The Only Time Costco Will Price Match

A Costco membership comes with a ton of perks: from bulk discounts and fuel savings to free samples that help beat mid-shop hunger (and, of course, food court pizza if you’re in need of a bite!). But one benefit you won’t find? A price-matching policy. Despite the many advantages, Costco has yet to implement a program that matches competitors' prices on the same items.

Does Costco Price Match?

The quick answer is no. According to Costco’s online customer service, the retailer doesn’t offer price matching because they already provide competitive prices at checkout. Additionally, many of the items sold at Costco are from their own Kirkland Signature brand, which further complicates any potential price matches with other stores.

How to Save Money at Costco

Costco may not offer price matching with other retailers, but they will match their own sales. If an item you purchased goes on sale, you can request a price adjustment and get the difference back. However, there are a few things to keep in mind: the adjustment must be requested within 30 days, and if you bought something online, it can't be matched to in-store prices (and vice versa) due to shipping costs.

Any price adjustment requests need to be made where you made the purchase. If you bought something online, request the adjustment through Costco’s website (make sure the sale price hasn’t already been applied). If you bought it in-store, head to the Returns counter at the same location where you made the purchase. One more thing: Gold bars are excluded from price adjustments, and Costco has the final say on whether an adjustment is granted.

To make the most of Costco’s price adjustment policy, you'll need to keep track of ongoing sales and your past purchases, which can be a bit of a hassle. But for big-ticket items, like Thanksgiving turkeys or summer backyard games, it’s usually worth the effort.