Costco

Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to costco-usa.com (the “Website,” “Site,” or “we,” “us,” “our”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains our data practices in detail and applies to all visitors, users, and members who access our Website.

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates this informational website to provide details about our warehouse locations, product offerings, pricing information, and services available to our members. We recognize that privacy is important to our online visitors, and we have developed this policy to help you understand how your information is handled when you interact with our Site.

By accessing or using costco-usa.com, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy and our Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our Website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically, as your continued use of the Site following any changes indicates your acceptance of those modifications.

This Privacy Policy covers only information collected through costco-usa.com and does not apply to information collected offline, through other Costco websites, mobile applications, or third-party sites linked from our platform. Our commitment to your privacy reflects the same values that Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman established when they opened the first Costco warehouse in Seattle in 1983—transparency, integrity, and respect for our customers.

What Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services, enhance your browsing experience, and communicate effectively with our members and potential members.

Personal Information You Provide: When you interact with our Website, you may voluntarily provide personal information such as your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and membership number. This occurs when you contact us through our support channels at support@costco-usa.com or 1-800-774-2678, sign up for newsletters, request information about products or services, or inquire about membership options. We collect only the information necessary to respond to your requests and provide the services you seek.

Automatically Collected Information: When you visit costco-usa.com, our servers automatically collect certain technical information about your device and browsing behavior. This includes your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring/exit pages, date and time stamps, clickstream data, and pages viewed on our Site. We use this information to analyze trends, administer the Website, track user movement patterns, gather demographic information about our user base, and improve our overall service quality.

Location Information: We may collect general geographic location information based on your IP address to provide location-specific content, such as information about the 827 warehouses worldwide nearest to you, regional product availability, and localized services like our tire centers and optical departments.

Product Interest Data: When you browse our product categories—including appliances, furniture, mattresses, rugs, sheds, air fryers, clothing, tools, shoes, and featured items like the Thomasville Fallon Modular Sectional or Dyson V10 Konical Cordless Stick Vacuum—we may collect information about the products you view, search for, or show interest in. This helps us understand customer preferences and improve our product selection across our vast inventory of 4,847+ unique items per warehouse.

Communication Records: When you contact us via email, phone, or other communication channels, we maintain records of your correspondence, including the content of your messages, your contact information, and our responses. This helps us provide consistent, high-quality customer service and resolve any issues you may encounter.

Survey and Feedback Information: Occasionally, we may request feedback about your experience with Costco products or services. Participation in these surveys is voluntary, and any information you provide helps us understand customer satisfaction levels, such as the 92% satisfaction rating for savings on pantry staples and household goods, or the 81% rating for consistent produce freshness and variety reflected in our 4,827 verified reviews.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial account information, or health data through this Website. Any financial transactions, including membership purchases or product orders, are processed through secure third-party platforms referenced on our Site, such as Amazon or Costco Business Delivery.

Use of Information

We use the information we collect for legitimate business purposes that enhance your experience and enable us to operate our Website effectively.

Service Provision and Enhancement: We use your information to respond to your inquiries, provide customer support, process requests for information about our 827 warehouses worldwide, and deliver content relevant to your interests. Whether you’re seeking details about our Kirkland Signature products, which are co-manufactured with name-brand producers and contain no artificial shortcuts in the formula, or information about our automotive care services, we use your data to provide accurate, helpful responses.

Website Improvement and Analytics: The automatically collected information helps us understand how visitors interact with costco-usa.com, which pages are most popular, how long users spend on different sections, and what information they seek. This enables us to optimize our Website structure, improve navigation, enhance content quality, and ensure that information about our competitive wholesale pricing and the 27% average savings versus traditional grocery stores is easily accessible.

Communication and Updates: With your consent, we may use your email address to send newsletters, promotional materials, product updates, and information about new arrivals like our weekly featured selections—whether that’s the 5-pound bag of Honeycrisp apples harvested at peak sweetness, the Gorilla Rack 5-tier Industrial Rack, or the Lifetime Split Barn Door Outdoor Storage Shed. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time while still receiving essential service-related messages.

Personalization: We may use your browsing history and product interests to personalize your experience on our Website, showing you relevant content about categories you’ve expressed interest in, whether that’s home electronics and technology, furniture and home comfort, or everyday necessities and pet care including premium dog food selections.

