Do you know how to use these FREE perks that come with your Costco membership?
Out of all the warehouse stores, it seems like Costco has a cult following. And given all the controversy around the Costco membership and how everyone discussed how to use it as effectively as possible, it seems like no matter their age, everyone is talking about this store!
We will not beat around the bush! They are one of the most popular stores out there for a reason, and even with the price of the membership, it is one of the best ways to save money when you are doing groceries for your family.
Indeed, there are a lot of ways in which you can make the most of it, and you probably already know all the discounts that come along with getting the Costco membership, but do you know all the free perks that come along with it?
And we do not mean the ones that you can get in-store that people are raving about! We mean the ones that come as an extra to their own services, many of which can end up saving you even more money during the membership, and that many people seem to forget about.
From travel opportunities to cashback, we bought you the best perks that come with your Costco membership that people do not talk about, so that you can make the most of your membership and get it to work in your favor even more!
Did you know about these Costco membership perks before? Have you used any of them before reading about them here? Which one seems like the most worth it? Let us know your answers in the comments down below!
1. Did anyone say vacation?
You probably did not know that your Costco membership also comes with Costco Travel discounts, and you can get pretty steep deals on things like resort stays, cruises, and other types of travel with them.
Costco Travel is a great place where you can find a lot of deals in general when it comes to traveling, yet not many people seem to be aware of it. You can find anything from flight tickets to great stays and all the way to rental car deals, and anyone can take advantage of their services.
However, for those of us who have a Costco membership, you can receive an extra night for free at selected resorts in Florida, Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and other sought-after tropical locations!
If you have been dreaming about going on a cruise but do not want to spend too much, you can definitely look into Costco Travel, as a 7-night cruise leaving from Florida’s Port Canaveral starts at around $1,500. Yet, depending on when you look into it, you can get more deals and find them for better prices.
What’s more, you will receive the Digital Costco Shop Card as a bonus too, which unlocks other types of freebies and deals for you! These are just some of the perks you can enjoy for the travel side of their business, and if you look closely, you can even get credit to use at the resorts since you booked with Costco Travel!
Next time you are organizing your vacation, give them a try and see how your Costoco membership helps you get even more great deals!
2. Did you know you can buy a car easier with them?
Yes, you read that right. If you have a Costco membership, you can easily end up getting better deals when you are looking around to buy a new car.
This is because the membership gets you into the Costco Auto Program, and they have an interesting relationship with approved dealers.
The program ends up having prearranged pricing, generally having the cars put at better prices than if you had just walked into these dealerships yourself.
Thus, you can end up getting a great price from a good dealer without the hassle of having to find them yourself or go through all the haggling with the representative.
Even better, this program is not just for new cars. Generally, you will also be able to find dealers for pre-owned cars, and it can go as far as dealing with new or pre-owned RVs as well!
There is a world of possibilities, and if you have been curious about the vehicle market, it is good to have a look at Costco’s Auto Program as well!
The great news is that there are perks for your car, even if you have not bought it from Costco.
Your membership will get you an extra 15% off from any service center that is partnering with Costco in your area, so you may be able to get your car fixed or do our maintenance for less than at other car shops!
3. Free delivery for groceries
Going to Costco can be an amazing experience, and if you have the time to wander around the aisles, you can never know what you can find on the shelves and what deals are lurking around for you to discover! It’s exciting to shop for deals!
Yet, as much as a lot of us love to go, there are a lot of other times when you just do not want to deal with the hassle of going grocery shopping. Sometimes other factors prohibit you from going; sometimes it may be the weather. One thing is for sure: there are lots of situations where you would rather do all your shopping from home.
And if you have a Costco membership, this is within your grasp! Gone are the days when you could only shop at these warehouses in person, as you can go on their website and get all your favorite products directly from there for a shipping fee.
Yet, for members, you can end up getting two-day shipping for free if your order contains non-perishable items worth at least $75. If you are also shopping for refrigerated or even frozen food, you will have to meet the $100 threshold to be able to get free shipping.
Despite these limits that you have to reach to get free shipping, if you are getting together with some other family members or friends, you can easily reach those.
Or, next time you know you are going to be stocking up on a lot of essentials, you can skip having to push around a very heavy cart and log around those heavy bags and just order them online!
You never know when a perk like this comes in handy, so it’s good to keep in mind!
4. Cash Back on Purchases
What even some of the biggest Costco fans do not know is that you can end up getting cash back at their favorite warehouse store, but it is only available for the executive members.
While some believe that it is just one Costco membership, the Gold Star one is what some would consider the basic one, which you can get for $60.
The more expensive one makes you an executive member, and you will have to pay $120 for the year, so double the price. Yet, the cashback is a free perk that only comes to them.
The Executive members end up getting back a 2% reward on every purchase made at the store, which will be payable around three months before your membership is set to renew, and you can end up earning a gift certificate of up to $1,000 a year!
