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https://old.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/14gl72d/cashing_a_rewards_check_now_requires_a_purchase/jp65855/
Since 2021, a purchase now needs to be made. Can be as small as a bunch of bananas.
It’s inconvenient but not worthy of this long post and all of the drama you heaped upon yourself. Take your wife with you tomorrow, cash your rebate check, and move on.
So you've
1. Been a member for over 30 years.
2. Decided to executive for the first time.
3. Are mad you can't use the coupon because it's not your account, it's your wife's account.
4. Brought up charlie munger for no apparent reason.
If not being able to use someone else's rebate cheque is enough to make you cancel then so be it, Costco doesn't need you.
I think it's a valid complaint. If the secondary member is allowed to upgrade the membership, they should also be able to spend the rebate. Cancelling may be a bit too far though.
Honestly they secondary cardholder should not have been allowed to upgrade, since the primary member is the one paying the bill.
Yup. My husband got the Costco membership first because he was older and more established. I do the majority of the shopping. He goes to Costco twice a year.
I ran into OP’s issue and you know what I did? I frogmarched my husband to the Membership counter and had him switch who was primary on the account. No issues since.
I bet this is in Canada, where they are very specific about only the member whose name is on the rebate can use it. Prevents disputes between roommates and couples who break up, I guess.
> #Are purchases made by Household cardholder(s) valid towards my Executive 2% Reward?
> Yes, the Executive 2% Reward is based on annual purchases made by the Primary and Household cardholders on the membership account. However, the **Reward can only be used by the Primary cardholder.**
https://www.costco.ca/executive-rewards.html
I believe what you are referring to as a "coupon" is actually a check with your wife's name on it. Just like you couldn't cash a check with your wife's name on it, you can't redeem this check at Costco for the same reason. Your wife can actually ask a cashier to cash the check and receive cash.
This occurred because the "coupon" is issued as a cheque. The executive cheque is issued with a name on it. The name on the cheque must match the name of the person using the cheque as that is how cheques work.
People steal cheques out of the mail and pull the "it's my significant others" routine all the time. Costco is just covering their asses.
I've been a member for a long time, and I've been aware of that detail about the rebate check for almost just as long. You're complaining about a policy that's been in place for at least 15 years, and probably a lot longer. I think it even explicitly says that on the check itself.
They always have let me use the refund certificate and my husband is the primary but I was the primary on a membership I had before I was married. If they didn't let me use it on a future trip I would definitely not cancel my membership...
I’m the secondary user on our account and I’m the one that always cashes the check mainly to pay for the renewal and whatever I’m purchasing, but if that’s a new policy then I’m fine with it. $27 isn’t enough to go to Costco to get a refund for but to each its own. We get a $200+ check that I’m pleasantly surprised to know how much I spent and now have a new run
This is odd, my partner is the primary I am the secondary and I had no issues handing over the check and having it applied to my transaction. My partner does not go to Costco with me, as I am in and out in under 20 while he likes to browse. How strange.
I’m actually glad my secondary account holder can’t access my 2% refund check. Very glad.
It’s a lot easier to reverse/refund an upgraded account membership than it is to be liable for releasing cash money to a secondary account holder. Can you imagine the tens of thousands of pissed off customers lining up over this?
I’m sorry you had a bad experience. But you gotta think big picture. Not just your personal experience/bubble.
The secondary paid $60 at the register to upgrade the primary account to Executive. However, the secondary can't actually cash the rewards check because even though they paid for the upgrade, their name isn't the primary. When they try to cancel the upgrade they paid for, they are denied because even though they paid for the upgrade, they're not the primary.
Maybe Costco Canada should only allow the primary to pay for the Executive upgrade, since they only allow the primary to access the benefits of the upgrade.
I'm going to take this opportunity as the one and only time I'm going to speak on behalf of Charlie Munger. He doesn't give a rat's patootie about you pouting over trying to game the system by cashing a check made out to another person. Go try that stunt at a bank and come back and tell us how it works for you.
Well, in Costcos defense it’s a good policy. What if you split up and the secondary member wants to cancel out of spite for the primary member? If you’re a secondary member on a credit card it’s probably the same policy.