Security and Fraud Prevention: We monitor usage patterns and technical information to detect and prevent fraudulent activity, unauthorized access, security breaches, and other potentially illegal activities that could harm our users or our business operations.

Legal Compliance: We use and disclose information as necessary to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and governmental requests, to enforce our Terms & Conditions, and to protect the rights, property, and safety of Costco, our members, and others.

Business Operations: Information helps us maintain accurate records, conduct internal research and analysis, evaluate and improve our product offerings across all categories—from the Costco Optical and hearing aid centers to our photo center services—and make informed business decisions about expanding our global footprint beyond our current 827 warehouses.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Our founder’s philosophy, established by Jim Sinegal with the principle of never marking up any item more than 14% above wholesale cost, extends to our data practices—we treat your information with the same respect and restraint that built our reputation since that first warehouse opened in Seattle on September 15, 1983.

Third-Party Disclosure

We maintain strict controls over how your information is shared with external parties and only disclose your data under specific, limited circumstances.

Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who perform functions on our behalf, including web hosting, data analysis, email delivery, infrastructure provision, IT services, customer service support, and other similar services necessary to operate our Website. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only for the purposes of providing services to us and are required to maintain appropriate security measures to protect your data.

Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets involving Costco Wholesale Corporation or costco-usa.com, your information may be transferred to the successor entity as part of the business transaction. We would notify you via email or prominent notice on our Website before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, comply with judicial proceedings, investigate fraud, respond to government requests, or protect the safety of our users or the public.

Affiliate Sharing: Information may be shared with our corporate affiliates, subsidiaries, and related entities within the Costco Wholesale family for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy, such as providing coordinated services across our 827 warehouses worldwide, supporting our 310,000 employees, and serving our 133.8 million cardholders with active memberships.

Third-Party Links and Services: Our Website contains links to external platforms, including Amazon for certain appliances, Costco Business Delivery for products like the 5-pound bag of Honeycrisp apples, and other retail partners. We also reference third-party manufacturers of products sold at Costco, from the Dyson V10 Konical Cordless Stick Vacuum to BODYARMOR Sports Drink Variety Packs. When you click these links, you leave our Site and enter domains governed by different privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites and encourage you to review their policies before providing any personal information.

Aggregated and Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated, de-identified, or anonymized data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you with third parties for research, marketing, analytics, or other purposes. For example, we might share statistics about our 4,847+ unique items per warehouse or our $254.1 billion annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 without including any personally identifiable information.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to unaffiliated third parties for their independent marketing purposes. Your trust matters to us as much as the quality standards we maintain for our Kirkland Signature products, which carry third-party verified sourcing and USDA Organic certification.

Cookie Usage

Costco-usa.com uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze Site traffic, and understand user preferences.

What Are Cookies: Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our Website. They contain information that is transferred to your computer’s or mobile device’s hard drive and help us recognize your browser, remember your preferences, and improve Site functionality.

Types of Cookies We Use: We employ several categories of cookies. Essential cookies are necessary for basic Site operation, enabling you to navigate costco-usa.com and access features like product information about our furniture selections, mattress options, and automotive services. Analytical cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Website by collecting anonymous information about pages viewed, time spent on the Site, and navigation patterns. Functional cookies remember your choices and preferences, such as your preferred warehouse location among our 827 worldwide facilities. We may also use advertising cookies to deliver relevant content about our weekly featured selections or new arrivals in categories like electronics, tools, or pet care products.

Third-Party Cookies: Some cookies are placed by third-party service providers who perform analytics and advertising services on our behalf. These partners help us measure the effectiveness of our content, understand demographic information about our visitors, and improve our marketing efforts. Third-party cookies are subject to the privacy policies of those external providers.

Managing Cookie Preferences: Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. Browser help functions typically explain how to disable cookies, clear existing cookies, or receive notifications before new cookies are stored. However, please note that disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of costco-usa.com and may affect your browsing experience, potentially preventing you from viewing information about products like the Thomasville Fallon Modular Sectional 6-piece Gray sectional or the Yummy Dino Buddies Dinosaur-Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets.

Do Not Track Signals: Some browsers include “Do Not Track” features that signal websites not to track your online activity. Currently, there is no industry standard for responding to these signals, and our Website does not alter its data collection practices in response to Do Not Track signals. We continue to monitor developments in this area and may adjust our practices as standards evolve.

