The Costco Receipt Trick That's Costing You Money — costco…

Costco shoppers love a good deal. The $1.50 hot dog, the rotisserie chicken, the giant tub of laundry pods that lasts until your kids go to college. But there's a quiet trap hiding in plain sight on every receipt — and once you see it, you can't unsee it. It's the price tag itself. Specifically, the last two digits. **The .99 Rule You're Probably Missing** Costco prices almost everything to end in a specific number, and those numbers are a secret code the warehouse giant never officially explains. But deal hunters and former employees have cracked it, and the pattern is remarkably consistent. If a price ends in **.99**, it's the regular, full-price item. Nothing special. You're paying sticker price. If it ends in **.97**, that's a markdown — usually a manager's decision to clear out an item that isn't selling or is being discontinued. This is where the real savings hide. If it ends in **.00** or **.88**, that's typically a final clearance price, often set by corporate. These are the deepest cuts and they rarely last long. And here's the kicker: if you see an **asterisk** in the top right corner of the price sign, it means the item is not being reordered. When it's gone, it's gone. Combine an asterisk with a .97 or .00 price and you're looking at a genuine, no-joke clearance deal. **Why This Matters Right Now** With grocery prices still squeezing household budgets, Costco members are hunting harder than ever for value. The warehouse club raised its annual membership fee in 2024 — Gold Star now runs $65, Executive $130 — so squeezing every dollar out of that membership matters more than ever. The .97 and .00 tags are where that happens. Shoppers who know the code routinely walk out with name-brand furniture, small appliances, clothing, and seasonal goods at 30% to 70% off. One Reddit thread documented a patio set marked down from $1,299 to $497 — a .97 tag with an asterisk. **Three More Receipt Hacks Worth Knowing** First, watch the **price adjustment window**. If an item you bought drops in price within 30 days, Costco will refund the difference. Most members never ask. Just bring your receipt to the membership counter. Second, check the **item number trick**. Costco rotates items constantly, and popular products sometimes return at lower prices. If your favorite snack vanished, it may come back cheaper — so don't stockpile at full price. Third, understand the **.99 trap on bulk**. A bigger package isn't always a better unit price. Costco occasionally sells a "family size" that actually costs more per ounce than a smaller version at your regular grocery store. Do the math on the shelf tag before you commit. **The Bottom Line** Costco isn't hiding anything — the code is right there on the sign. But the warehouse giant also isn't going to hand you a decoder ring. The shoppers who save the most aren't the ones who buy the most; they're the ones who read the last two digits before they load up the cart. Next time you're walking the aisles, slow down at the .97 tags. That's where the real deals live. Everything else is just a very large, very tempting full-price aisle. **Our take:** Costco's pricing code is one of the best-kept "secrets" in retail that isn't actually secret at all. Learn it once and you'll never pay full price on a clearance item again. The membership pays for itself — but only if you know which numbers to chase.