Costco Preparing to Begin Selling iPhone and iPad as iTunes Store Gift Cards Return [Updated]
Back in late 2010, Apple and warehouse club chain Costco parted ways, ending a relationship that had seen Costco carrying iPods and iTunes Store gift cards. The two companies now appear to have patched up their differences, reaching an agreement that will see the second largest retailer in the U.S. begin carrying the iPhone and cellular iPads through its wireless kiosks.
The news comes via an email from Dan Brettler, founder and CEO of Car Toys and its Wireless Advocates subsidiary, which handles wireless sales for Costco. The email was sent to Wireless Advocates employees, notifying them of the new partnership.
Wireless Advocates Team,
I am extremely excited to share the news of a new partnership between Apple Inc. and Costco Wholesale. This partnership will bring a top selling line-up of Apple products to Costco members including the iPhone and embedded iPads. As Costco's solution for wireless devices and services, we are proud to be a part of this new partnership and incorporate Apple products into our already strong product line-up in Costco.
We already know Apple products. They are not new to our business. We currently sell Apple products in two of our three enterprise channels (Car Toys and Military). We already have a great business partnership with them and this new opportunity strengthens that relationship. They are valuable to our long-term success and growth in our space. This initiative will accelerate same store sales through performance gains and new products and services, as well as enhance our strategic partnership with our suppliers. This is critical to the overall success of "Our 5 Strategic Business Initiatives".
In his email, Brettler acknowledges that there is still "much backend work and physical kiosk work" to be done before Costco stores can begin selling iPhones and iPads, and he does not provide a timeline for the start of sales. He does, however, promise to keep employees updated as the project moves forward.
Beyond iPhone and iPad, several Twitter users have reported yesterday and today that Costco has once again begun selling iTunes Store gift cards. This is likely separate from the hardware partnership with Wireless Advocates but part of the broader agreement between Apple and Costco, with the gift card portion moving forward on a faster timeline due to the ease of rollout.
Update 9:09 PM: We've heard that additional Apple products such as iPods and Wi-Fi iPad Airs have begun appearing in Costco's internal inventory systems.
Popular Stories
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Rumors
Faster Wi-Fi Support
The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Latest Rumors
These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026.
Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report.
Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain.
Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable
5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2
Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia.
The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options.
According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...
