When it comes to affiliate marketing, one name that frequently pops up among online entrepreneurs is Costco — a retail giant known for its bulk deals, exclusive membership model, and unbeatable prices. But when it comes to earning affiliate income through Costco, things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.
If you’ve been wondering whether Costco has an affiliate program, how it works, or what alternatives exist for earning commissions through Costco-related promotions, this guide covers it all. Let’s dive deep into everything you need to know about the Costco Affiliate Program in 2025.
What Is the Costco Affiliate Program?
An affiliate program allows content creators, bloggers, and marketers to earn a commission by promoting a company’s products or services. When someone clicks your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you earn a small percentage of that sale.
So, does Costco offer such a program?
Here’s the short answer:
Costco once had an affiliate program, but it’s no longer active.
However, there are a few indirect ways to earn commissions through Costco-related products — and that’s where things get interesting.
The History of Costco’s Affiliate Program
Costco used to have an official affiliate program through CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction). Affiliates could sign up, promote Costco products and memberships, and earn commissions for successful referrals.
But as Costco evolved, it began focusing more on its membership model and in-store experience rather than third-party promotions. Around 2021–2022, the official program was discontinued.
Since then, Costco hasn’t relaunched any official affiliate or influencer program.
However, affiliate marketers still find creative ways to leverage Costco’s massive brand reputation to earn income indirectly — and we’ll explore those strategies next.
Why Costco Doesn’t Currently Offer an Affiliate Program
There are several reasons why Costco might have stepped away from affiliate marketing:
Membership-Based Model
Costco’s primary business strategy revolves around its membership system. With millions of loyal members renewing annually, Costco already enjoys a stable, recurring income stream.
Low Margins, High Volume
Costco operates on low profit margins to provide unbeatable prices. Paying affiliate commissions would slightly reduce those margins, which doesn’t align with its cost-efficiency strategy.
Brand Control
Costco’s marketing and brand image are tightly managed. Relying on affiliates could lead to inconsistent messaging, which Costco likely wanted to avoid.
Strong Organic Reach
With millions of searches and loyal customers already visiting Costco’s website, there’s little incentive for the company to pay for additional referral traffic.
That said, marketers and content creators haven’t given up on Costco-related promotions entirely — they’ve just become smarter about how they do it.
How to Earn Money Promoting Costco (Even Without an Official Program)
Just because Costco doesn’t have an active affiliate program doesn’t mean you can’t profit from its popularity. There are several legitimate indirect methods you can use:
1. Promote Costco Membership Gift Cards via Other Retailers
While Costco doesn’t sell affiliate memberships directly, other online platforms — such as Rakuten, GiftCards.com, or Raise — often sell Costco gift cards or membership vouchers.
You can join affiliate programs of these third-party sellers and promote Costco membership gift cards through them.
Example:
If you’re part of the Rakuten affiliate program, you can create content about “How to Get a Costco Membership Discount” and link to Rakuten’s Costco gift card page. When someone buys through your affiliate link, you earn a commission.
2. Use Affiliate Programs That Sell Similar Products
Costco sells everything from electronics and furniture to groceries and travel services. You can promote comparable products from other affiliate-friendly retailers like:
Amazon Associates
Walmart Affiliate Program
Best Buy Affiliate Program
Target Partners Program
By creating content such as “Best Costco Alternatives for Electronics in 2025” or “Top Stores Like Costco That Offer Cashback and Affiliate Rewards,” you can attract Costco-related searches and redirect that traffic to your affiliate links.
3. Join Affiliate Programs of Costco’s Service Partners
Costco partners with companies that provide services like insurance, travel, and auto sales. Many of these partner brands have their own affiliate programs.
For example:
Costco Travel collaborates with airlines and hotels that run affiliate programs.
Costco Auto Program connects customers with car dealers — some of which may have affiliate or referral systems.
Costco Services (insurance, home installation, etc.) often partner with external companies like Ameriprise or GoDaddy, which do have affiliate programs.
By reviewing or writing guides about these services, you can earn through partner-brand affiliate programs instead of Costco directly.
4. Create Costco-Themed Content for Monetized Platforms
Even without direct commissions, you can still earn from Costco-related content via:
Google AdSense
YouTube Partner Program
Mediavine or Ezoic (for blogs)
For instance, a YouTube video titled “10 Costco Shopping Hacks That Save You Hundreds” can attract thousands of views — generating AdSense revenue through ads.
