Gift Cards at Costco: The Complete List of Brands, Fees & Where to Buy (2026)

You have a Costco membership, a cart full of rotisserie chicken and paper towels, and a gift to buy for someone who is impossible to shop for. Or maybe you are staring at the gift card rack near the registers, wondering whether those discounted multipacks are actually as good as they look. Either way, Costco runs one of the more interesting gift card programs in retail, and it splits neatly into two very different halves: the Costco Shop Card and a rotating wall of third-party brand cards sold below face value.

Here is the full rundown before you walk in or log on.

The Gift Card Brands at Costco

Costco's gift card lineup comes in two flavors, and the difference matters for how you buy, redeem, and gift them.

Costco Shop Card (Costco's own gift card)

The Shop Card is Costco's house gift card, and it is the one people tend to overlook. It comes in physical plastic form, available in warehouses at the membership desk and registers, and in a digital eGift version sold primarily through Costco.com with email delivery. What makes it unusually flexible is that you do not need a membership to spend it. Anyone can redeem a Shop Card at U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico warehouses, gas stations, business centers, and on Costco.com.

There are a few practical limits on where it works. Historically, Shop Cards have not been accepted at food court kiosks or the cell phone carrier kiosks inside warehouses, and the digital version carries similar restrictions in some places. You can use it toward a membership itself and toward merchandise, and you can load it into your Costco account, app, or wallet so the balance applies automatically at checkout. The cards never expire.

Because these cards stay live indefinitely, it is worth knowing how to check the balance before you hand one over or spend one down. Our guide to checking a PlayStation Store gift card balance walks through the same general principle: keep the card number handy and verify before you shop.

Third-party and brand gift cards

The second half of the program is where the value gets loud. Costco carries a large, rotating assortment of third-party and brand gift cards, frequently sold as multipacks at roughly 15 to 20 percent or more below face value. A $100 face value pack for around $74.99 to $79.99 is the classic pattern. These show up both as physical multipack displays on racks inside warehouses and as an extensive eGift selection on Costco.com under Gift Cards & Tickets.

The selection is organized roughly by category, and it rotates constantly. Not every brand is in every warehouse, and online versus in-store stock often differs.

• Dining and restaurants: Domino's, Papa John's, California Pizza Kitchen, IHOP, Red Lobster, Fogo de Chão, Landry's multi-brand restaurants, inKind (one card usable at thousands of restaurants, often heavily discounted), Honey Baked Ham, Texas de Brazil, Logan's Roadhouse and related SPB Hospitality brands, Krispy Kreme, Sullivan's Steakhouse, and similar steakhouse, BBQ, burger, and casual options. Multi-merchant restaurant cards have appeared as well.
• Retail and apparel: Gap Inc. brand multipacks covering Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, often packaged as two $50 cards for around $80 or larger five-packs of $100 cards.
• Entertainment and lifestyle: Topgolf, Dave & Buster's, Main Event, Cinemark movie gift cards and tickets, Hulu eGifts and other streaming options, spa and massage cards through the Spafinder network, Nutrisystem, gas cards, and Jiffy Lube auto service.
• Gaming and digital: Nintendo eShop, PlayStation, Minecraft digital downloads and codes, and other gaming and arcade cards.
• Ride-share and delivery: Uber, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Instacart have historically appeared at around 20 percent off, typically with tight per-membership limits. Availability has fluctuated significantly, with periods of unavailability reported in 2026 followed by restocks online and in clubs. Do not count on these being in stock at any given moment.

If you are buying a restaurant card for someone, it is worth knowing that the same balance-check habit applies. Take IHOP, for example: our walkthrough on how to check an IHOP gift card balance shows how quick it is to confirm what is left before a meal.

One important note on the dining category: a 2026 recall affected certain Synergy World multi-restaurant cards sold between late 2025 and January 2026 after the issuer ceased operations. Costco offered refunds as an exception in that case. Domino's cards were explicitly not part of that recall.

What Costco does not sell

Two categories are worth calling out because shoppers assume otherwise. Costco does not sell Disney gift cards, online or in warehouses, and has not for years in many areas even though Costco Travel can book Disney vacations. Costco also does not carry major competitor big-box cards such as Amazon, Walmart, or Target, which appears to be a deliberate policy. The selection leans toward restaurants, entertainment, select retail like Gap Inc., gaming, and services rather than being a full open marketplace.

Denominations, Fees, and Purchase Limits

Costco's fee structure on gift cards is refreshingly boring, which is a compliment.

Shop Card denominations. Common fixed amounts online include $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500, with available increments ranging from $25 up to $2,000. In-store purchases may allow more flexibility or higher loads. The physical cards are reloadable at the membership desk.

Third-party denominations. These are typically packaged as $25 or $50 cards in multipacks totaling $100 face value, with some larger packs available. Single eGifts generally run in the $50 to $100 and up range. You pay less than face value, and the discount is the entire value proposition.

Fees. Costco does not impose activation fees, dormancy fees, or inactivity fees on Shop Cards, and it does not add fees on third-party cards either. Third-party cards follow their individual issuer terms, but under federal rules most major U.S. brand gift cards cannot charge dormancy fees within the first 12 months of inactivity, and many never expire or carry long windows.

