Small business owners know they need to keep an eye on expenses and cut costs wherever possible — joining Costco can help. The warehouse club has two levels of membership devoted to the purchase of goods for business or resale. The cheapest membership is $60 and includes one household membership for personal use. The executive business membership costs $120 and offers the same perks, plus a 2 percent annual reward on most Costco purchases. Here’s where these memberships can pay off for small-business owners. (Not already a Costco member? You can apply here.)
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Related: I Shopped at a Costco Business Center — Here’s What I DiscoveredPaper Goods
This category includes items such as toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and tissues for the break room, restroom, or employees’ desks. The price of 48 boxes of Kleenex 125-count two-ply tissues is lower on Costco than on Amazon. Plus, Costco members have the option of shopping at the local warehouse, where prices may be lower and there’s no shipping. Related: The Big Differences Between Costco and Costco.com
Office Supplies
Printer paper, ink, pens, staples, sticky notes — you name it, Costco has it. Most offices go through a lot of printer paper, so it’s a good item to buy in bulk. At Costco, a box of 5,000 sheets of store-brand copy paper in letter size is $52. Office Depot’s brand paper in the same quantity, size, weight, and brightness is similar, but there’s no annual reward or membership perks.
Related: The Top Home-Organizing Essentials From Costco
Break-Room Provisions
Bottled water, coffee, teas, snack bags of chips, cookies, and other food and beverage items for an employee break room — Costco is king of supplying these items in bulk. Take, for instance, Starbucks French Roast K-Cups. They’re $45 for 72 at Costco. The same thing is $57 at Walmart.
Same-Day Delivery
Costco Business Centers offer same-day delivery on a number of bulk items that may be necessary for your business, such as drinks, snacks, and supplies.
Check Printing
Costco members can turn to the warehouse club for ordering checks, and save themselves a trip to the bank as well as some money. Executive business members receive an extra 20 percent off of these services.
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Budget Truck Rental
Moving spaces or hauling supplies? Costco members save 25 percent off of services such as rentals, boxes and moving supplies, as well as on roadside assistance.
Office Equipment
Items such as cash registers, time clocks, label makers, shredders, calculators, and more are available from Costco at prices that may be cheaper than the competition.
Office Furniture
Business owners who need desks, shelving, cubicle systems, and other office furnishings will find that Costco has lots to offer, such as this commercial grade metal cart for $80 that works for anything from a commercial kitchen to office storage.
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Payment Processing Services
Costco offers payment-processing services. The club claims their rates are on the low side, starting at 1.10% plus 12 cents for qualified in-person swipe or chip transactions. There are no batch, reporting, or additional authorization fees, and there are four pricing options.
Business Printing
Print anything from business cards to brochures and banners for your company. A stack of full-color business cards with double-sided printing starts at $22.
Free Roadside Assistance
Costco Executive members receive free roadside assistance for vehicles covered through the company’s auto insurance program. Costco claims members of their auto insurance program save on average over $500 a year.
