Costco price codes explained
Updated 2026-09-30
Costco doesn't advertise most of its markdowns, but members have long noticed that the cents on a price sign follow a pattern. None of this is official Costco policy, but the codes below are widely reported and can help you spot a clearance price at a glance.
Commonly reported Costco price endings
- .99 — regular price.
- .97 — a markdown, often an item being cleared.
- .00 or .88 — a manager's markdown at that warehouse, often for returns, floor models or leftover stock.
- .49, .79 or .89 — commonly a manufacturer's discount or special buy.
- Asterisk (*) in the corner of the sign — the item isn't being reordered, so when it's gone, it's gone.
How to use the codes
- Treat .97 plus an asterisk as a strong clearance signal — it's often the lowest price the item will reach.
- Manager markdowns (.00 / .88) are warehouse-specific and quantities are usually small.
- Costco adjusts prices after purchase within its price-adjustment window in many cases; check the current policy at your warehouse.
How DealHawk helps
DealHawk tracks Costco price drops with a price history for each item, so you can see how low something has gone before and get alerted when it drops again.
See live Costco deals · Costco price drops & history
Frequently asked questions
What does a price ending in .97 mean at Costco?
Members commonly report that .97 marks a markdown, often on an item being cleared. Costco doesn't officially confirm it.
What does the asterisk on a Costco price sign mean?
It's widely reported to mean the item won't be reordered, so once current stock sells out it won't come back.
What does a price ending in .00 or .88 mean at Costco?
These are commonly reported as manager markdowns specific to that warehouse, such as returns, floor models or leftover stock.