Buying Electronics at Costco Before the Holidays: Is It Worth It?

Buyer's GuideCostco electronics aisle featuring TVs from Samsung, LG, and TCL ahead of the 2026 holiday season.
Exploring Costco electronics deals, holiday savings, and shopping perks for 2026.

Yes, buying electronics at Costco before the 2026 holiday season can be worth it—especially TVs, laptops, and home entertainment systems. However, Costco isn’t necessarily the cheapest retailer for every product.

Costco’s biggest advantages are its competitive promotional pricing, generous return window, and additional warranty coverage on qualifying electronics.

According to Costco’s official policies:

  • 90-day returns on TVs, computers, tablets, smart wearables, cameras, and several other electronic categories.
  • Up to two years of warranty coverage on qualifying TVs, projectors, and computers, excluding touchscreen tablets.
  • Price adjustments within 30 days on eligible purchases if Costco lowers its price, subject to holiday promotion conditions. Costco does not match competitors’ prices.

These benefits are particularly valuable for expensive electronics that you plan to keep for several years.

Costco’s 2026 Holiday Electronics Deals

Costco has already published its holiday offers, with promotions running from October 30 through November 30, 2026. Individual products have different sale dates. The most interesting offers include an additional $60 in savings on the NEX Playground, $600 off select gaming laptops, and a special price on an 85-inch LG TV.

Important: today is November 9, 2026, so some offers are already active, while others will begin closer to Black Friday.

Costco Electronics: Current Deals and Upcoming Holiday Discounts

ProductHoliday DealOffer Dates
NEX Playground + 12-Month Play Pass$289.99 after a $60 discountNovember 19–30 online; November 27–30 in warehouses
ASUS ROG Strix G18 Gaming Laptop (RTX 5060)$600 offNovember 16–30
Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop (RTX 5070)$600 off select configurationNovember 16–30
LG 85-inch NANO NU87 Series TV$699.99, with up to five years of total protection coverageNovember 26, online only

Which Deals Are Worth a Closer Look?

The NEX Playground is an interesting option for families looking for an interactive holiday gift. During my visit, the bundle was priced at $349.99. Costco’s upcoming $289.99 offer represents a $60 saving, or approximately 17%.

NEX Playground interactive gaming system with Play Pass displayed at Costco.
NEX Playground, an interactive gaming option for holiday gifts.

Gaming enthusiasts may also want to check out the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and Lenovo Legion 5. Both have advertised $600 holiday discounts on select configurations. However, shoppers should compare exact model numbers and specifications, since the advertised Lenovo configuration may differ from the laptop displayed in the warehouse.

ASUS ROG and HyperX gaming laptops displayed at Costco's NVIDIA RTX section.
Gaming laptops featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics.

For home entertainment, the LG 85-inch NANO NU87 Series TV deserves attention. Costco’s advertised $699.99 online offer also includes extended protection coverage, adding potential value beyond the purchase price.

LG 85-inch NANO 4K UHD AI television displayed at Costco.
An 85-inch LG 4K TV, one of Costco’s large-screen entertainment options.

Shopping tip: A holiday discount isn’t always an additional reduction from the price already displayed in the warehouse. Some promotional prices may return during Black Friday. Before purchasing, compare the exact model, current price, included accessories, and warranty coverage.

Additional Bonuses Available Right Now


Nintendo eShop Gift Cards – $89.99 for $100

Costco offers four Nintendo eShop digital gift cards, each valued at $25. You save $10 (approximately 10%). These cards are non-returnable.

Lenovo Legion and Alienware gaming laptops displayed at Costco.
Lenovo and Alienware gaming laptops in Costco’s electronics department.

PlayStation 5 Bundles – $649.99 / $699.99

These are the Digital Slim and Disc Slim models, respectively. Both bundles include an extra DualSense controller—meaning you get two controllers in total as part of the package.

Sony PlayStation 5 Digital and Disc console bundles displayed at Costco.
PlayStation 5 bundles available in Costco’s gaming section.

