Costco Affiliate Program
The shoppers at the bulk warehouse store Costco are loyal to the company and its brand.
A visit there gives you access to large quantities of your favorite products you cannot find elsewhere.
With locations worldwide, it’s easy to find one to check out.
Purchasing an annual membership gives you access to special in-store prices.
Brett Helling is a digital marketing expert with over 10 years of experience building, managing, and scaling websites.
Because of Costco’s popularity, they have implemented a program to incentivize those with an online presence.
Individuals have the chance to market the warehouse and its products.
The Costco affiliate program offers a commission that correlates to the different memberships sold, along with other elements listed below.
- Cost Per Action (CPA): Yes
- Commission Rate:$3 to $6
- Cookie Duration: Session only
- Payment Threshold: $50 for direct deposit or $100 for check
- Payment Options: Direct deposit, check
As a company, Costco provides publishers with an affiliate program that is managed by a third-party network, CJ Affiliate.
This network operates many different affiliate programs for numerous large corporations.
The Costco affiliate program operates by providing a commission to those with an online presence who, in turn, market the Costco brand and products.
Members of the program can earn funds in various membership categories, with the commission percentage coming in a range of $3 to $6.
How Does the Costco Affiliate Program Work?
When you decide to partake in the program, you must fill out an application through CJ Affiliate.
Once you submit all of your information, you will have to wait for confirmation of approval.
Upon receipt of that notification, you can create custom links to products and services for inclusion in your website or social media posts.
If a visitor clicks on one of your links and makes a purchase during that session, you may receive a commission.
The amount you receive will depend on what the customer bought during their visit to the Costco website.
If you are interested in joining the program, you can apply at no cost.
Once accepted, there are no requirements that speak to annual fees or charges for remaining in the program.
Products to Promote
While many affiliate programs allow you to earn a commission for any products sold through your custom link, Costco isn’t one of them.
Unfortunately, you only have the ability to make a commission when customers purchase items within one specific department, which in this case is memberships.
Gold Star Memberships
You must sign up for a club membership to shop at Costco and receive the discount bulk prices.
The Gold Star option is the lowest level tier and provides one card for use in your household.
This card permits entry into the store and allows use throughout the club.
Members can purchase discounted gas, tires, travel, home services, and more through their annual fee.
Affiliates of the Costco program will receive $3 for every successful Gold Star membership sign-up.
Executive Memberships
Those who want a higher-level membership can receive that luxury by purchasing an Executive Costco membership.
While this level gives you access to the same perks that come with a Gold Star membership, the additional features also provide 2% cash back on all purchases.
For specific services that Costco offers, there is a more significant amount of cash back savings.
These savings come in the form of check printing, identity protection, and complimentary roadside assistance when a member participates in the auto insurance program.
When a publisher sells an Executive membership through their affiliate link, they earn a $6 set fee commission.
Other Things You Can Promote With This Program
Unfortunately, there are far more limitations with the Costco affiliate program than with other high-paying affiliate programs.
Therefore, the only way to earn incentives with the Costco option is through the successful sale of memberships.
What Products Are Excluded From the Costco Affiliate Program?
Due to the many restrictions for commission earning through the Costco affiliate program, many departments are subject to exclusion from the list of areas that allow commissions.
These products include:
- Appliances
- Clothing
- Luggage
- Beauty
- Furniture
- Home Items
- Organizational Items
- Tires
- Home Decor
- Gourmet Grocery
- Floral
- Kitchen Utensils
- Sporting Goods
- Auto Repair Services
- Fitness
- Computers
- Frozen Food
- Grocery
- Pharmacy
- Pets
- Toys
- Health
- Toiletries
- Books
- Electronics
- Jewelry
- Patio
- Mattresses
- Lawn Care
- Baby Care
- Home Services
- Installations
- Gift Cards
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The amount of commission an affiliate earns will depend on the specifics of their online platform.
Those with a more significant amount of traffic will see more clicks on their affiliate links.
These clicks are more likely to produce membership sales and create a considerable amount of commission.
However, if a website or social media profile has limited traffic and a reduced audience, it is less likely that they will see a large number of clicks on their links.
The lack of prospective customers visiting through the affiliate URL makes it less likely they will earn a solid commission routinely.
Costco Affiliate Program Commission Rates
When it comes to the Costco affiliate program, there are only two commission rates involved.
Those in the program will earn $3 for each Gold Star membership sold through a shopping session that begins by clicking their custom affiliate link.
Members can also earn a $6 commission when a customer signs up for an Executive membership through the affiliate’s custom link.
How Long Does the Costco Cookie Last?
