's Club paused product sampling with Tastes & Tips during the pandemic, it made a return by 2021, with new safety measures in place.

Does it sound like a fun job to be able to hand out samples at Sam's Club? Absolutely — especially if you get to sneak a few samples yourself. That said, you should keep in mind that these workers probably won't be able to point you to any products you're looking for, particularly ones they aren't actively handing out. You'll need to ask an actual Sam's Club staff member for help with that.

Going to Sam's Club with your kids? They're probably going to be pretty excited to try all the free samples there. But if you're planning on bringing the little ones along, you should keep in mind that they'll likely need parental approval before they try anything at the sample stations. Redditors have reported that their children weren't able to take any samples before getting the okay from the parents.

This is a policy that requires a bit more attention from parents, but overall, it's probably a good thing. Sam's Club staff members want to ensure that they're not giving children food that they're allergic to or otherwise can't have due to health concerns. In this case, it's probably better to play it safe than to give a child something that they're actually not supposed to eat. Therefore, the next time you take your little ones to Sam's Club for free samples, be sure to keep them close by so you can give approval before they start taste-testing.