Costco's price adjustment is straightforward, generous, and constantly confused with price matching — which Costco has never done. Here's the distinction and how to claim.
Costco does not match competitors. Full stop.
If Target is cheaper, Costco will not match it. What Costco does is adjust its own price when it drops after you buy.
That's a real benefit and a narrower one than people expect.
The window: 30 days
If Costco's price on something you bought drops within 30 days of your purchase, you can claim the difference. This applies to both warehouse and Costco.com purchases, though the claim route differs.
How to claim
Online orders
Costco.com has a price adjustment form. You'll need your order number, the item number, and your membership number. It's genuinely self-service — no phone call, and the credit typically returns to your original payment method.
Warehouse purchases
Take your receipt to the membership counter. Staff can process the adjustment on the spot. This one cannot be done online, which is the main friction in the whole process.
What's excluded
- Clothing, apparel and footwear
- Software
- Some large or specialty items, including certain furniture and appliances with their own terms
- Costco Travel, which operates under separate rules entirely
Grocery and consumables are technically eligible but rarely worth the trip.
Where the real money is
Big-ticket electronics and appliances. Costco rotates promotional pricing on TVs, laptops and appliances frequently, and a drop within 30 days of a $1,500 purchase is a meaningful cheque.
Watch the calendar. Costco's deepest promotional cycles cluster around major holiday weekends. If you buy a large item a week or two before one, check the price again after.
Bring this
- Your receipt or order number
- The item number — Costco's own, not the manufacturer's model
- Your membership number
- The current lower price, from Costco
The most common mistake
Walking into a warehouse with a competitor's advertisement. Costco staff will politely decline, because that's not the program. Compare Costco to Costco, and check within 30 days.