7 Little-Known Gift Cards You Should Always Buy at Costco
KEY POINTS
- Costco regularly adds 10% to 30% of value when you buy gift cards in bulk.
- Buying Alaska and Southwest Airlines gift cards will add 10% of value ($500 for $449.99), while Cinemark and Spafinder add 20%.
- The most lucrative deals include Jiffy Lube (25% of value added), Miller Paint (30% of value), and Synergy Restaurants (30%).
Costco gift cards are one of the warehouse's best deals. Costco often will add 10% to 30% of value when you buy its gift cards in a bundle. It would be one thing if the gift cards were for places you'd never shop, like Bed, Bath, and Beyond (R.I.P.). But Costco gift cards are surprisingly varied and include many restaurants and retailers you're probably already spending money with.
So if you, like me, pinch pennies for your finances, here are seven gift cards you should always buy at Costco.
1. Jiffy Lube
Costco will add 25% of value when you buy a set of two $50 Jiffy Lube eGift cards for $74.99. While Jiffy Lube doesn't offer the cheapest oil change on the market (Walmart will likely take the gold for that), its technicians do go through rigorous training via the Jiffy Lube University to ensure no accidental damage is done to your vehicle. If quality trumps price for your vehicle, this deal will save you $25 off your next oil change (limit of five per membership).
2. Alaska Airlines
Pacific Northwesterners will appreciate this deal -- Costco will give you a $500 eCertificate to Alaska Airlines for $449.99. That comes to 10% off your next Alaska Airlines flight (limit of four per membership).
3. Southwest Airlines
If that was the first time you'd heard of Alaska Airlines, here's a gift card package with a more familiar airline: Southwest. Costco will add 10% of value when you buy $500 of Southwest Airlines gift cards for only $449.99.
4. Cinemark Theatres
In a great deal for moviegoers, you can buy a $50 Cinemark Theatres eGift card for only $39.99 at Costco. That's an extra 20% of value that you can use for movie tickets, food, drinks, or merchandise (limit of 10 per membership).
5. Miller Paint
Painting your house ain't cheap. Interior paint jobs will cost about $2 to $6 per square foot, according to the home improvement site HomeAdvisor, while exterior paint jobs can cost about $1.50 to $4 per square foot. To ease those costs, Costco will sell you $100 of Miller Paint gift cards for $69.99 -- a whopping 30% of extra value.
6. Spafinder
If you thought the cost of painting your house was bad, imagine how your back will feel after hours of painting walls. To ease that pain, Costco has an irresistible gift card deal: two $50 eGift cards for $79.99 to be used at thousands of spas and salons across the country. You can also use them at participating yoga and fitness studios (limit of 10 per membership).
7. Synergy Restaurants
One of the more interesting gift card packages I've come across, this extremely lucrative deal -- two $50 eGift cards for a sticker price of $69.99 -- will help you foot the bill at hundreds of local restaurants in numerous cities across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. This is perhaps one of the best deals I've seen and can be perfect for locals in those states and travelers who are visiting them.
Most members don't realize how many gift cards Costco actually sells. In fact, these seven packages only scratch the surface. Next time you're at your local Costco warehouse, be on the lookout for gift card packages, which are often found at the ends of aisles. You might find a deal you can't get anywhere else.
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