- Costco offers lots of privileges and deals that don't have to do with bulk groceries. Take its Tire Center, for example.
- Through it, Costco offers lifetime maintenance services with the purchase of a set of tires.
- The members-only chain also promises no shipping and handling charges on tire purchases.
Lots of people depend on Costco's bulk packages and low pricing for essentials like toilet paper, canned goods, beer, and bacon. But there's good reason to add car tires to your shopping list.
The membership-only wholesale superstore famously offers plenty of perks and services outside of regular groceries. That includes access to the store's Tire Center, which offers a host of advantages over other tire retailers.
When you buy tires and an Installation Package from Costco, you get lifetime maintenance services throughout the lifespan of the tires. That encompasses tire balancing, tire rotations, flat repairs, and inflation pressure checks. Flat repairs, in particular, can be expensive, even with insurance.
Aside from its lifetime perks, additional benefits from the Tire Center include a guarantee of no additional shipping and handling costs for purchases. (Members can buy their tires online or in a store.) Costco also inflates new tires with nitrogen (as opposed to compressed air), which can help tires retain their pressure marginally longer. Costco says this extends tire life and improves fuel economy.
Members can also buy the rest of their car through Costco's Auto Program, which sells discounted vehicles through partnerships with dealers. And it sells gas, too.
A standard Costco membership costs $60 a year, while an executive membership, which provides some extra benefits and savings, costs $120.