While there are a lot of people wondering if it is worth it to get the normal Gold Star Costco membership, there are others who are going to the Executive one without thinking twice due to this perk.
The 2% reward is going to apply to every purchase from the warehouse and any type of travel you book with their travel agency. Yet, you have to be already registered with the Exclusive membership before you book to be eligible for these.
It may sound tempting, but you need to ask yourself how much you are going to be shopping at the warehouse.
If you end up spending around $250 a month at the store, or about $3,000 a year, at least, then you should opt for the Executive membership, as the perks that come are going to be worth it!
Take note that some items are going to be excluded from the 2% eligibility, and if you renounce the membership before the renewal date, you will lose all the perks accumulated.
5. Amazing and easy-to-use return policy
Never sleep on their return policy! While some praise Amazon for its return policy, especially with its Prime membership, you should know that Costco has a similarly amazing return policy that may be even better at times.
Costco has a risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee, which means that they are sure that you are going to love all their products. Yet, if, for whatever reason, that is not the case and you are not satisfied, they are going to put their money where their mouth is and refund the item for you.
No matter if you have purchased it online or in the warehouse if you bring your item back, they are going to refund you the cost without any problem. In fact, they have an indefinite return period, so you can always bring back the items you no longer want or need with no issues, which is almost never heard of in this day and age of retail.
However, we have to mention that when it comes to electronics and other types of items (which you can check on their website), you will only have 90 days to return them before you will not be able to do so. And let’s be candid, that is enough time to realize you do not need that item or that something is wrong with it.
This return policy is available for their membership as well! There is no need to debate whether or not it is worth it to have the membership with the store; you can easily bring it back at any time and get a full refund if you decide it is not for you.
So if you have been wondering if it is worth it, get it and give it a try! There is nothing to lose, as you will get your money back if you renounce it.
6. Car rentals at a better price, with a Free second driver!
This one is a perk that you get outside of the warehouse store, and it is one that comes in handy when you are going on vacation.
When you travel, you may choose to go long distances by plane; it’s faster, safer, and definitely a time saver. Yet, when you get to your destination, you will still need a car so that you can travel freely around the destination or to and from your accommodation. And a lot of the time, you will need to decide who will be the driver, which can be a bit of a mood killer.
This is where your Costco membership comes in handy, as with certain rental companies, you can get discounts and add a second driver for the rental at no added cost. If you travel and rent cars frequently, you know that it can cost you up to $15 to do that.
So next time you go on vacation, check to see if the rental company you use is going to be a Costco partner. They generally partner with Enterprise, Avis, Budget, and Alamo, so check them out.
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7. Insurance
No matter if you end up getting your car through Costco or not (though their reviews are pretty good), make sure you go to insure it through Connect. Connect is an insurance firm that is powered by American Family Insurance, and they offer special deals to those who have Costco memberships.
Be it car insurance or home insurance, you will be able to find low rates that are made especially for Costco members.
If you want to look into other types of insurance as well, you should also look into Protective, which is another Costco membership partner. They offer fast and low rates online for their life insurance policies. It is never too late to be safe, so give them a try and use your Costco membership to get a discount!
8. Price adjustments
Indeed, Costco does make price adjustments if you are a member, but only in certain cases.
If you have made use of their online shop and noticed that one or more of the items you have bought online have gone on sale in the next 30 days since you have purchased them, then you can request the price adjustment. Costco will then give you the cash back on the difference with no issue.
However, note that it does not work the same for other Costco prices.
Price adjustments are something specifically done for their online store for their members, and the store will not do the same for the items purchased in the warehouse or if you find the products cheaper at other stores.
9. Problems with Costco-purchased electronics? Free tech support!
Costco seems to sell anything under the sun, but one of their best deals comes in the form of electronics. You can end up getting pretty good deals on a lot of electronics in their store, and the amazing prices are not the only great perks about them.
Costco will offer free tech support for any electronic device that you have purchased from their store. This includes laptops, TVs, home and kitchen appliances, cameras, and many others! No need to shop around for good service shops for your devices; Costco’s got your back when you purchase them from their stores!
If you notice any problems with the devices, you can call their tech support line between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific time to request help, and they will also service the device if it is faulty for members!
If you want to see if the membership is worth it, we recommend you get the membership and then write the prices in a grocery notebook for everything over two or three months. Then you can see if it is worth it for you, and if it is not, then perk No. 5 is there for you!
Costco is indeed one of those stores that deserves the hype around it. There are simply so many items that are worth getting at this warehouse store, and in time, with all the discounts, the membership ends up paying for itself, so it’s like you have never even spent the money! The deals are so good here that even our Canadian neighbors are crossing the border for Costco! Don’t believe us? Check out all the products that drive people crazy for them here!