Costco Shoppers Were Stunned By This Executive Rebate

Costco is known for its steals and deals, but one executive rebate was so significant that it had the cashier wondering if it was handled correctly. In a Costco Reddit post titled, "Executive Refund: Did I do it right?" a picture of the receipt in question shows a purchase of $1.79 worth of bananas, paid for using an executive rebate of $288.05. The shopper in question then received the difference in cash, to the tune of $286.26. Not a bad day at the price club, right?

Executive membership rebates are a big perk for shoppers, and are often why members upgrade up from a basic Gold Star or business memberships. Per Costco, this is because, although the annual membership for an executive level is $120, which is double that of the others, exec members get 2% rewards (on qualified purchases only). The max per year is $1,000. So, even if you "only" spend $250 per month, you'll get $60 annually back, which pays for the membership price difference. And as we all know, most Costco shoppers far exceed that monthly amount.

Reddit user Molly-Mulligan was impressed by the maneuver, calling it "well executed." It didn't take long for the story-swapping to start on the Reddit thread. Jazzywaffles84 recalled, "I had a guy use a $1,000 check for bananas," to which EaterOfFood naturally replied, "That's bananas."

Some people questioned why the shopper would want cash back, instead of just using the rebate check at Costco for the day's purchases. Toothcloset spells out the rationale, saying that it's key to earning the extra 2%. "Trick is you want that $$ back to put on the Costco card instead of spending it and earning nothing back." Impressive maneuvering aside, others remain skeptical of the true value of this practice. "I guess this is fine but if you got a rebate check of $288, then it is only a matter of time before you spent that much in a Costco trip anyway," a Redditor posted. In the case of Costco, at least, the more you spend, the more you are "rewarded." Guess it all depends on how you look at it, and how many of the purchases were actually necessary.