Costco is known for being the best place to save on your family’s food, medication, and other household needs, but did you know that Costco also offers an array of other less-obvious services?
As a Costco member, you can access various savings on other products and services. Most of the time, these savings will save you the cost of your yearly membership and then some. For example, I saved about $500 on my car insurance and $400 on my home insurance by switching over to Costco.
Not in the market for a new insurance provider? No problem — there are likely other Costco services that you can benefit from. Let’s go through some of our favorites.
Earn 2% cash rewards at grocery stores and Costco
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card(Rates and fees) is a powerful rewards card that allows you to earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — including on groceries, even at warehouse stores like Costco.
New cardholders can also earn a one-time cash rewards bonus — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months!
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This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.
The best part? There's no annual fee.
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Pet insurance
Pet insurance is gaining in popularity among owners who are looking for ways to protect themselves and their beloved pets from high veterinary costs.
Here's a great Costco membership perk: Costco members receive 15% discount on pet insurance!
The pet insurance is provided through Figo, which is considered one of the best pet insurance companies.
One great thing about this service is that it also offers the opportunity to talk to a live vet online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Home and installation services
Costco offers some services that could help you with your renovation needs. If you’re shopping around to find an installer for your new flooring, windows, or even an HVAC system, don’t forget to also obtain a quote through your local Costco warehouse.
Costco partners with local installers to offer its customers great deals on what are often the most expensive parts of any home renovation.
Also, if you’re planning to buy a major appliance at Costco, remember that they offer installation, too. This includes dishwashers, fridges, freezers, stoves, hoods, and more.
Hearing tests and aids
Here’s something that might surprise you: Costco is the most popular individual retailer of hearing aids in the United States.
So, what makes Costco customers so happy with their hearing aids? For one thing, the in-house Kirkland brand of hearing aids is renowned for its sound clarity and overall quality.
What’s even more important is the brand’s affordability. Cost is especially key since many insurance plans do not offer any funding help for hearing aids.
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Checks
A check remains one of the safest ways to make a big purchase, even though the world is becoming increasingly less dependent on cash and checks.
The only problem is that obtaining checks from our home banking institution is often expensive. Luckily, Costco offers check services through their provider Harland Clarke.
Costco members can save an average of 50% on the cost of checks and can easily order them online without leaving the house.
Auto and home insurance
Most Americans spend big bucks on auto and home insurance. It costs the average American over $5,000 a year to cover these two expenses. Saving money on auto insurance alone is one of the best car owner moves you can make.
Costco offers car insurance, home insurance, bundles, and other insurance plans, such as renter’s insurance. American Family Insurance underwrites it and receives rave reviews from consumers, with 90% of respondents reporting feeling “highly satisfied.”
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Life insurance
Your home and car aren’t the only things that need to be insured. If you’re on the hunt for affordable life insurance, don’t forget that there are options available through Costco.
Costco offers life insurance exclusively to its members through Protective. It's very easy to adjust your policy as necessary, and customers report saving an average of 15% on their life insurance costs.
Auto buying program
Costco’s auto buying program may be little known, but it’s certainly not new and has in fact been around for 30 years.
Costco itself doesn’t buy cars. Instead, they offer cars through select franchised car sellers at a reduced cost to their members.
Many shoppers who buy a car through this program enjoy the fact that they don’t have to get tangled up in negotiation as they would through the traditional buying process.
Garage doors
We are living in an age when you can learn how to do just about anything yourself on YouTube, but one thing most people should never try to DIY is a garage door installation.
Not only is it incredibly hard to do, but it also has a high failure rate, which can result in negative consequences.
Fortunately, Costco offers garage door installations through Amarr and LiftMaster. It’s easy to purchase a garage door installation; the first step is to call in and request a free at-home installation quote.
Costco offers a special incentive through its Executive Member program that allows cardholders to gain 2% cash back on all purchases.
Home solar panels
There are many reasons to install solar panels on your home, and whether your motivating factor is the environment or your monthly budget, Costco can help you with custom installation.
Costco offers solar panels through Sunrun, which is notable for being the biggest solar panel provider in the country. Costco offers its members a 10% Shop Card to purchase Sunrun equipment.
Get a protection plan on all your appliances
Did you know if your air conditioner stops working, your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover it? Same with plumbing, electrical issues, appliances, and more.
Whether or not you’re a new homeowner, a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty could pick up the slack where insurance falls short and protect you against surprise expenses. If a covered system in your home breaks, you can call their hotline 24/7 to get it repaired.
For a limited time, you can get your first month free with a Single Payment home warranty plan.
Travel
This is one of the more well-known services on this list, but if you’re not aware that Costco has a travel program, welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.
Costco offers its members exclusive pricing on package vacations, as well as hotel bookings, rental cars, and even cruises.
Not only do users report excellent savings, but they also give Costco travel customer service rave reviews — a must-have when you’re traveling because you never know what kind of unexpected hiccups you can encounter.
Be sure to use one of the top travel credit cards on your trip to make the most of your spending.
Bottom line
No matter what brings you to Costco, we’re sure that you can find one or two (or three!) other reasons to renew your membership.
Remember to check out the best Costco shopping hacks before you visit your local warehouse to keep optimizing your membership's savings.
Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards
FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Current Offer
$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Benefits
- Low spend threshold for its welcome offer — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Cell phone protection benefit (subject to a $25 deductible)
- Can redeem rewards at an ATM for literal cash
Drawbacks
- Foreign transaction fee of 3%
- No bonus categories
- Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
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