Purchase limits. Purchasing a Shop Card requires a Costco membership (Gold Star or Executive). Beyond that, there is an aggregate daily cap: governing laws limit the total value of certain gift cards and similar digital goods to $10,000 or less per day, and that applies across in-person and online purchases combined. Individual third-party SKUs carry their own limits, often 5 or 10 units per membership, and popular items sometimes carry time-windowed restrictions such as a limit per 14 days.

Cash redemption. Shop Cards are not redeemable for cash except where state law requires it, such as small remaining balances under $15 in California or under $5, $2.50, or $1 in certain other states.

In-Store vs. Online Availability

The two channels overlap but are not identical, and it pays to know which one serves you better.

In warehouses, you will find physical Shop Cards at the membership desk and registers, reloadable on the spot. Third-party cards appear as physical multipack displays on racks, usually near the front of the store or the registers. The brand mix on those racks varies by location and rotates with whatever promotions are running.

On Costco.com, you get the Shop Card section for digital eGifts plus the broader Gift Cards & Tickets marketplace, which is where the deepest third-party selection lives. Many of those are eGift cards delivered by email, though some are physical and mailed. A handful of items are online-only.

Delivery timing differs by format. Physical Shop Card orders placed online typically process the next business day and arrive by USPS in about 7 to 10 business days. Digital Shop Cards usually land within hours, though it can stretch to 1 to 2 business days, and longer during peak periods.

One practical wrinkle: lost or stolen physical Shop Cards are generally not replaceable, and Costco disclaims responsibility for them. Digital cards are easier to recover since you can often resend them through your order history. You can also forward a digital card by email, or convert a digital balance into a physical card in a warehouse if you prefer handing over plastic.

The Rewards Angle: Executive Members Should Read This

Costco's loyalty program is the Executive Membership, an upgrade from standard Gold Star that currently runs about $130 a year versus roughly $65. Executive members earn an annual 2% Reward certificate on most qualified pre-tax merchandise purchases at warehouses, Costco.com, and qualifying Costco Travel after completion. That reward is capped at $1,250 per 12-month period and is redeemable at warehouse front-end registers, not directly online, at gas, or at the food court.

Here is the part that catches people: purchases of Costco Shop Cards are explicitly excluded from the 2% Reward calculation. Broader gift card and ticket purchases are generally treated as non-qualifying as well, consistent with the program's other exclusions for things like tobacco, gas, stamps, and phones. Gold Star members earn no such reward in the first place. If you are buying gift cards specifically to farm 2% back, that strategy does not work here.

The separate Citi Costco Anywhere Visa earns its own cash-back tiers, and those operate independently of the Executive 2%.

Return Policy Reality Check

Costco's return policy is famously generous. Gift cards are the exception. Shop Cards and third-party gift cards and tickets are non-refundable and excluded from the standard return policy, meaning purchases are final. Third-party product pages usually state this outright. Rare exceptions have been made, such as the 2026 Synergy restaurant card recall where unused balances could be refunded at warehouses, but treat those as the anomaly rather than the rule.

If you are weighing a Costco card against other retailers this season, it is worth knowing how the category works elsewhere too. Our breakdown of gift cards at Michaels covers a very different brand mix and fee posture, and it is a useful comparison point if your recipient's tastes run crafty rather than culinary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a Costco membership to buy or use a gift card?

You need a membership to purchase a Costco Shop Card, whether in a warehouse or on Costco.com. You do not need a membership to redeem one. Shop Cards work at U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico warehouses, gas stations, business centers, and Costco.com for members and non-members alike. Third-party gift cards are also purchased through Costco, so the same membership requirement applies at the point of sale.

Does buying gift cards earn Executive 2% rewards?

No. Costco Shop Card purchases are explicitly excluded from the 2% Reward calculation, and gift card and ticket purchases more broadly are generally treated as non-qualifying items. This is consistent with the program's other exclusions for things like tobacco, gas, stamps, and phones. The value of buying gift cards at Costco comes from the discount on third-party cards, not from rewards stacking.

Do Costco Shop Cards expire or charge fees?

Shop Cards never expire, and Costco does not impose activation fees, dormancy fees, or inactivity fees of any kind. They are not redeemable for cash except as required by state law, such as small remaining balances under $15 in California or under $5, $2.50, or $1 in certain other states. Third-party cards follow their individual issuer terms, but most major U.S. brand cards have no dormancy fees within the first 12 months under federal rules.

Why can't I find Disney or Amazon gift cards at Costco?

Costco does not sell Disney gift cards, online or in warehouses, and has not for years in many areas, even though Costco Travel can book Disney vacations. Major competitor big-box cards such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target are also not sold in Costco warehouses, which appears to be a deliberate policy. The selection focuses on restaurants, entertainment, select retail, gaming, and services instead.

Can I return a gift card to Costco if I change my mind?

No. Gift cards, including Costco Shop Cards and third-party gift cards and tickets, are non-refundable and excluded from Costco's otherwise generous return policy. Purchases are final. Rare exceptions have been made, such as the 2026 Synergy World restaurant card recall where unused balances could be refunded at warehouses, but those are anomalies rather than a standing option. Check current Costco.com listings and your local warehouse for live stock, pricing, and limits, since the assortment is promotional and rotates constantly.