Cookie Duration: Some cookies expire at the end of your browsing session (session cookies), while others remain on your device for a longer period or until you manually delete them (persistent cookies). We use both types to provide optimal Site functionality and remember your preferences across visits.

By using costco-usa.com, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy. Just as we maintain transparency about our 14% markup rule that Jim Sinegal enforced on every single SKU since opening day in 1983, we believe in being clear about our digital tracking practices.

External Links

Our Website contains links to third-party websites, platforms, and services that are not owned or controlled by Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Third-Party Content: Throughout costco-usa.com, you will find links to external retailers and platforms, including Amazon for certain appliances, Costco Business Delivery for fresh produce like our Honeycrisp apples, and other distribution channels where Costco products are available. These links are provided for your convenience and to help you access the products and services we describe on our informational Website.

No Endorsement or Responsibility: The presence of links to external websites does not constitute an endorsement by Costco of the content, products, services, advertising, or privacy practices of those sites. We do not control third-party websites and are not responsible for their content, functionality, security measures, or data collection practices. Each external site operates under its own terms of use and privacy policy, which may differ significantly from ours.

Your Responsibility: When you click a link that takes you away from costco-usa.com, you assume responsibility for reviewing the privacy policy and terms of the destination site before providing any personal information. We encourage you to exercise caution and read the privacy statements of any website that collects personal information, whether you’re visiting a manufacturer’s site to learn more about the Dyson V10 Konical Cordless Stick Vacuum with its 150 air watts suction and HEPA filtration, or a retailer selling our Kirkland Signature products with their co-manufactured quality and satisfaction guarantee.

Social Media Platforms: If we maintain links to social media platforms where Costco has a presence, those platforms operate under their own privacy policies and data practices. Any information you share on social media sites is governed by their terms, not this Privacy Policy, even if you accessed those platforms through a link on our Website.

Product Manufacturer Sites: We may reference brands and manufacturers of products sold at Costco warehouses, from BODYARMOR Sports Drink to Dixie Ultra Deep Dish Paper Plates. Visiting these manufacturers’ websites subjects you to their privacy practices, which we do not control or influence.

We strive to link only to reputable sites, but we cannot guarantee the security, privacy practices, or content of external websites. Your decision to leave costco-usa.com and access third-party sites is entirely at your own risk, and we disclaim any liability for your interactions with external platforms.

Security Measures

Protecting your personal information is a priority for Costco, and we implement reasonable technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to secure data collected through our Website.

Technical Safeguards: We use industry-standard encryption protocols, secure server infrastructure, and firewalls to protect against unauthorized access to our systems. Data transmitted between your browser and our servers is protected using secure communication channels to prevent interception by malicious actors.

Administrative Controls: Access to personal information is restricted to employees, contractors, and service providers who need the data to perform their job functions. These individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and may face disciplinary action or contract termination if they fail to meet these obligations. We conduct regular training to ensure our team understands the importance of data privacy and security.

Physical Security: Our servers and data storage facilities are located in secure environments with restricted access controls, surveillance systems, and other protective measures to prevent unauthorized physical access to equipment storing your information.

Limitations of Security: While we take appropriate measures to protect your information, no security system is impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of our databases or that information you provide will not be intercepted during transmission over the Internet. Unauthorized entry, hardware or software failure, human error, and other factors may compromise data security at any time. We encourage you to take steps to protect your personal information, such as using strong passwords, logging out of accounts when finished, and being cautious about what information you share online.

Data Breach Response: In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will follow applicable legal requirements for notification and take prompt action to investigate the incident, mitigate harm, and prevent future occurrences.

Third-Party Security: While we carefully vet service providers and require them to maintain appropriate security measures, we cannot control or guarantee the security practices of third parties. When you click links to external sites or platforms, such as Amazon or Costco Business Delivery, you trust those parties with your information according to their security standards, not ours.

Our commitment to protecting your data reflects the same quality standards we apply to our 4,847+ unique items per warehouse—whether it’s the rigorous specifications for Kirkland Signature batteries tested at 2,900 milliamp-hours, the USDA Organic certification for our private-label products, or the weather-resistant designs of our Lifetime Split Barn Door outdoor storage shed.

User Rights and Choices

You have certain rights regarding the personal information we collect and maintain about you, and we provide mechanisms for you to exercise those rights.

