Shoppers on Reddit say they’ve cracked Costco’s pricing system, and it could help you spot whether something is a genuine deal on your next trip.
Plenty of customers visit Costco hoping to save money, whether they’re picking up household essentials, browsing bigger-ticket items, or grabbing the chain’s famous hot dog combo.
But it’s not always obvious whether a price label signals a true discount or just the regular shelf price. That’s why a pricing guide shared on the Costco Reddit forum has drawn so much attention, with users claiming it reveals how to tell the difference.
According to the post, the final numbers in a price can tell you a lot about the type of offer attached to an item.
If a price ends in ‘.99’, it generally means there’s nothing unusual about it and that the item is being sold at its normal price. A price ending in ‘.97’ reportedly points to a markdown, and it may also suggest a limited-time or store-specific deal. That said, these endings are best treated as shopping clues rather than official Costco rules, because pricing can vary by warehouse and item.
When a product is marked with ‘.00’, Reddit users say that usually means it’s a store-level markdown rather than a company-wide one. These items may include returned merchandise or floor models, and stock is often limited.
Some shoppers also look for other endings, such as ‘.88’, which is often described online as a manager’s special or clearance-style markdown. As with the other codes, availability can differ from one location to another.
The thread also points to several in-store symbols that shoppers may want to watch for.
An asterisk placed above a price is said to mean the item is being discontinued, is seasonal, or will soon no longer be stocked. In practice, an asterisk is widely used as a sign that Costco does not plan to reorder the item, but it does not always mean the product is already marked down.
Because of that, customers are often advised to buy it immediately if they want it, rather than risk missing out later.
Some labels also include a date, which shows when the most recent price adjustment was made for that item.
The post adds that a green tag marks an ‘organic product’, serving as a ‘visual shorthand for organic items on the shelf’. Some shoppers use green signage as a quick visual cue, though the exact formatting can vary by warehouse.
Costco stands apart from many other retailers in the US because shopping there requires a membership.
There are now three main membership tiers in the US: Gold Star, Business, and Executive. Gold Star is the standard consumer option and gives members access to stores along with the chain’s regular savings.
For small-business owners, the Business membership works much like Gold Star but is designed for business use.
For more frequent shoppers, the Executive membership offers added benefits, including an annual 2% reward on qualified purchases and access to select member perks. Costco raised its US membership fees in September 2024, and the current annual prices are $65 for Gold Star and Business memberships and $130 for Executive membership.
Memberships start at $65 per year.