Similarly, a blog post on “Best Time to Shop at Costco in 2025” can drive high traffic and earn passive income through display ads.
Real-Life Example: Costco Reviews as Affiliate Gateways
Consider a lifestyle blogger who reviews Costco household items but links to similar products on Amazon.
Her blog post titled “5 Costco Household Essentials I Can’t Live Without” draws readers who love Costco’s brand but may not have a membership. When she links to comparable Amazon items, she earns affiliate commissions without directly promoting Costco.
That’s the smart way to use Costco’s reputation to your advantage.
Alternatives to the Costco Affiliate Program in 2025
If you’re looking for similar high-trust brands that offer affiliate programs, here are the best Costco affiliate alternatives:
Retailer Affiliate Platform Commission Rate Focus Area
Sam’s Club Rakuten Up to 4% Wholesale goods
BJ’s Wholesale Club Impact Up to 5% Membership warehouse
Walmart Impact Up to 4% General retail
Target Partnerize Up to 8% Home & lifestyle
Amazon Associates Amazon 1–10% All categories
Best Buy Impact Up to 6% Electronics
Home Depot Impact Up to 3% Tools & appliances
These programs cater to the same audience who shops at Costco — allowing you to create similar content without losing out on affiliate opportunities.
SEO Strategies for Promoting Costco-Related Content
If you want to rank your content about Costco on Google, focus on search intent and semantic relevance instead of just keyword stuffing.
Here are some LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords you can include naturally:
Costco affiliate alternatives
Does Costco have an affiliate program
How to earn money promoting Costco
Costco partner brands
Wholesale club affiliate marketing
Costco membership deals
Costco influencer program
Retail affiliate networks 2025
Tips for SEO Optimization:
Use question-based headings like “Does Costco Have an Affiliate Program?” for featured snippets.
Answer clearly and concisely within 50–60 words after each question.
Add real-life examples and statistics to establish EEAT credibility.
Include internal links to related topics (e.g., Walmart affiliate, Amazon Associates guide).
Optimize your meta title and description using main and LSI keywords.
Does Costco Offer an Influencer or Partnership Program?
While there’s no official Costco affiliate program, influencers can still collaborate with Costco informally by:
Featuring Costco products in lifestyle videos
Partnering with third-party brands that sell at Costco
Reviewing Costco-exclusive items
Influencers on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have seen success through Costco haul videos — generating high engagement and ad revenue, even without direct brand payment.
Is the Costco Affiliate Program Coming Back in 2025?
As of October 2025, there’s no official confirmation that Costco will relaunch its affiliate program.
However, marketing experts predict that with the rise of social commerce and influencer partnerships, Costco might reconsider launching an affiliate or brand ambassador program in the future — especially as competitors like Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale expand their digital marketing networks.
If Costco does reintroduce the program, it would likely:
Be managed through a trusted affiliate network (like CJ or Impact)
Focus on membership referrals
Offer small but steady commissions
Integrate influencer collaborations for social media reach
How to Prepare for a Potential Costco Affiliate Relaunch
If you want to be ready in case Costco restarts its affiliate program:
Start building Costco-related content now. Create evergreen guides, reviews, and comparison posts.
Establish authority in retail and membership niches.
Grow your audience through SEO and social channels.
Join affiliate platforms like CJ, Impact, and Rakuten so you’re already in the system.
When the program returns, your site will already have high-ranking Costco-related content — making it easy to plug in new affiliate links instantly.
Final Thoughts: Should You Wait for the Costco Affiliate Program?
The Costco Affiliate Program may not exist right now, but the opportunities around the brand are far from gone.
Costco’s massive reputation and loyal customer base make it a goldmine for content creators who know how to use indirect affiliate strategies.
You can:
Promote partner or alternative retailers
Create Costco-related content for ad revenue
Collaborate with third-party sellers of Costco products
Prepare your site for future affiliate opportunities
In 2025, success in affiliate marketing isn’t just about joining programs — it’s about understanding brand ecosystems and positioning yourself where the audience already trusts the name.
Costco may not be paying commissions directly, but if you play your cards right, you can still earn from the traffic that Costco attracts.