
Costco Wholesale is a US membership-only warehouse club chain. Its affiliate program is a cost-per-sale (CPS) program focused on driving new membership signups, paying a flat commission reported as up to $6 per sale ($3 for Gold Star, $6 for Executive memberships). The program uses a 30-day cookie, pays monthly via PayPal with no minimum payout, and is limited to USA traffic. It is described by third-party directories as a closed, membership-focused program managed through an affiliate network.
Rewards
$6 per sale forever
Costco is one of the most recognized names in American retail, but its affiliate program is unusually narrow: rather than paying commissions on the huge catalog of products Costco sells, the program is built almost entirely around driving new membership signups. That single-focus structure makes it a very different opportunity from a typical retail affiliate program, and it's important to understand before deciding to promote it.
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-only warehouse club chain in the United States. Members pay an annual fee to access bulk groceries, electronics, apparel, household goods, pharmacy, travel, and a range of physical and digital services at warehouse-club pricing. Costco offers two main US consumer membership tiers — a standard Gold Star membership and a higher-priced Executive membership that includes additional rewards. Because the business model is subscription-style membership revenue, Costco's affiliate program is oriented toward acquiring those members rather than selling individual products.
According to third-party affiliate directories, the Costco program is a CPS (cost-per-sale), single-tier program — meaning affiliates earn only on the sales they directly generate, with no multi-level or override structure. The reported terms are:
Search results point to the program being run through an affiliate network — CJ Affiliate is the network commonly associated with Costco affiliate placements, and publishers would typically apply for the campaign after creating a CJ publisher account at signup.cj.com. Because the program is described in multiple sources as "closed" and membership-focused, approval is at Costco's discretion and not every applicant will be accepted.
This program fits publishers whose audience is US-based and in a position to sign up for a warehouse-club membership. Good fits include:
It is a poor fit for international audiences (USA only), and for creators who want to earn on high-ticket product sales — the commission is tied to memberships, not to the thousands of dollars a member might spend afterward. Because the flat payout is small, this program works best at volume or as a complementary earner alongside broader retail programs.
Costco's affiliate program can be worthwhile for US publishers with an audience genuinely interested in warehouse-club memberships, especially deal and personal-finance sites that can convert at scale. Just go in with realistic expectations: this is a low-payout, one-time-commission, membership-acquisition program — not a broad retail earner. Confirm the latest commission and eligibility details through the affiliate network before you build content around it.
Join 2,000+ affiliate programs
One free account for every program on this marketplace. Track your links, referrals, and payouts from a single dashboard.
$2,000,000+ paid out to affiliates
Sign up freeJungle Scout is a leading Amazon seller intelligence and product-research platform. Its affiliate program pays up to $150 per referral, with a tiered structure that rewards higher-volume affiliates.
Rewards
Category
Shopify is the world's leading commerce platform. Its affiliate program (via Impact.com) pays up to $150 USD as a one-time bounty per qualified new-merchant referral, with a 30-day cookie and no earnings cap.
Rewards
Category
Mighty Generators is an online e-commerce store that sells portable power, solar power, portable generators, and standby generators.
Rewards
Category
Depositphotos is a royalty-free stock media library (photos, vectors, videos, music). Its referral program pays a 40% cash reward on a friend's first purchase and 15% on their next purchases for 3 years.
Rewards
Category
You can earn
Join 2,000+ affiliate programs
One free account for every program on this marketplace. Track your links, referrals, and payouts from a single dashboard.
$2,000,000+ paid out to affiliates
Sign up free