Access and Correction: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct, update, or delete inaccurate data. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@costco-usa.com or call 1-800-774-2678 at our address: 450 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

Marketing Communications: If you receive promotional emails, newsletters, or marketing materials from us and wish to opt out, you can use the unsubscribe mechanism provided in those communications or contact us directly to remove yourself from marketing lists. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing emails, we may still send you non-promotional messages related to your inquiries, account activity, or essential service notifications.

Cookie Management: As described in the Cookie Usage section, you can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. You may disable cookies, delete existing cookies, or configure your browser to notify you when cookies are being set. Keep in mind that restricting cookies may impact your ability to use certain features of costco-usa.com and may affect your browsing experience when exploring our extensive product catalog, from home electronics and technology to everyday necessities and pet care.

Browser Settings: You can adjust various browser settings to enhance your privacy, including blocking pop-ups, limiting location sharing, and controlling what information websites can access about your device. Consult your browser’s help documentation for specific instructions.

Account Deletion: If you have created any account or profile through our Website and wish to close it, contact us using the information provided in the Contact section below. We will process your request in accordance with applicable law and our data retention requirements.

California and European Rights: If you reside in California or the European Union, you may have additional rights as described in the CCPA Compliance and GDPR Compliance sections below.

Just as we stand behind every Kirkland Signature product with a satisfaction guarantee without fine print—the same policy that allows you to return olive oil that tastes off or a shirt that pills after two washes—we respect your right to control your personal information and will work with you to address your concerns.

Protection of Minors

Costco-usa.com is a general audience website intended for adults and is not directed at children under the age of 13.

No Intentional Collection from Children: We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. Our Website is designed to provide information about Costco’s wholesale offerings, our 827 warehouses worldwide serving 133.8 million cardholders, and our extensive product selection—content that is primarily relevant to adult consumers, families, and business buyers.

Parental Notice: If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided personal information to us through costco-usa.com, please contact us immediately at support@costco-usa.com or 1-800-774-2678. We will take prompt action to investigate and delete any information we have inadvertently collected from children, in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other applicable laws.

Age-Appropriate Content: While our Website may feature family-friendly products like Yummy Dino Buddies Dinosaur-Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets (5 pounds of frozen, dinosaur-shaped chicken breast that go from freezer to plate in minutes—a weeknight lifesaver for picky eaters), or Goldfish crackers baked with 100% real cheese and zero artificial flavors or preservatives for school lunches and after-school snack bags, the Website itself is not designed or marketed specifically to children.

Parental Responsibility: Parents and guardians should supervise their children’s online activities and instruct them never to provide personal information on websites without permission. We encourage families to discuss Internet safety and privacy with children to help them understand appropriate online behavior.

Our commitment to protecting minors aligns with our broader values of trust and integrity—the same principles that guided Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman when they established the 14% markup rule on September 15, 1983, and built Costco into a company serving 310,000 employees and generating $254.1 billion in annual revenue for fiscal year 2024.

CCPA Compliance

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information.

Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell about you. Specifically, you can ask us to provide the categories of personal information collected, the categories of sources from which information was collected, the business or commercial purposes for collecting information, the categories of third parties with whom we share information, and the specific pieces of personal information we hold about you.

Right to Delete: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions permitted by law. For example, we may need to retain information to complete transactions, detect security incidents, comply with legal obligations, or exercise free speech rights.

Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information to third parties as defined under the CCPA. Therefore, there is no need to opt out of sales. If our practices change, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide an opt-out mechanism as required by law.

Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right to exercise your CCPA rights without receiving discriminatory treatment from us. We will not deny you goods or services, charge different prices, or provide a different level of quality based solely on your exercise of privacy rights.

Exercising Your Rights: To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@costco-usa.com, call 1-800-774-2678, or write to us at 450 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103. We will verify your identity before processing your request to protect against fraudulent or unauthorized requests. Verification may involve matching information you provide with information we have on file about you.

Authorized Agent: You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. The agent must provide proof of authorization, and we may require you to verify your identity directly with us even when using an agent.

Response Timeframe: We aim to respond to verifiable consumer requests within 45 days of receipt. If we require more time, we will notify you of the reason and extension period in writing.

