Costco is an institution for those who are always on the hunt for a bargain, and now, we have some secret intel on what those Costco prices actually mean. Costco doesn’t do clearance sections or discounted labels, all the deals are run based on a secret code, and if you don’t know what to look out for, you could miss them. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered so you know what to look for.
The code has been cracked by some sleuths on X, and the meanings are as follows: When most Costco products hit shelves, they are listed as .99 before any clearances or discounts are applied. “Standard pricing ends in .
99, which is just the regular price that has not been marked down,” says Jessica Spangler, the influencer, author and money educator behind @ecommjess with 735,000 TikTok followers, in a popular video where she breaks down Costco’s pricing practices . Most stores will strike through original costs and add a discounted price, so that you can see how much money you’re saving. When you see a price ending in .
97, basically, you should grab it while you can. This means that it’s a manager’s deal that won’t be around for long and could mean an major discount. Products that end in .
49 or .79 are usually manufacturer’s special deals that signify that a product is newer and could be in a trial run phase. This means that the next time you see this product on shelves, it will be at a higher cost.
Related: When a price ends in .00, this is the lowest it is goin.