We checked in with Costco ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump tariffs — expected as soon as Friday — to see if the wholesale club would pass along refunds to members if the decision went their way. For now, there’s no clear answer.
Costco was among the largest of more than 1,000 retailers that sued, arguing that the president had exceeded his emergency powers in enacting some of the tariffs. (Those based on national-security grounds have a stronger legal basis.) Oral arguments in November went badly for the administration, and prediction markets currently put 70% odds on the Supreme Court overturning the tariffs. Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked plainly of the plaintiffs: “If you win, tell me how the reimbursement process would work. It seems to me like it could be a mess.”
Costco’s unique business model — its strict membership card policy means it knows every single shopper and what they bought — means it’s possible to return money directly to customers. That’s something Walmart or Target, neither of which has sued, can’t do.
“While I appreciate your interest in our perspective, we are not commenting on this topic at the present time,” Costco CFO Gary Millerchip told us.