5 Costco Perks You Aren’t Taking Advantage of — but You Should

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If you’re a Costco member or plan to join, don’t miss out on membership perks. You may be ignoring some valuable benefits. Check out a few you should use. [[{“value”:”

Many shoppers invest in warehouse club memberships to get better deals on essentials like groceries, household goods, and clothes. If you’re a Costco member or are thinking of joining, you need to use the perks provided to maximize the value that you get. Read on to learn about five Costco membership benefits that could save you hundreds of dollars annually.

1. Shop through Costco Next for member-exclusive deals

Some members don’t realize that their membership perks include access to Costco Next, an online shopping portal with deals from popular retailers. The items you’ll find on Costco Next can’t be found in Costco stores, and right now they include clothing, appliances, pet products, lawn furniture, and much more.

2. Save money on moving truck rental fees

Are you planning a move soon? If you need to rent a moving truck, you can get a discount with Costco. Costco partners with Budget Truck Rental to offer discounts of 25% off retail truck rental rates. This membership benefit can save money and help ensure your upcoming move goes smoothly.

I reviewed truck rental prices in the Chicago area to determine how much you could save on this expense. Renting a 26-foot truck from Budget Truck Rental would normally cost $39.99 a day, with an additional $0.79 per mile charged. But with a Costco card, you’ll pay $29.09 daily plus an additional $0.57 per mile. That’s a savings of at least $10 per day on moving costs.

3. Find insurance discounts

Did you know that your Costco membership can unlock insurance discounts? Whether you’re looking for a new home or car insurance policy or you want to compare rates to see if it’s best to switch insurers, check to see if you can get a deal with your Costco card.

Costco partners with select insurance companies to provide members in most states discounted home, auto, life, and pet insurance coverage. According to Costco, its members reported saving an average of nearly $600 when switching their car insurance coverage to one of its partners, CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance.

4. Add an additional driver for free on eligible car rental bookings

When making travel arrangements through Costco Travel, members can enjoy plentiful discounts. But that’s not all. For eligible car rental bookings, you can add an additional driver to your reservation for free.

When using your Costco membership perks to rent a car with Alamo or Enterprise, the additional driver fee is waived for rentals in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Ireland, and Spain. The fee is also waived for Avis and Budget for U.S. car rental bookings.

Additional driver fees cost about $13 to $15 per driver per day, so the savings can be substantial — especially if you’re planning a lengthy road trip.

5. Score a discount on gift cards from popular retailers

Before you buy gift cards for yourself or those you love, check to see if Costco sells gift cards from your favorite retailers. The warehouse club sells discounted gift cards for tons of popular brands and experiences, including restaurants, airlines, movie theaters, sporting events, and more.

You can save even more money by purchasing select gift cards during sales. Keep an eye out during the holidays for extra gift card savings opportunities.

Get the most from your Costco card

Take advantage of the valuable perks included with your Costco membership. The above benefits are only a sampling of the perks available to members. If you’re new to Costco, check out our ultimate Costco guide to stretch your money further.

Here’s one final tip: Consider using a credit card that earns rewards when paying for your next Costco haul. You can redeem your rewards for cash back or a statement credit to save even more money. Check out our list of the best credit cards for Costco shoppers.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

If you’re shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, you’ll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period.

Click here to read our expert recommendations for free!

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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