You Can Save up to 30% by Buying Gift Cards at Costco. Here’s How

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Costco’s gift cards are one of its best membership perks. Read on to learn how to get 30% off when buying certain gift cards. [[{“value”:”

It’s no longer a little-known fact, but one that Costco members are everywhere taking advantage of. That’s right. I’m talking about gift cards.

Like other products at Costco, the club’s gift cards come in high denominations but super low prices. So low, in fact, it’s almost like Costco is giving away money.

If this is your first time hearing about gift cards, or you’ve seen them but didn’t know they could save you up to 30%, read on to learn why this Costco perk is its best membership benefit.

Costco gift cards have high values and low prices — but the instructions can be tedious

First off, when I say “Costco gift cards,” I don’t mean gift cards to Costco. Those would be Costco Shop Cards, and buying them directly does not automatically lead to immediate savings.

Instead, Costco gift cards are gift card bundles for other stores and brands. Many of these stores are restaurants and entertainment venues, but you can also find popular delivery services, like Instacart and Uber, as well as travel gift cards, like Southwest and Airbnb. It also sells gaming gift cards, but, in my experience, these have the lowest added value.

Let’s look at a popular gift card option: Uber. Members can purchase two $50 Uber eGift cards for $79.99. Since the value of these is $100, you get 20% off immediately by purchasing your gift cards from Costco. That can help you charge less to your credit card on your next takeout order.

Now, let’s zero in on a few things. First off, you can only buy two at once; Costco does not let you choose your denominations. So, if you wanted one $50 Uber eGift card, you would still have to buy two.

Secondly, if you buy your gift cards online, your gift card will be sent electronically to your email. You’ll then have to use the code that’s sent to you to upload the gift card into your account or an appropriate app. Some retailers will punch in the code at the registers, but not all will do this for you.

Finally, if you buy your gift cards online, it’s important to read the instructions on Costco’s listing pages, as some may have restrictions and limitations to usage.

For instance, you can purchase two units of Uber gift cards with a value of $200. However, you can only make one transaction of them every 14 days. That means if you buy one unit (value of $100) today, you can’t buy a second one tomorrow.

That sounds great. What about the 30% off?

Yes, you can save up to 30% on certain gift cards. For instance, you can get a $100 gift card to inKind restaurants for $69.99. Likewise, a $100 gift card for Synergy Restaurants is also $69.99.

To be sure, Costco occasionally adds new gift cards or puts current ones on sale. As of right now, most gift cards offer 10% to 20% off their values.

The best offering, or rather the one with the biggest value added in, is a $400 e-Card to Invisalign. If you’re a new patient to Invisalign, you can buy this gift card for $99.99. That’s right — 75% off this service just by purchasing your gift card at Costco.

Take a look at Costco’s website to see what other options are available. Even just knowing what gift cards Costco sells could help you in the future. You never know when you might find yourself at a Dave & Buster’s, thanking yourself for getting that extra $20 of gift card value to beat that high score at Galaga.

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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.The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, Gala, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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