Your Costco membership card can help you swipe your way to big savings, but you may be surprised to find out you’re not taking full advantage of it. Before you do a deep dive on how to save more, here is a breakdown of membership costs for the tiered pricing structure:
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Gold Star Membership: $65 per year
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Business Membership: $65 per year
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Executive Membership: $130 per year
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If you have a Costco membership, you’re probably well aware of the bulk prices, but are you taking advantage of all your membership benefits? If not, you should be. Here are 10 ways to do just that.
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Use Costco Direct
Even if you have a favorite Costco location, it doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of online exclusive offers. In other words, you can save money by shopping online via Costco Direct. You can get instant savings on a wide range of everyday items, many of which are already marked down.
Some big-ticket items — like patio furniture, appliances and electronics — have surprisingly high markdowns. Some items are as much as $400 off. As a Costco member, you can redeem discounts from tagged products twice.
Use Costco Next
Costco Next also offers exclusive discounts on online products. Just know that you aren’t buying directly from Costco, but rather from a third-party supplier. Still, you can get great Costco prices on sporting equipment, apparel, Kirkland Signature products, skincare products and so much more.
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Get Your Prescription Filled
As a primary member, you could benefit from the warehouse club’s Prescription Program. You could save up to 80% on select medications. You can also compare medication prices to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
Get Discounts on Eyewear
Costco members can get discounts on eyewear through Costco Optical, even if you don’t have vision insurance. This is the case for contact lenses, prescription glasses and nonprescription glasses. Costco also accepts most major vision insurance plans.
Get Free Hearing Screenings
As part of its focus on health and wellness, Costco also offers free hearing tests, free follow-up appointments, and free hearing aid cleanings and checkups. You can also get free loss and damage coverage on certain hearing-related devices. As for the devices themselves, Kirkland Signature brand hearing aids are potentially cheaper than other name-brand options.
Purchase Discounted Auto and Home Insurance
Do you have auto and home insurance? If you use your Costco membership, you could potentially get a better rate, especially if you bundle multiple vehicles on one policy.
Get Cheaper Travel
For frequent travelers, Costco Travel is another great way to maximize that membership. You can shop around for the best prices on hotels, planes, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages. You’ll need to reside in the United States, though, to take advantage of this Costco service.
Buy Cheap Gasoline
According to The Krazy Coupon Lady, Costco’s gasoline prices are about $0.11 cheaper per gallon than other leading brands and gas stations. That might not seem like much, but if you live nearby and are filling up anyway, why not save? Be sure to check out Costco’s tire center as well before hitting the road, as it often has great sales.
Pick Up Discounted Gift Cards
You probably know that Costco sells gift cards, but did you know you could actually save money by purchasing gift cards from the warehouse club? It truly is the gift that keeps giving, as the person who receives it can buy whatever they want.
For example, a gift card to Spafinder valued at $100 costs just $79.99 at Costco. A four-pack of Domino’s gift cards valued at $25 each (or $100 total) also costs $79.99.
Earn Rewards
As an Executive member or Gold Star member, you can get additional benefits. For example, the Executive card comes with a 2% reward on eligible Costco travel and regular purchases (up to $1,250 annually).
With the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card, you can also earn cash back:
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Up to 5% on Costco gas
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4% on other gas and EV charging
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3% on restaurants and eligible travel
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2% on all other Costco purchases
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1% on all other purchases
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Ways To Get the Most Value From Your Costco Membership
