Costco Rewards Certificate Redemption

[TrvlBug]

Don't know if this is Costco-wide or just at my local Costco. I purchased my usual stuff in the usual manner then gave the cashier my card and the Costco Rewards Cert to redeem for cash. He told me Costco has changed the rules and it can only be applied to purchases or to a Costco gift card.

Did not like this answer at all so I asked him 'what if I purchase a small item, can I get the balance in cash? He called over a supervisor and I was told yes, so that's what I'll do next week. I wonder if these rules also apply to the Costco Visa card? I'll get that certificate next spring.

I recall reading on another forum that the Customer Service desk would no longer cash the certs, but don't recall anything mentioned about the cashiers where I always cash them.

I'll see what happens next week.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, the rules changed last year. I had just bought groceries and went to the service desk to redeem the executive rebate certificate for cash, and found out I could only apply it to purchases.

No, the same rules do not apply for the Costco VISA card, you can still redeem that reward for cash at the service desk. I did last year.

 

[TrvlBug]

Yes, the rules changed last year. I had just bought groceries and went to the service desk to redeem the executive rebate certificate for cash, and found out I could only apply it to purchases.

No, the same rules do not apply for the Costco VISA card, you can still redeem that reward for cash at the service desk. I did last year.

Thanks audreyh1. Did they give you cash back or was the amount of your purchase greater than the reward certificate? It wouldn't be that much of an issue with me only that it saves me a trip to the ATM...my cash stash is running too low for comfort and this would replenish me for another year .

 

[FlaGator]

Thanks audreyh1. Did they give you cash back or was the amount of your purchase greater than the reward certificate? It wouldn't be that much of an issue with me only that it saves me a trip to the ATM...my cash stash is running too low for comfort and this would replenish me for another year .

My second-card holder daughter just used my check - applied it to the purchases and got a the remaining balance back in cash.

 

[TrvlBug]

My second-card holder daughter just used my check - applied it to the purchases and got a the remaining balance back in cash.

Thank you!

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks audreyh1. Did they give you cash back or was the amount of your purchase greater than the reward certificate? It wouldn't be that much of an issue with me only that it saves me a trip to the ATM...my cash stash is running too low for comfort and this would replenish me for another year .

I think my next purchase exceeded the certificate - I was buying a case of Verve Clicquot for a friend, lol!

 

[Ready]

I just purchased a small amount of groceries at Costco this week and used my reward certificate. The cashier cashed out the balance without question. I wasn’t aware of the policy change but I buy all my groceries at Costco anyway so if I have to buy a small item to cash out the balance it makes no difference to me.

 

[pacergal]

We don't shop at Costco as often as we did when the kids were growing up. Now our rewards is usually enough to pay for the next years membership and maybe a few groceries.

 

[audreyh1]

I just purchased a small amount of groceries at Costco this week and used my reward certificate. The cashier cashed out the balance without question. I wasn’t aware of the policy change but I buy all my groceries at Costco anyway so if I have to buy a small item to cash out the balance it makes no difference to me.

I used to take my rewards in cash on the principle that I would get 2% on all Costco VISA charges. But minor difference in the big picture.

 

[brett]

We have belonged to Costco for years. Always use our Costco rebate at the cash. Sometimes we get cash back, sometimes not depending on the till total.

Do the same with our Executive club credit card rebate...always redeemed at the till for purchases.

 

[neihn]

Beside mortgage payment, utilities bills, IRA savings, college expenses, car payments, gasoline - the rest of my salaries went to Costco

I do get a big cash back check every year, and it goes right back to Costco.

 

[Midpack]

We shop at Costco several times a month, so it doesn’t matter to us. Obviously not redeeming for cash outright adds a little to their bottom line, without costing the customer anything out of pocket. If you shop there often enough to justify membership (every member?), I don’t see what the big deal is?

 

[Koolau]

Yeah, I like the flexibility of cashing instead of using for products purchase. But, it's not a big deal either way. We more than spend our "rewards" money on almost any given trip to Costco. We have a joke between DW and I. "We stopped in for milk and bread and our Costco bill was $150!" We buy virtually everything at Costco except what we buy at resale shops. YMMV