5 Perks You Didn't Realize Come With T-Mobile At Costco

If you're looking to buy in bulk and save some money, you should be shopping at a warehouse club retailer. Of all the warehouse retailers you can be a member of, Costco is one of the biggest and most popular, with over 800 locations worldwide. On top of its affordable prices, there are a ton of perks that make Costco membership worth it, like discounted fuel, free samples of products sold at the retailer, vehicle-related benefits, deals on travel, and more.

While the benefits of having a Costco membership are great, there can be drawbacks to buying in bulk. For example, this six-year Costco member will never buy these three things again from the big-box store because they simply can't get through them fast enough. That said, even if you avoid buying some food items from Costco because the bulk amount is too much for you and your family, a membership is still worth it for the excellent discounts on toiletries, clothing, and electronics, including TVs, laptops, and smartphones.

For smartphones, in particular, you can snag extra savings by switching to T-Mobile. There are a surprising number of perks most people don't realize come with T-Mobile at Costco, with some members reporting that they consistently receive free phones during upgrades and sometimes even make money in the process. Let's dive into the details of all the T-Mobile perks you can take advantage of at Costco, including all the fine print.

When you activate a new T-Mobile line at Costco, you can get $75 bounced back to you in the form of a Costco Digital Shop Card. This perk can also trigger when you purchase a new device with a finance agreement at Costco via T-Mobile. According to the fine print, you're required to have qualifying credit and a qualifying line (which Costco/T-Mobile defines as an $85+/month plan with AutoPay enabled), and it can take up to 16 weeks after the transaction to receive the digital gift card. You can get multiple gift cards from this promo, up to 12 per account.

Or, there's a similar deal with AT&T and Costco. To activate a new line with AT&T, you can earn up to $200 back, split into $100 in bill credits and a $100 Costco Virtual Shop Card. To snag this perk, you have to get an eligible phone on a 36-month 0% APR installment plan. The $100 in bill credits starts showing up within the first three bills, and it's split among the 36 monthly payments for roughly $2.78/month credited to you, with catch-up credits to cover any months the bill credit isn't active yet. The $100 Costco gift card is sent via SMS link within 60 days of purchase.

Another way you can score some extra money is by upgrading your device through T-Mobile at Costco. When you upgrade your device (and have the required qualifying credit and T-Mobile line, defined as an $85+/month plan with AutoPay), you'll receive a $100 Costco Digital Shop Card. Expanding the full terms reveals that it may take up to 16 weeks to receive your gift card and that you can repeat this deal on your other devices, though you can have a max of 12 Digital Shop Cards under a single Costco member account.

If AT&T has better coverage than T-Mobile in your area, there's an upgrade deal for AT&T at Costco you can grab instead. When you upgrade an "eligible smartphone," you can get up to $150 back. This $150 consists of a $100 Costco Virtual Shop Card delivered within 60 days of purchase and $50 in bill credits spread over 10 months with a 36-month 0% APR installment plan, and the fine print specifies that there's a limit of $150 total rewards per eligible line for this deal.

If you're thinking of switching your cell provider to T-Mobile, consider doing so via Costco. When you make T-Mobile your new provider at Costco and you "activate a new phone on Experience Beyond," which is T-Mobile's best (and priciest) unlimited plan, you can get a total of $400 back. Now, this isn't a deal with no strings attached, but it's still a great deal nonetheless. The $400 "in value" you get back comes in the form of a $150 Costco Digital Shop Card and a $250 Prepaid Visa Card, which can take up to 16 and 14 weeks, respectively, after purchase to reach you.

On top of $400 in gift cards, you can snag an iPhone 17 for free, just for switching to T-Mobile and adding a line on an Experience Beyond plan. The iPhone 17 is "free" to you by way of 24 monthly bill credits, so if you cancel your plan or switch to another provider during those 24 months, your iPhone 17 won't be free any longer. This deal is only eligible for those who port-in from AT&T, Verizon, Claro, UScellular, Xfinity, Spectrum, and Liberty PR and sign up for a qualifying service, defined as either a $100+/month plan with AutoPay or a Better Value plan with three lines for $140+/month.

Similarly, AT&T has a deal through Costco for switching providers that gives you up to $350 total in bill credits and a gift card.

Of all the perks that come with T-Mobile at Costco, this one is the least impressive. But when you're trying to save money, every little bit helps. When you buy a new tablet or smartwatch at Costco and activate a new line for it via T-Mobile, you can get a $25 Costco Digital Shop Card. Though that's a small gift card amount, tablets and smartwatches often get great sales at Costco, sweetening this deal ever so slightly.

To be eligible for this deal, you have to have a qualifying mobile internet line that's active, in good standing, and at least $7/month with AutoPay. If there are multiple people in your family who want a smartwatch and/or a tablet, here's some good news: you can earn up to 12 of these digital gift cards on a single account. After your transaction, it can take up to 16 weeks to receive your digital gift card.

If you buy a tablet or smartwatch from Costco, you could choose to activate it with AT&T instead and get a similar rebate. For this deal, you have to buy a new tablet or smartwatch on a 36-month 0% APR installment plan with a minimum $10/month data plan. Then, you'll get the $35 activation fee waived at checkout and a $25 Costco Shop Card mailed within 60 days of your purchase.

The perks that come with T-Mobile at Costco aren't limited to mobile devices. This deal gives you $100 back across two gift cards when you activate a qualifying new T-Mobile 5G Home Internet line. You can get a $75 Costco Digital Shop Card with qualifying credit and a new Home Internet line on an Amplified or All-In plan, which costs $40/month and $50/month, respectively, with discounts for AutoPay and an active voice line. Then, you can grab a $25 Costco Digital Shop Card with qualifying credit and an Unlimited Home Internet line that's at least $50/month or more with AutoPay.

To get both gift cards, your only option would be T-Mobile's top All-In internet plan. All of T-Mobile's internet plans come with a 5-Year Price Guarantee, which means the company won't change the price (excluding tax and fee adjustments) for at least five years as long as you stay on an eligible plan. After you set up your new internet plan, it can take up to 17 weeks to receive the two virtual gift cards.