3 Costco Membership Hacks That Could Save You Hundreds

1. Take advantage of Costco's price adjustment policy

This is a fantastic benefit that I've found many Costco members are unaware of: Costco will offer you a refund of the price difference if an item decreases in price within 30 days of purchase. There are some limitations to this policy, but it will work for most products. 

Note that this is not a price match policy with other sellers, but rather applies if the price of the item declines at Costco specifically within 30 days. This can be especially impactful on large purchases -- if you buy an expensive item at Costco, keep an eye on the price of that item for the next 30 days. If it drops below the price that you bought it for, go to Costco customer service and a representative should refund you the difference in price.

2.  Maximize your cash back using a top credit card at Costco

If you frequently buy gas at Costco and also frequently travel and eat out at restaurants, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is a great card to consider. It's tough to beat the rewards rate for gas at Costco specifically, and also sports a strong travel and restaurant rewards rate. 

However, if you're looking for a great unlimited cash back card to use anywhere (including Costco), consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, which offers the same cash back rate on Costco and Costco.com purchases as the Costco Visa Card, and also has a strong welcome offer. You can pretty easily rack up hundreds of dollars in cash back using this card at Costco and everywhere else, on purchases that you were going to make anyway.

3. Take advantage of membership perks like low-cost travel offers

Costco travel deals are a unique benefit to Costco members, and it's saved me quite a bit of money on expenses like rental cars. Additionally, if you're interested in a vacation package, there can be some excellent deals on bundled packages including hotels, flights, and rental cars. 

Often, if you book through Costco Travel, you will receive a Digital Costco Shop Card for booking the trip. This can be worth hundreds of dollars on its own! As long as you're willing to do a bit of extra work to price check Costco Travel vs. direct booking, then you could easily save hundreds of dollars booking through Costco.