TVs and Computers – Extended Warranty

Costco extends the warranty coverage on eligible models to two years. Some TVs also include an Allstate Protection Plan, providing a total of five years of coverage under the plan’s terms.

Additional Discounts for Multiple-Item Purchases

Costco Direct is currently offering extra savings ranging from $100 to $400 when purchasing between two and five eligible items. This offer is valid online until December 28, 2026, and can be combined with other promotions. One particularly useful detail: qualifying Costco Direct items can be mixed across categories, including electronics, furniture, and appliances, rather than purchasing multiple TVs or computers.

For select Samsung products, there is also a bundle program covering televisions, monitors, and home appliances. Costco advertises up to $1,000 in additional savings, subject to specific terms.

Samsung 65-inch and 77-inch OLED televisions on display at Costco.
Samsung OLED TVs on display ahead of the holiday shopping season.

These are Costco’s advertised U.S. offers, not independently verified lowest-market prices. Availability, promotional dates, and warehouse versus online prices may vary. View Costco’s official 2026 Holiday Savings

RELATED: Shopping for Holiday Gifts at Costco? Here’s What Stood Out

When Costco Might Not Be The Best Choice

Costco has a smaller selection of configurations than dedicated electronics retailers in some categories. For computers, compare the processor, RAM, SSD, display, graphics hardware, and exact model number—not just the advertised discount.

There are also costs and restrictions worth considering. Costco Gold Star membership costs $65 per year, and online prices can differ from warehouse prices.

Not a Costco member yet? This could be a great time to join. Groupon currently offers a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership from $65, plus a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card. That brings the effective first-year membership cost down to just $20 if you use the full value of the Shop Card. The offer is available to new members and those who haven’t held a Costco membership in the past 18 months. The Digital Shop Card is typically added to your Costco Wallet within two weeks after completing the required steps.

Best Buy is a particularly relevant competitor this season: most qualifying purchases between October 30 and December 31, 2026 can be returned through January 15, 2027, or January 31 for eligible Plus and Total members.

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Costco Shopping Benefits in 2026

BonusWhat you can receive
Executive Membership Reward2% back on qualifying purchases, up to $1,250 annually
Costco Anywhere Visa by CitiAnother 2% cash back on eligible Costco purchases
Combined rewardsUp to 4% back when both benefits apply
Costco DirectAdditional $100–$400 instant discounts on eligible multi-item orders
Costco Shop CardsPromotional gift-card rewards on qualifying electronics or wireless offers
New member promotion$45 Digital Costco Shop Card for eligible new memberships through December 20, 2026

Other Bonuses Included with Specific Electronics

Costco’s holiday listings also advertise the following extras:

Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar Bundle

$60 Apple or SiriusXM gift card, $79 wall-mount voucher, and a coupon for 30% off Sonos accessories.

Selected Windows Computers

Technical support, McAfee Total Protection, and up to three months of Microsoft 365 Personal at no extra charge, subject to offer conditions.

Selected Apple MacBooks

Some MacBook Pro listings include one year of AppleCare+, while Costco also advertises a Mac trade-in program that provides Costco Shop Cards for qualifying devices.

For holiday shopping, I would check Costco’s product-specific bundles and Shop Card offers first, then calculate the additional membership and credit-card rewards. Some bonuses are worth considerably more than a small advertised price discount, although they are not available on every product.

Should You Buy Now or Wait Until Black Friday?

Costco’s Black Friday promotions are scheduled for November 27–30, with additional Cyber Monday offers on November 30.

For an item already discounted at a good price, buying early can make sense, particularly if availability is limited. For a laptop or TV without a compelling current offer, I’d compare the announced November 16 promotions before purchasing.

Bose QuietComfort headphones and SoundLink speakers displayed at Costco.
Bose headphones and wireless speakers in Costco’s electronics section.

My recommendation: Costco is particularly appealing for large TVs and mainstream laptops when its price is close to a competitor’s, because warranty coverage and returns add value. For Apple devices, gaming equipment, and specialized computers, compare Costco against Best Buy, Apple, and the manufacturer directly before making a decision.

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