Costco Next Is a Hidden Perk of Membership: Here's How It Works

If you have a Costco membership, I need to fill you in on one perk that you might be missing out on: Costco Next.

Basically, Costco Next is an online shopping site where you'll find deals on a select assortment of items from about 70 brands that they partner with. It's a different set of deals from the ones you see on Costco.com or in the monthly Costco Coupon Book.

To give you a peek at some of the savings, I've found deals on Mikasa flatware sets (33% cheaper than other sites), Cosrx snail mucin (23% cheaper than Amazon), and trendy Baggallini bags (55% less than if you were to buy direct). And the prices listed on Costco Next are what you'll pay — no Costco price hacks required.

Here, I'm going to explain how Costco Next works, plus teach you how to use the online shopping portal to uncover the best Costco deals for yourself.

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What is Costco Next?

Costco Next is an online shopping portal that lets you buy items from certain brands at a low price negotiated by Costco. You'll need a Costco membership number to enter the site, but once you're there, you can shop for things like beauty products, clothing, and even big-ticket items like gazebos.

The Costco Next shopping site has been around since 2017, but don't feel bad if you've never heard of it. Costco keeps their marketing kind of low-key on purpose to keep their prices low.

It's important to understand that shopping on Costco Next is not the same thing as ordering from Costco.com or Costco Direct. If you buy from Costco.com or Costco Direct, the items are shipped from a Costco distribution center. With Costco Next, the items are shipped directly from their partner brands.

Keep in mind: Since you're buying directly from the brands on Costco Next, your purchases will be covered by that brand's return policy — not the Costco Return Policy. And if you have any problems with your order, you'll need to reach out to that brand's customer service team, not Costco's.

How does Costco Next work?

You can get into the Costco Next website in just a few steps.

Here's how to do it:

1. Visit the Costco Next shopping site (it's also linked in the Costco app).

2. Select a brand by name, or browse the product categories.

3. To enter a brand's shopping site, enter your Costco membership number, first name, and last name. (You can also create a free Costco account at this step.)

4. Add items to your cart, then checkout through the brand's shopping site.

One kinda-quirky thing is that you have to complete the online checkout process for each brand separately. There's not one "Costco Next" shopping cart you're adding things to. Instead, each brand has their own online cart and checkout process on the site.

Insider tip: Because Costco does all their business in bulk, they're able to negotiate lower prices on a curated list of items from certain online suppliers that they partner with. They pass those savings on to members through the Costco Next shopping portal.

Can you shop Costco Next without a membership?

While you do need a membership to place an order through the site, you technically could browse the deals if a friend or family member shares their Costco membership number with you. (You don't have to enter a username or password to access Costco Next.)

But Costco Next is meant to be a perk exclusively for members, which is important if something goes wrong with your order or Costco finds out you're sharing memberships.

What kinds of products can you find on Costco Next?

As of the time I'm writing this, there are about 70 different brands featured on Costco Next, and they're adding more all the time. The brands cover all sorts of categories, from Korean beauty products to pet items, sports equipment, and more.

Here's a quick list of some of the most popular brands and products you can find on Costco Next:

Beauty & Skincare

• Butter London — High-end nail treatments, makeup, and body balms

• Most Inc. — Korean beauty products like facial serums, masks, and scrubs

• NassifMD — Skincare kits, moisturizers, and cleansers

• PMD — Facial cleaning tools, skincare products, and accessories

Clothing & Accessories

• Baggallini — Totes, mini bags, and backpacks

• Dearfoams — Slippers and footwear

Electronics

• Anker — Portable power stations and charging tools

• Case-Mate — Phone cases and accessories

Grocery

• Fitcrunch — Protein bars and protein powders

• IQBar — Protein bars, hydration mixes, and instant coffee

Home & Kitchen

• Giant Art — Oversized canvas art that's shipped directly to you

• Mikasa — Dinnerware, drinkware, flatware, and organization

• Rabbit — Wine and bar accessories

• Viking — High-end cookware and cutlery

• Vinotemp — Wine coolers, dispensers, and chillers

• Yardistry — Outdoor gazebos and pavilions

• YouCopia — Organizers for cabinets, fridge, freezer, and drawers

Sports & Outdoors

• Body Glove — Paddle boards, surf boards, and floating mats

• E-Z UP — Custom-printed pop-up tents

• Gorilla Playsets — Swing sets, slides, and accessories

• Jupiter Bike — Folding electric bikes

How much can you save with Costco Next?

Now, let's get to the good part, the savings! After doing some research, I found that the average savings on Costco Next hover around 23% - 55%, depending on the brand and the product.

And those savings can go even higher if you catch a limited-time "Hot Buy" offer that stacks on top of the members-only price. These offers will be easy to find — they're advertised in big print at the top of each brand page.

