5 Reasons To Buy Your Electronics From Costco (Instead Of Amazon)

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If you're in the market for electronics, your first stop might be at a major retailer like Amazon. Shopping at Amazon is naturally attractive due to the platform's sizable catalog and competitive pricing, and while there's nothing wrong with doing your electronics shopping there, that doesn't mean it's the only place you should look. If you happen to have a Costco membership, you may find making the same purchase there to be the better option.

What Costco lacks in Amazon's sheer breadth of offerings, it makes up for in tangible benefits, especially if you're purchasing an electronic device. Buying electronics at Costco can not only save you some money on what are typically expensive purchases, but also grant you access to convenient features like its tech support, as well as other perks such as yearly cashback, a generous return policy, extended warranties, and more. If you have a Costco membership and a location within easy driving distance, it may be in your best interest to pay the warehouse a visit before making your purchase on Amazon.

Costco's chief strategy to stand out from the crowd is offering better value on larger purchases. It's the primary perk of having a Costco membership, as well as why everything is sold in bulk. This logic applies to electronics, which, barring major seasonal sales, are generally cheaper than comparable offerings on Amazon. Costco either sells the same electronics at lower flat prices or at comparable prices with extra features or accessories bundled in.

For example, if you wanted to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 game console with "Mario Kart World" bundled in, it would normally run you $499 on Amazon. That same bundle is also $499 at Costco, but the difference is that Costco's bundle also includes a 12-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pass tier. That's a $50 value at no extra cost, making it one of Costco's most attractive offerings of 2025. While Costco doesn't sell as many physical Switch 2 games as Amazon, the games it does sell are $5 to $7 cheaper.

Individual Costco memberships come in two tiers, Gold Star and Executive, which cost $65 and $130 annually. A Gold Star membership is enough to get you access to Costco's physical and online storefronts, but if you're planning on making a lot of electronics purchases, it may behoove you to upgrade to an Executive membership for one big reason: annual cashback.

Executive Costco members receive 2% cashback on all eligible purchases, sent to you as a cumulative reward check of up to $1,250 at the end of every year. This is already an attractive perk if you're visiting Costco semi-regularly, as consistent purchases would recoup the added cost of an Executive membership. It's even more attractive when you factor in electronics shopping, as these items tend to be rather expensive in general. If you're spending several hundred dollars on electronics over the course of a year, getting a portion of those purchases returned to you at the end of the year can help to take the edge off what would normally be hefty investments.

Shopping for new gadgets is not an exact science, doubly so if you're shopping online. Sometimes, you need to have an item in your hands to determine if it's really what you want. Amazon's return policy stipulates that a product can only be returned within 30 days, and only if it's in original or unused condition, which it probably won't be if you've already turned it on. If you're concerned about getting a device you may not end up liking, it may be a good reason to shop at Costco instead.

Costco's return policy is quite generous compared to most other retailers, stipulating that most forms of electronics can be returned within 90 days, no questions asked. That's 90 days from the day you received it, so you don't need to worry about shipping time if you shopped online. Whatever the reason is for return, just ship it to Costco's return service or drop it off at any Costco warehouse, and you'll get your money back in full. Buying something like a new smartphone has pros and cons, even from Costco, but with this policy, it'll never be more than a mild inconvenience rather than full-on wasted money.

Most gadgets, like smartphones or appliances, come with a standard manufacturer's warranty. Under these warranties, if the product spontaneously breaks or is broken out of the box, the manufacturer will take it back and either replace it or give you a refund. The length of these warranties can vary, though, as well as the precise grounds on which a claim could be viable. This is where Costco offers its members a little extra flexibility.

Similar to its return policy, Costco offers complimentary extended warranties on certain categories of electronics, including televisions, projectors, computers, and large appliances like refrigerators or dishwashers. These extended warranties lengthen the coverage period up to two years, more than enough time to ensure a device does not fail. The only catch is that Costco reserves the right to decide how the warranty claim is actually fulfilled, whether it's through repair, replacement, or refund. Even so, it's still a free warranty for all members, and it's certainly more than the basic warranties you get on a handful of Amazon products.

As generous as Costco's features are, it's still preferable to try to service your electronics if they have a problem before you go through the hassle of a return or warranty claim. Amazon does offer tech support, but only for select items, particularly devices and services under its own umbrella, like Echo speakers. For more comprehensive help with a wider array of devices, Costco's dedicated tech support may be able to help you.

Costco maintains a directory of support content on a variety of devices like computers, TVs, and tablets, as well as for specific models from major brands like LG, Apple, Microsoft, Lenovo, and more. You can search for specific problems with any of these devices, though if you need more tailored help, you can also call Costco Technical Services or Costco Concierge. If Costco Concierge doesn't have any tech support experts on hand, they'll put you in contact with the right people to try and solve your problem. This service is offered to all Costco members and is free to utilize.