Does Costco Offer Price Matching?

Costco members love the chain for its low-cost bulk products. There are plenty of other pros to shopping here; its warehouse shelves hold thousands of products to choose from, and Costco's food court items are known for being tasty and affordable. If you're wondering if Costco offers price matching, too, you may be a little disappointed. As of this writing, the answer is no. 

Not only does Costco not offer price matching for other retailers, but the chain also doesn't price match its warehouse items to its online store. So, while there are hacks that will change the way you shop at Costco, price matching is not one of them.

While it might seem odd for Costco to avoid price matching its physical store products to its online store, the reasoning makes sense. The chain's online store takes into consideration the extra cost of shipping and handling in its pricing, which does not apply to in-store items. As far as not price matching other retailers, the answer is simple. Other retailers rarely stock the same products that Costco does. Even if other stores offer the same brands, they likely won't have the same size products, and buying in bulk is usually a more affordable option anyway. (For example, it pays to buy your vanilla extract at Costco.)

So, price matching isn't possible at Costco, but there is still a way to save money on items. If members buy an item, and it goes on sale within 30 days of purchase, they can take it back to Costco's return desk for a price adjustment. Members can also do this online. The more you know, the more you save.