Apple products return to Costco with deep discounts for iPhone and iPad

Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2014
A year and a half after Costco stopped selling Apple products through its brick-and-mortar and online stores, the discount wholesaler is now carrying current iPhone and iPad models at discounts up to $120 off retail pricing.




The Costco Mobile online store, in partnership with third-party supplier Wireless Advocates, is now offering Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as well as the most recent iPad models, at discounted prices. The apparent change in policy was first spotted by TGAAP.

It is unknown what kind of deal Costco or Wireless Advocates managed to arrange with Apple, though current online specials show discounts of up to 60 percent on select hardware. For example, a 16GB iPhone 5s can be had for $78, down from a subsidized contract price of $199. Costco Wireless carries devices from big-four U.S. cellular providers Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.

As for pricing, all iOS devices are limited to 16GB models, while T-Mobile versions must be purchased in-store and come with a $25 Costco Cash card in lieu of cash discounts. Interestingly, only one iPhone 5c model is available in a blue AT&T version going for $99 through Costco's web store.

Apple's iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display are also for sale, though pickings are slim with offerings limited to Verizon and T-Mobile. Through Verizon, both tablets are priced $100 below retail, with a Silver iPad Air priced at $520 and a Space Grey Retina iPad mini going for $420 on contract. T-Mobile versions are 16GB Space Grey models and again only available at brick-and-mortar locations with a $25 Costco Cash card discount.

Costco stopped carrying Apple products in late 2010 when the companies reached a "mutual agreement" to cease their partnership. No official explanation was offered for the change, though at the time Costco was rumored to be behind the move after being passed over for iPad distribution.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    No kidding. Wow. Things really are changing at Apple.

  • Reply 2 of 35
    inbeatinbeat Posts: 1member

    Has anyone actually been to the Costco site?  I find no Apple products on it today.

  • Reply 3 of 35
    joninsdjoninsd Posts: 74member
    Wow, that actually makes it worth it to buy a Costco membership just for that discount! Not just about moving inventory for profit, Costco is reaping benefits on all ends.
  • Reply 4 of 35
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by inbeat View Post

     

    Has anyone actually been to the Costco site?  I find no Apple products on it today.


     

    http://membershipwireless.com/index.cfm/go/shop/do/browsePhones/

     

    Filter out for iOS

  • Reply 5 of 35
    mubailimubaili Posts: 453member
    Wow! I love Apple and I like Costco a lot too. Wonderful news. I am wondering if Costco would appl their super flexible policy towards iPhone and iPad?
  • Reply 6 of 35
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JonInSD View Post



    Wow, that actually makes it worth it to buy a Costco membership just for that discount! Not just about moving inventory for profit, Costco is reaping benefits on all ends.





    Costco is great for just about everything in there.  I do 99%  of most of my grocery shopping there, and it is just for me.  One just can't beat their everyday prices.  



    Why would just having Apple products for you justify a Costco membership?  I doubt they would discount it that much.  I will be impressed if they start carrying Macs.

  • Reply 7 of 35
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post

     





    Costco is great for just about everything in there.  I do 99%  of most of my grocery shopping there, and it is just for me.  One just can't beat their everyday prices.  



    Why would just having Apple products for you justify a Costco membership?  I doubt they would discount it that much.  I will be impressed if they start carrying Macs.


     

    The discount is basically double the price of general membership dues.

  • Reply 8 of 35
    just_mejust_me Posts: 590member

    iphone 5s is 78

    samsung s5 is 100

  • Reply 9 of 35
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Welcome to costco. I love you.
  • Reply 10 of 35
    joninsdjoninsd Posts: 74member
    sflocal wrote: »


    Costco is great for just about everything in there.  I do 99%  of most of my grocery shopping there, and it is just for me.  One just can't beat their everyday prices.  


    Why would just having Apple products for you justify a Costco membership?  I doubt they would discount it that much.  I will be impressed if they start carrying Macs.

    What I was getting at was that with the cost of a Costco membership being roughly $55 that people who don't currently have Costco memberships would join basically for free plus get an additional $78 off of an iPhone. So the incentive being to not only get a discount on an iPhone but also draw new customers there who will read all of the other savings for everything else they sell at Costco.

    I do just about all of my shopping at Costco as well and have been for years.

    They should offer Macs, especially since that's the product I'm in the market for.
  • Reply 11 of 35
    bugsnwbugsnw Posts: 717member
    My heart fluttered. Love Costco. Maybe some pressure will come to bear on the cellular plans.
  • Reply 12 of 35
    mr. sgmr. sg Posts: 19member
    iPhones/iPads with wireless plans should go on sale tomorrow at Costco. Wifi only iPads / iPods will go on sale starting early July, though maybe sooner. Discounts on wifi only models are around $10. Applecare will also be available, likely at reduced price as well.
  • Reply 13 of 35
    It'd be cool if you go there and find they installed beacons everywhere for more savings. It's good to see whoever at Costco got over their snit.
  • Reply 14 of 35
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member

    The only company that I personally know of with a more liberal return policy than Costco is my other favorite store, REI.

     

    I wouldn't do this personally, but you could buy an iPhone 5S today, wait until the 6 comes out, and return the 5S in the Fall for cash or credit.

     

    And if you did so on a Saturday you could get free samples of whole grain crackers, frozen egg rolls, and vitamin water.

  • Reply 15 of 35
    That little Costco spat has cost Apple a lot of business. You should see stuff flying off the palettes there. Back when they were selling iPods, a whole palette would disappear in under a week. Lots of people will only buy their tech from Costco, and if they only find a Samsung tablet there, that's what they'll buy. It's great that they were finally able to put this nonsense aside, and hopefully they will also carry the computers soon. At the very least, I would expect the end-of-life fire sales to be back soon. It was a great way for Apple to get rid of excess inventory when introducing a new product line.
  • Reply 16 of 35
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    I like Costco....wish there was one around here. :( Only thing I have is a Sam's Club which seems to be more business oriented than consumer oriented. Costco I think is more consumer oriented. 

  • Reply 17 of 35
    kozchriskozchris Posts: 209member
    Finally, makes sense to sell Apple gear there. Maybe we will get the iTunes cards again also.
  • Reply 18 of 35
    felix01felix01 Posts: 294member
    There's no link I was able to find from the 'normal' Costco website. How the hell are people who don't read the tech sites going to find Costco's online iPhone/iPad mail order site? Apparently they aren't going to be sold in the Costco kiosks.
  • Reply 19 of 35
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 512ke View Post

     

    The only company that I personally know of with a more liberal return policy than Costco is my other favorite store, REI.

     

    I wouldn't do this personally, but you could buy an iPhone 5S today, wait until the 6 comes out, and return the 5S in the Fall for cash or credit.

     

    And if you did so on a Saturday you could get free samples of whole grain crackers, frozen egg rolls, and vitamin water.


     

     

    REI used to be one of my favorite stores. It's return policy was great. You could return an item no questions asked forever. It used to also offer a daily garage sale where you could find clearance items and things people returned for big savings. It was like treasure shopping. Now the return policy is a year for regular items and 30 days for outlet items. The store also did away with daily garage sales.

  • Reply 20 of 35
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    I wonder if they will do this in Australia?

    They only have outright Samsung handsets and a few different tablets.

    The money I save on gasoline @ around 20c per litre more than makes up for the membership cost, since they opened here I've never filled anywhere else.

    The free food is good too, a few rounds soon fills you up.

    It's also good to not have to bother with receipts as everything is linked to the membership card.
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