The transparency we provide under CCPA reflects the same straightforward approach that defines Costco’s business model—just as we enforce the 14% markup cap that Jim Sinegal famously tracked himself, letting savings go straight to the shelf price rather than profit margins, we believe in giving California residents clear control over their data.

GDPR Compliance

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) grants you certain rights regarding your personal data.

Legal Basis for Processing: We process your personal data based on one or more legal grounds: your consent (for example, when you sign up for newsletters), performance of a contract (when you request information or services), legitimate interests (such as improving our Website and understanding user preferences), or compliance with legal obligations.

Your GDPR Rights: Under GDPR, you have the right to access your personal data and request a copy of the information we hold about you. You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data. You have the right to erasure (the “right to be forgotten”) under certain circumstances, such as when data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. You may request restriction of processing in specific situations, such as when you contest the accuracy of data. You have the right to data portability, allowing you to receive personal data in a structured, commonly used format and transmit it to another controller. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes. You have rights related to automated decision-making and profiling, though we do not currently engage in automated decision-making with legal or significant effects.

Withdrawing Consent: Where we process your data based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing conducted before withdrawal.

Data Transfers: If we transfer your personal data outside the EEA to countries that do not provide an adequate level of data protection, we will implement appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission, to protect your information during transfer.

Supervisory Authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority if you believe we have processed your personal data in violation of GDPR.

Exercising Your Rights: To exercise any GDPR rights, contact us at support@costco-usa.com, call 1-800-774-2678, or write to 450 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103. We will respond to requests without undue delay and within one month of receipt, extendable by two additional months for complex requests.

Our commitment to GDPR compliance demonstrates the global reach of Costco’s values, extending across our 827 warehouses worldwide and reflecting the same quality standards that ensure our Kirkland Signature coffee sources beans rated 80+ on the Specialty Coffee Association scale with third-party verified sourcing and independent certification.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention Criteria: The duration of data retention depends on several factors, including the nature of the information, the purposes for which it was collected, legal obligations that require us to retain records, and our legitimate business needs. For example, correspondence with customer support may be retained to maintain service quality and resolve ongoing issues, while web analytics data may be retained in aggregated form for trend analysis and Site improvement.

Deletion Practices: When personal information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete, anonymize, or de-identify it so that it can no longer be associated with you. However, we may retain certain information in backup systems for a limited period or as required for legal, accounting, or business continuity purposes.

Legal Requirements: Certain laws and regulations may require us to retain specific types of information for designated periods. We comply with these obligations while seeking to minimize data retention consistent with legal requirements.

Your Deletion Requests: If you request deletion of your personal information as described in the User Rights and Choices section, we will honor that request subject to exceptions permitted by applicable law, such as when we need to retain information to complete transactions, detect fraud, or comply with legal obligations.

Our data retention approach mirrors the same long-term thinking that has guided Costco since Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman opened that first Seattle warehouse—focusing on sustainable practices that prioritize member trust over short-term gains, just as the 14% markup rule limits short-term profit in favor of long-term member loyalty among our 133.8 million active cardholders.

Policy Updates

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other operational needs.

Notification of Changes: When we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and may provide additional notice through prominent placement on costco-usa.com, email notification to addresses we have on file, or other communication methods as appropriate. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Continued Use Constitutes Acceptance: Your continued use of costco-usa.com following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of those modifications. If you do not agree with the revised policy, please discontinue use of our Website and contact us if you wish to exercise any deletion rights you may have regarding previously collected information.

Material Changes: We consider changes material when they significantly affect how we collect, use, or share personal information, alter your rights under this policy, or expand the categories of information we collect. Non-material changes, such as clarifications of existing practices or minor formatting updates, may be made without special notification beyond updating the revision date.

Historical Versions: While we do not maintain an archive of all previous policy versions, we can provide information about material changes made to this Privacy Policy upon request. Contact us at support@costco-usa.com if you have questions about how our privacy practices have evolved.

Just as Costco evolved from that single Seattle warehouse in 1983 to merge with Sol Price’s Price Club in 1993, and rebranded as Costco Wholesale Corporation in 1997 while maintaining the core 14% principle, our Privacy Policy will adapt to changing circumstances while preserving our fundamental commitment to member privacy and data protection.

Privacy Questions

We are committed to addressing your privacy concerns and answering questions about our data practices.

Contact Information: If you have questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please reach out to us through any of the following channels: