Costco Price Tag Codes You Should Know For The Most Savings

Costco isn't for the faint of heart, but real ones know that's just part of its charm. Shopping Costco, you can find daily deals on anything from hot dogs to TVs to gold bars, and even with some changes this year, Costco's membership perks are designed to entice and retain even casual Costco shoppers, if there is such a thing. But it's to the not-so-casual victor that go the Costco spoils of even deeper discounts at the big-box store.

Some shoppers whiteknuckle their way through a Costco shopping trip like they're doing a speed trial. Others can commit to big crowds and to big savings by making the busiest shopping day feel as relaxed as a leisurely stroll. Whatever your Costco shopping style may be, though, there's always a way to up your game. Just keep your eyes on the prize: Costco's price tag codes.

With intel gathered from crowdsourced observations of sales and markdowns, along with years of shopping experience and dedicated bloggers like Costco.97 on their side, super Costco sale shoppers have locked in on the secret(s) behind Costco's price tag codes. Now you can be, too.

Let's start with a Costco price tag code you may already know: the little star, or asterisk ("*"), that pops up in the warehouse aisles from time to time. Sometimes this "death star" strikes fear into the hearts of Costco shoppers, with good reason. The asterisk, located in the upper right-hand corner of a product's price tag, means the warehouse won't be reordering the item anytime soon. The product being discontinued like this could mean a few things, but don't worry, all of them spell savings.

For one, an asterisked Costco product means it's down to its last pallet, so if it's a favorite of yours, now would be the time to stock up before time runs out. The item could also be seasonal, meaning it was never meant for Costco for long. And third, a product could get the asterisk simply because its packaging is being revamped, so it won't return until the new packaging design is released.

No matter the reason, though, asterisked Costco products might go on sale in the following weeks. Shoppers can watch the product for additional dips in price, and act accordingly. In short, this Costco price code puts the seasoned Costco shopper on alert.

The baseline Costco price ends in ".99." This means the item is at full Costco price. Keep your head on the swivel for changes in that ending number, just like you do for samples. If you see a tag ending in some oddly small number before that last nine, like, say, ".39," it could mean Costco got a really deep discount on the item, and it's passing the savings on to members. (On that note, here's our look at the perks of Costco vs. Sam's Club.)

Other tag code endings to watch out for are ".88" and ".00." These are discounted prices for store returned merchandise, likely with damaged packaging. Or, you may find this particular tag on floor- model items, and even the last remaining items in store. The last couple boxes of sandals as the season turns colder, for example, just might have a tag ending in ".88."

Costco price tags ending in ".97," meanwhile, indicate an item has been marked down by a store's manager. This limited-time price could be because the item is selling slowly compared to how much inventory there is, or the item is seasonal and needs to move. The ".97" tag doesn't just mean an item is discounted by a whole two cents, of course. Social media pages and blogs like Costco.97 receive submissions from shoppers with sightings of ".97" sales. Savings between regular price and the ".97" price can be vast, especially on some big-ticket items, if you pay attention to the sale code on the little ticket.