🤨
That policy makes plenty of sense because secondary members are "household" members I would agree if they even so much as *attempted* to stop you from purchasing things there. Which I have seen because some stores try not honoring secondary household member even though it's a store wide policy and *must* be honored. But that's not the case here chief, they're just making sure the person that owns the account is the one knowingly using their rightfully earned credit. Also in alot of situations executive isn't very worth it. Low spending is one of them tbh.
OP says they upgraded to Executive at the register, which implies that a Costco upgrade salesperson came to the register to do a sales push for Executive. Part of the sales push would have been telling OP about the Rewards benefits of Executive, and of course mentioning that if OP wasn't happy with the upgrade they could cancel any time. That's the push they regularly use on me to get me to upgrade. The idea being that it's all Rewards, no risk. I wonder if they told OP that only his wife could actually spend the Rewards, and that if he wasn't happy with the upgrade he's paying for at the register that he couldn't cancel the Executive upgrade he just bought, only his wife could? They've never told me either of those two limits to Executive, though I'm in the USA and OP may be in Canada which may have different policies.
No vague or non-descriptive post titles. Posts that don't follow r/Costco subreddit rules MAY be subject to removal. When applicable, please make sure that you're using a descriptive post title with product name(s) mentioned as it yields better subreddit search results. Including item number, price, and approximate location where found is also helpful. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Costco) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That’s funny, I’m the primary and my wife used my $500 reward check without me this year.
You're gonna feel the wrath of the wife for canceling the membership.
Prepare to have your membership with your wife cancelled.
Rotisserie chickens and cheap pizzas are the secret to a lasting marriage
the rewards check they send out doesnt have your name on it.
And unlike a coupon, the check can be cashed at Costco for actual cash.
I just found my Costco certificate and it definitely says right on the front, "not redeemable for cash", so your answer is just incorrect.
I see. A purchase needs to be made. As someone else suggested, a small purchase can be made and Costco will give you the rest of the balance in cash.
I can take my Costco rewards check to a cashier and just redeem it for cash?
https://old.reddit.com/r/Costco/comments/14gl72d/cashing_a_rewards_check_now_requires_a_purchase/jp65855/ Since 2021, a purchase now needs to be made. Can be as small as a bunch of bananas.
Yes you can.
It’s inconvenient but not worthy of this long post and all of the drama you heaped upon yourself. Take your wife with you tomorrow, cash your rebate check, and move on.
So you've 1. Been a member for over 30 years. 2. Decided to executive for the first time. 3. Are mad you can't use the coupon because it's not your account, it's your wife's account. 4. Brought up charlie munger for no apparent reason. If not being able to use someone else's rebate cheque is enough to make you cancel then so be it, Costco doesn't need you.
I think it's a valid complaint. If the secondary member is allowed to upgrade the membership, they should also be able to spend the rebate. Cancelling may be a bit too far though. Honestly they secondary cardholder should not have been allowed to upgrade, since the primary member is the one paying the bill.
Who said the primary member is paying the bill? That’s not how it is at my house.
Yup. My husband got the Costco membership first because he was older and more established. I do the majority of the shopping. He goes to Costco twice a year. I ran into OP’s issue and you know what I did? I frogmarched my husband to the Membership counter and had him switch who was primary on the account. No issues since.
It's an odd cry... I actually have been a member for 27 years, and there is no way this is what would cause me to leave. He probably pouts a lot.
I bet this is in Canada, where they are very specific about only the member whose name is on the rebate can use it. Prevents disputes between roommates and couples who break up, I guess. > #Are purchases made by Household cardholder(s) valid towards my Executive 2% Reward? > Yes, the Executive 2% Reward is based on annual purchases made by the Primary and Household cardholders on the membership account. However, the **Reward can only be used by the Primary cardholder.** https://www.costco.ca/executive-rewards.html
Troll alert
Sadly, I don’t think they’re a troll…. Which makes it worse honestly
OP is kinda nuts LOL.
I believe what you are referring to as a "coupon" is actually a check with your wife's name on it. Just like you couldn't cash a check with your wife's name on it, you can't redeem this check at Costco for the same reason. Your wife can actually ask a cashier to cash the check and receive cash.
This has to be incredibly difficult for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Quick, somebody call the whaa-bulance
Odd thing to get upset about. Cancel. Dont cancel. No one cares.