It’s common for most affiliate program cookies to last 30 days, if not more.
Unfortunately, Costco operates on a session-based cookie.
Therefore, your affiliate member information is only in the system while the customer is actively shopping and directly after clicking on the link.
If a customer enters the Costco website by clicking on your affiliate link and then leaves, you will not get credit for any purchases that occur later on if they were to re-visit the site and buy a membership.
Additionally, if an individual who is already a Costco member clicks on your affiliate link and purchases items, you will not earn a commission.
The program only provides earnings on memberships and not products.
How Payments Work
With the Costco affiliate program undergoing management through the third-party network CJ Affiliate, you are privy to their payment terms.
CJ Affiliate offers two different methods: a check or direct deposit.
The thresholds for each method vary.
When Does Costco Pay Affiliates?
Your payment date will depend on how much you have made in commissions and what payment method you choose.
All earnings from Costco are available after 30 days.
However, you can only withdraw those funds after you reach a specific threshold.
If you opt to get paid through direct deposit, you must reach $50 in commissions before seeing your money in your bank account.
Those who prefer a check payment will need to get to $100 before the company sends earnings their way.
Is the Program Worth It?
While there are some perks associated with the Costco affiliate program, not everything about it is positive.
For some, the program offers ample opportunities for commission.
Alternatively, a fair share of website owners and publishers feel differently.
Pros of the Costco Affiliate Program
Finding a company that ties into your niche can be challenging when starting out in affiliate marketing.
Here are a few benefits that come with the Costco program.
- Famous company: Costco has millions of members throughout its many clubs worldwide. As an affiliate, you are marketing a highly successful and sought-after company.
- Regular payments: Because the Costco affiliate program receives management by a third-party network (CJ Affiliate), the schedule in which you receive your commission payments is reliable.
- Payment options: Another perk of the program, and also due to its connection to CJ Affiliate, is that you can choose from two different payment methods when receiving your commission earnings.
- Payment threshold: Some affiliate programs have high threshold requirements. With the Costco plan, you are held to lower amounts.
- Simplistic rates: With the Costco affiliate program, you don’t need to question what commission rates you will receive. There are two amounts, $3 and $6, which directly tie to the different memberships.
Cons of the Costco Affiliate Program
As is the case with all affiliate programs, some bad always comes with the good.
In the case of the Costco program, there are more negative characteristics than positive ones.
- Minimal earnings: The amount that you can make through the Costco affiliate program taps out at $6 per sale. While you can sell memberships to multiple people, the most you will earn per sale is $5.
- Limited items: As a company, Costco sells thousands of products both in-store and online. However, none of those items are available for commission earnings.
- Marketing: Although many affiliate programs offer support to their publishers, Costco does not. You won’t find any banners, graphics, or widgets to use in your promotional efforts.
- Cookies: The short duration of the Costco affiliate program is unheard of for retail plans. Publishers can only earn commission directly after prospective customers click on the affiliate link. Navigating away from the page negates the affiliation.
- The United States only: While the company allows individuals from other countries to join their affiliate program, only sales made in the United States are eligible for commission.
Conclusion: Is the Costco Affiliate Program Worth It?
For many website owners and those with a significant number of followers or subscribers, being an affiliate for Costco is not worth the work you have to put in to earn.
The commission rate is too low and only having two products to market makes earning nearly impossible for most people.
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How to Join
If you are considering applying to the Costco affiliate program through CJ Affiliate, you will be happy to learn that it’s a simple process.
With only a few select steps, you can have your information sent to the company for review and will hopefully receive notification of approval in a few days.
Requirements To Join the Costco Affiliate Program
Few details regarding the Costco program requirements are released to prospective publishers until they go through the application process.
However, at a minimum, you must have an online presence on either a website or an active social media profile.
How To Apply [Step-by-Step Tutorial]
When you decide to apply for the Costco affiliate program, you must complete a set of steps that will prepare your information to undergo review by the management company, CJ Affiliate.
- View application: Visit CJ Affiliate and sign up for an account.
- Apply: Once you have your approval notification from the network, you can apply to the Costco program. Do this by navigating to the Costco profile on the network dashboard and entering your information.
- Requirements: When filling out your application, it’s necessary to include a marketing plan and accept the network and company’s terms and conditions.
- Program approval: Once your application undergoes review and obtains approval, you will receive correspondence about the status.
- Marketing: With your new login and password, you can start promoting Costco memberships to your readers.
The typical wait for approval for the Costco affiliate program is a matter of days.
Most applicants will receive notification within a week.
During high application periods, you can expect a longer wait.
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