Costco.com has quietly removed the option to pay for online purchases using Apple Pay. I fully expect that Apple Pay still works in-store, but if you’re shopping online at Costco.com, you can no longer use Apple Pay to check out.
This is a particular bummer for those who still have the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve card since that card offers 3x on mobile wallet purchases (using something like Google Pay or Apple Pay). That card has long been my favorite card for warehouse store purchases (though Tim recently did a roundup of currently-available best options for warehouse store spend).
As a Google Pay user myself, I hadn’t even realized that it was possible to use Apple Pay at Costco.com. Google Pay is not nearly as widely available as a checkout option, and when it does show up on a website, it never seems to code as 3x for me the way that it does when I use my phone to tap in person. I believe you only see the option to check out via Apple Pay if you’re browsing on an Apple device, so I hadn’t known until a couple of months ago that Apple Pay was accepted at Costco.com.
I think that Costco initially restricted the use of Apple Pay for gold purchases, but that apparently expanded to be a site-wide restriction. My understanding is that Apple Pay created a barrier in re-running charges when a preauthorization dropped off between the time an order was placed and the time when an order was shipped. I’m kind of surprised that we haven’t seen other sites run into a similar problem. I wouldn’t be surprised if this eventually gets worked out and Apple Pay returns, but for the time being it is not available as a checkout option and is not listed as a payment option for Costco.com purchases on the Costco website.
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Great info Nick. Thanks
Apple Pay still works in-store, as of 5 minutes ago 🙂
3 days ago Chat told me they are aware of it and are working to get it back online.
That’s a pretty niche use case.
Out of curiosity why do you consider it a “niche” use case? Because you don’t use it? Apple has 57.69% of the smartphone market in the US currently. I literally just used Apple Pay twice for online purchases this morning and have been using it for years because it is remarkably secure. I’m curious what their reasoning is. Admittedly I usually go in person to Costco and have no clue of the usage data and what it costs to maintain the service.
Because virtually no one makes an online purchase based on a store accepting Apple Pay or not.
When they have the USBAR they do…
If you are referring to “ Apple Pay created a barrier in re-running charges when a preauthorization dropped off between the time an order was placed and the time when an order was shipped” then I wholeheartedly agree sir.
This happened weeks ago for gold.
I’m well aware. Only just found out it was for other things also.
I know your aware.
did Costco remove the option to use PayPal online? have used it previously but didn’t see it as an option the last time I purchased at Costco online
My heart sank when I read the subject line of the email, but I was glad to see that it’s still available in store. USBAR still the Costco king.