News & Trending Shopping & Deals News

10 Valuable Costco Services Even Its Members Don't Know About

Costco is your favorite one-stop shop for fresh food and baked goods. But did you know that you can also rely on Costco for many other life essentials?

Costco Wholesale Store and Trademark Logo
Updated Sept. 24, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

Costco is known for being the best place to save on your family’s food, medication, and other household needs, but did you know that Costco also offers an array of other less-obvious services?

As a Costco member, you can access various savings on other products and services. Most of the time, these savings will save you the cost of your yearly membership and then some. For example, I saved about $500 on my car insurance and $400 on my home insurance by switching over to Costco.

Not in the market for a new insurance provider? No problem — there are likely other Costco services that you can benefit from. Let’s go through some of our favorites.

Earn 2% cash rewards at grocery stores and Costco

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card(Rates and fees) is a powerful rewards card that allows you to earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — including on groceries, even at warehouse stores like Costco.

New cardholders can also earn a one-time cash rewards bonus — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months!

If you’re looking for a powerful rewards card that offers an extended intro APR period, look no further, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card checks that box too!

This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.

The best part? There's no annual fee.

Click here to apply for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card now.

Pet insurance

Lunja/Adobe group of dogs running over the lawn

Pet insurance is gaining in popularity among owners who are looking for ways to protect themselves and their beloved pets from high veterinary costs.

Here's a great Costco membership perk: Costco members receive 15% discount on pet insurance!

The pet insurance is provided through Figo, which is considered one of the best pet insurance companies.

One great thing about this service is that it also offers the opportunity to talk to a live vet online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Home and installation services

artursfoto/Adobe worker is putting up wallpapers on the wall

Costco offers some services that could help you with your renovation needs. If you’re shopping around to find an installer for your new flooring, windows, or even an HVAC system, don’t forget to also obtain a quote through your local Costco warehouse.

Costco partners with local installers to offer its customers great deals on what are often the most expensive parts of any home renovation.

Also, if you’re planning to buy a major appliance at Costco, remember that they offer installation, too. This includes dishwashers, fridges, freezers, stoves, hoods, and more.

Hearing tests and aids

Dusko/Adobe senior man at medical examination

Here’s something that might surprise you: Costco is the most popular individual retailer of hearing aids in the United States.

So, what makes Costco customers so happy with their hearing aids? For one thing, the in-house Kirkland brand of hearing aids is renowned for its sound clarity and overall quality.

What’s even more important is the brand’s affordability. Cost is especially key since many insurance plans do not offer any funding help for hearing aids.

Stop overpaying when you shop online at Costco

Shopping online has its perks. It's super convenient, but it can be time consuming to find the best deals. Instead of hunting for coupon codes (that don't always work!) and opening tons of browser tabs comparing prices, you can try Capital One Shopping.

Capital One Shopping makes saving money effortless. Just add the browser extension and when you check out, it'll scour the internet for coupon codes to help you save cash. And before you check out at 25+ major retailers, Capital One Shopping will notify you with a friendly pop-up if the item you're buying is available cheaper somewhere else.

Capital One Shopping is free to use and won't show you ads. Add it today and stop overpaying!1

Get Capital One Shopping now

Checks

jwohlfeil/Adobe pen writing a check

A check remains one of the safest ways to make a big purchase, even though the world is becoming increasingly less dependent on cash and checks.

The only problem is that obtaining checks from our home banking institution is often expensive. Luckily, Costco offers check services through their provider Harland Clarke.

Costco members can save an average of 50% on the cost of checks and can easily order them online without leaving the house.

Auto and home insurance

Farknot Architect/Adobe house and car model on wooden with blur green nature background

Most Americans spend big bucks on auto and home insurance. It costs the average American over $5,000 a year to cover these two expenses. Saving money on auto insurance alone is one of the best car owner moves you can make.

Costco offers car insurance, home insurance, bundles, and other insurance plans, such as renter’s insurance. American Family Insurance underwrites it and receives rave reviews from consumers, with 90% of respondents reporting feeling “highly satisfied.”

Life insurance

Nutlegal/Adobe happy senior asian couple

Your home and car aren’t the only things that need to be insured. If you’re on the hunt for affordable life insurance, don’t forget that there are options available through Costco.

Costco offers life insurance exclusively to its members through Protective. It's very easy to adjust your policy as necessary, and customers report saving an average of 15% on their life insurance costs.

Auto buying program

standret/Adobe young african american woman in glasses stands in the car salon

Costco’s auto buying program may be little known, but it’s certainly not new and has in fact been around for 30 years.

Costco itself doesn’t buy cars. Instead, they offer cars through select franchised car sellers at a reduced cost to their members. 

Many shoppers who buy a car through this program enjoy the fact that they don’t have to get tangled up in negotiation as they would through the traditional buying process.

Garage doors

Michael O'Keene/Adobe  automatic garage door opener repair service technician

We are living in an age when you can learn how to do just about anything yourself on YouTube, but one thing most people should never try to DIY is a garage door installation. 

Not only is it incredibly hard to do, but it also has a high failure rate, which can result in negative consequences.

Fortunately, Costco offers garage door installations through Amarr and LiftMaster. It’s easy to purchase a garage door installation; the first step is to call in and request a free at-home installation quote. 

Costco offers a special incentive through its Executive Member program that allows cardholders to gain 2% cash back on all purchases.

Home solar panels

anatoliy_gleb/Adobe technicians installing heavy solar photo voltaic panels to high steel platform

There are many reasons to install solar panels on your home, and whether your motivating factor is the environment or your monthly budget, Costco can help you with custom installation.

Costco offers solar panels through Sunrun, which is notable for being the biggest solar panel provider in the country. Costco offers its members a 10% Shop Card to purchase Sunrun equipment.

Get a protection plan on all your appliances

Did you know if your air conditioner stops working, your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover it? Same with plumbing, electrical issues, appliances, and more.

Whether or not you’re a new homeowner, a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty could pick up the slack where insurance falls short and protect you against surprise expenses. If a covered system in your home breaks, you can call their hotline 24/7 to get it repaired.

For a limited time, you can get your first month free with a Single Payment home warranty plan.

Get a free quote

Travel

06photo/Adobe passenger In the Malaysia airport

This is one of the more well-known services on this list, but if you’re not aware that Costco has a travel program, welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.

Costco offers its members exclusive pricing on package vacations, as well as hotel bookings, rental cars, and even cruises. 

Not only do users report excellent savings, but they also give Costco travel customer service rave reviews — a must-have when you’re traveling because you never know what kind of unexpected hiccups you can encounter.

Be sure to use one of the top travel credit cards on your trip to make the most of your spending.

Bottom line

Sundry Photography/Adobe Costco Wholesale logo printed on the shopping carts

No matter what brings you to Costco, we’re sure that you can find one or two (or three!) other reasons to renew your membership.

Remember to check out the best Costco shopping hacks before you visit your local warehouse to keep optimizing your membership's savings.

Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards

5.0
info

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details


Author Details

Rachel Cribby

Rachel Cribby is a personal finance writer from Canada. Once a terrible math student with a fear of numbers, Rachel has embraced the world of personal finance and is passionate about empowering others to do the same. She especially loves taking topics that seem complicated and boring and making them interesting and easy to understand.