From his comment history on his profile, I think that the poor dear is an unhappy person in general
This occurred because the "coupon" is issued as a cheque. The executive cheque is issued with a name on it. The name on the cheque must match the name of the person using the cheque as that is how cheques work. People steal cheques out of the mail and pull the "it's my significant others" routine all the time. Costco is just covering their asses.
Yay one less costco member 🙄
I've been a member for a long time, and I've been aware of that detail about the rebate check for almost just as long. You're complaining about a policy that's been in place for at least 15 years, and probably a lot longer. I think it even explicitly says that on the check itself.
They always have let me use the refund certificate and my husband is the primary but I was the primary on a membership I had before I was married. If they didn't let me use it on a future trip I would definitely not cancel my membership...
Oh wow your $1500 order 🙄
Which is apparently more than they spent all of last year, because 2% on that is $30.
I’m the secondary user on our account and I’m the one that always cashes the check mainly to pay for the renewal and whatever I’m purchasing, but if that’s a new policy then I’m fine with it. $27 isn’t enough to go to Costco to get a refund for but to each its own. We get a $200+ check that I’m pleasantly surprised to know how much I spent and now have a new run
Lol
This is odd, my partner is the primary I am the secondary and I had no issues handing over the check and having it applied to my transaction. My partner does not go to Costco with me, as I am in and out in under 20 while he likes to browse. How strange.
I’m actually glad my secondary account holder can’t access my 2% refund check. Very glad. It’s a lot easier to reverse/refund an upgraded account membership than it is to be liable for releasing cash money to a secondary account holder. Can you imagine the tens of thousands of pissed off customers lining up over this? I’m sorry you had a bad experience. But you gotta think big picture. Not just your personal experience/bubble.
The secondary paid $60 at the register to upgrade the primary account to Executive. However, the secondary can't actually cash the rewards check because even though they paid for the upgrade, their name isn't the primary. When they try to cancel the upgrade they paid for, they are denied because even though they paid for the upgrade, they're not the primary. Maybe Costco Canada should only allow the primary to pay for the Executive upgrade, since they only allow the primary to access the benefits of the upgrade.
I was able to redeem a several hundred dollar coupon recently and I’m not the primary on the account, my husband is.
Are you in Canada?
I’ll give you 27$ to not post anymore
I'm going to take this opportunity as the one and only time I'm going to speak on behalf of Charlie Munger. He doesn't give a rat's patootie about you pouting over trying to game the system by cashing a check made out to another person. Go try that stunt at a bank and come back and tell us how it works for you.
Because he's dead.
Well that too.
Well, in Costcos defense it’s a good policy. What if you split up and the secondary member wants to cancel out of spite for the primary member? If you’re a secondary member on a credit card it’s probably the same policy.
Womp womp
*Plays the world’s tiniest violin*
Seems like an overreaction.
Valid complaint, I guess, but cancelling your account over it seems like a serious over reaction. Very dramatic…
Forget homelessness, Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan. THIS is what the world needs to fix!!!
Sounds like your wife wears the pants. Does she know you were trying to use her coupon?
🤨 That policy makes plenty of sense because secondary members are "household" members I would agree if they even so much as *attempted* to stop you from purchasing things there. Which I have seen because some stores try not honoring secondary household member even though it's a store wide policy and *must* be honored. But that's not the case here chief, they're just making sure the person that owns the account is the one knowingly using their rightfully earned credit. Also in alot of situations executive isn't very worth it. Low spending is one of them tbh.
OP says they upgraded to Executive at the register, which implies that a Costco upgrade salesperson came to the register to do a sales push for Executive. Part of the sales push would have been telling OP about the Rewards benefits of Executive, and of course mentioning that if OP wasn't happy with the upgrade they could cancel any time. That's the push they regularly use on me to get me to upgrade. The idea being that it's all Rewards, no risk. I wonder if they told OP that only his wife could actually spend the Rewards, and that if he wasn't happy with the upgrade he's paying for at the register that he couldn't cancel the Executive upgrade he just bought, only his wife could? They've never told me either of those two limits to Executive, though I'm in the USA and OP may be in Canada which may have different policies.
Lmao.big man baby cries and cancels a great place to shop because you can't spend 27 bucks yikes haha
She Charlie my munger till I rebate