To get a feel for the average savings, let me show you four deals I recently found on Costco Next:

Cosrx Advanced Snail 92 All-in-One Cream — 23% savings

I found a 7.05-oz tube of Cosrx Advanced Snail 92 All-in-One Cream listed for $26.99 on the Most Inc. brand page on Costco Next. A similar-sized tube of the same product sells for $35 on Amazon, which makes the Costco Next price 23% cheaper!

The fine print: They offer free shipping on all orders from Most Inc. via Costco Next, but you do need to spend at least $40 to checkout.

TIP: In case you're curious, Buying directly from Cosrx.com won't save you anything — the same-size tube is listed for $39 on their site, and you'd have to spend $50+ to get free shipping. And don't even bother looking on Ulta.com ... their price is $26 for a tube of Cosrx snail cream that's half the size!

Butter London Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquer — up to 25% savings

I found a two-pack of Patent Shine 10X Nail Lacquers (0.4 fl oz each) listed for $27 on the Butter London storefront on Costco Next. If you shop from ButterLondon.com, you'd pay $36 for two polishes of that size, and they're sold separately.

But I did see that Butter London offers a 20% off promo code if you sign up for their email list, so that brings their total down to $28.80. Still, the Costco Next price is 6% cheaper — or 25% cheaper if you don't have the promo code.

The fine print: You'll get free shipping from Butter London via Costco Next, but if you shop directly from ButterLondon.com, there's a $55 minimum for free shipping.

TIP: Don't even think about buying Butter London polish from CVS or Amazon. The polish they sell on CVS.com is half the size (0.2 fl oz) for $11.99. And Amazon's price is a whopping $18 for a half-size bottle!

Mikasa Kirkland 20-Piece Flatware Set — 33% savings

I found a Kirkland 20-Piece Flatware Set listed for $44.99 on the Mikasa brand page on Costco Next. The next-best price I could find online for the same flatware set was (surprisingly) at Bed Bath & Beyond, on sale for $67.48. That means the Costco Next price is 33% cheaper.

The fine print: You get free shipping on all domestic orders from Mikasa via Costco Next. But you'll need to spend at least $75 to checkout.

TIP: Amazon surprisingly didn't have a better deal than Bed Bath & Beyond on this flatware set. When I checked, the Amazon price was $74.99.

Baggallini Triple Zip Bagg — up to 55% savings

I found the popular Triple Zip Bagg in Ballet Pink for $24.99 on the Baggallini brand page on Costco Next. That same bag is $55 from Baggallini.com, but you can get a 30% off promo code if you sign up for their email list, making the total $38.50. Still, the Costco Next price is 35% cheaper — or 55% cheaper if you don't have the promo code.

The fine print: For this exact item, there are more colors to choose from if you shop directly from Baggallini.com (29 colors) vs. on Costco Next (7 colors). But if you order from Costco Next, you'll have a lower threshold for free shipping ($75+ compared to $100+ on Baggallini.com).

Disadvantages of Costco Next

And now for a few drawbacks of shopping from Costco Next.

1. You can't return Costco Next items to Costco.

Unfortunately, the epic Costco return policy that allows you to return almost anything whenever the heck you want doesn't apply to Costco Next purchases. Instead, you'll have to look at the policy set by each individual brand.

For example, the Most Inc. return policy gives you 90 days to return purchases you make through the Costco site. You won't have to pay for return shipping, but you will have to wait 10 days until after your return is processed at the warehouse before you'll actually be issued a refund.

And Giant Art only gives you 60 days to return your purchases, plus you're left holding the bill for return shipping.

2. You may have to spend a certain amount in order to get free shipping.

Again, it isn't really about Costco. Shipping minimums are determined by each brand on the platform, as your Costco Next orders come straight from the partner brand — not from Costco delivery.

For example, Dearfoams will give you free ground shipping if your order is at least $45, while the minimum order size for free shipping is only $20 at Sassy Woof. You won't have to worry about shipping costs at all if you order from Inspire Fitness — it's always free.

3. You won't earn rewards on Costco Next purchases.

Even if you have an Executive membership to Costco, which usually gets you 2% back on purchases, you won't earn your 2% back in rewards on Costco Next purchases.

The order is handled entirely by the partner brand, so even though the discount is thanks to Costco, you're not purchasing directly through Costco.

4. Costco Shop Cards aren't accepted as payment.

Again, since you're shopping directly from the brands featured on Costco Next, they're the ones handling the payment process.

TIP: Keep in mind that the Costco price adjustment policy also doesn't apply to Costco Next purchases, so you can't claim a refund for the difference in price if an item you buy on Costco Next goes on sale later.

Sources:

• Costco: "Costco Next: How it Works"