Why You Should (and Shouldn't) Buy MLB Tickets From Costco

Baseball season is in full swing, which might be making you eager to buy tickets to see your favorite team. And while there's nothing like watching your favorite team in person, the price of tickets could trip up your budget. After all, unless you're okay sitting in the nosebleed seats, you could spend $50 to $200 or more per person just to have a decent view. Add in snacks, drinks, meals, parking, and other merchandise, and you could easily wrack up credit card debt just to watch America's favorite pastime in person.

One way to make watching baseball in person more affordable, without sacrificing on view or fun, is to buy your tickets through Costco. Although it doesn't sell tickets for every team, Costco typically offers great values for those it does. If you're eager to watch baseball this spring or summer, let's see if Costco can help put you closer to the plate.

Costco sells cheap ticket bundles at fixed prices

First off, Costco isn't a ticket vendor. It doesn't sell tickets for individual seats, nor does it reserve a seat for you when you purchase ticket packages from it (more on this below). Often, Costco will sell you two tickets in a general section area, like a lower level or mezzanine, for a flat price, like $99.99.

This flat price can work in your favor. Most stadiums price tickets differently depending on the game and day. For example, a game against a division rival on the weekend will draw a large crowd, resulting in fewer seats and higher prices per seat. A game featuring a team outside your division on a weekday, however, might not cost as much. When ongoing ticket prices are generally higher, you can use Costco's fixed prices to help you save money.

For example, Costco currently sells two New York Yankees tickets in the Main Level, which includes sections 205 to 201 and 228 to 234, for $99.99. The package also comes with a $30 food/beverage voucher. On SeatGreek -- the go-to for cheap baseball tickets -- these same sections' tickets are priced between $50 to $80 each, depending on the game. For a division foe (like the Tampa Bay Rays), you're likely going to pay $70 to $80 a seat for Main Level seats, or $140 to $160 for two. In this case, Costco's package would save $40 to $60 for tickets, plus give you $30 in food and beverages -- a total savings of about $70 to $90.

Costco also doesn't charge you merchant fees, which can add up to about $20 per ticket when you purchase them online. For our Yankees example, that means you could save roughly $90 to $110 by buying your tickets through Costco.

For some perspective, here's how Costco's prices compare to the average ticket price in 2023 for certain popular teams.

Why you might not want to buy MLB tickets through Costco

As I said above, Costco isn't a ticket vendor, nor does it reserve seats for you. When you purchase tickets, Costco will send you an e-voucher, which you redeem through a link that Costco provides. The voucher and link usually arrive within three hours of purchasing your tickets, though sometimes it can take up to 72 hours. What's more, Costco's MLB tickets are nonrefundable. Unlike other products, which fall under its 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, you cannot return MLB tickets for a full refund.

This can create problems if you're trying to reserve tickets for a specific game. Again, let's say you want to watch the Yankees face a division rival, like the Tampa Bay Rays or the Boston Red Sox. You have a day in mind -- let's say April 20 -- and you've even checked to make sure the Main Level seats you want are available. Even so, you could very well purchase a ticket bundle through Costco only to find out that the seats you wanted are now sold out. Because there's at least a three hour lag between purchasing your tickets and receiving your voucher, you can't be sure those seats will be there for you.

Of course, the voucher is redeemable for the rest of the season. But you'll want to pick games well in advance to avoid any disappointments.

Even with the slight risk that you can't get tickets for the games you want, you'll save big when you do. Before you buy your tickets through third-party vendors or directly from your stadium, check out Costco's deals. You'll save on merchant fees, and you might even get a drink or food voucher. Go to Costco.com to see if it sells tickets for your team and start planning your next baseball outing.