8 things to know before ordering a Costco casket

You can buy almost anything at Costco Wholesale, right? Even a Costco casket!

In this article, we’ll take a look at how much a Costco casket costs, how long it takes to get one delivered, the store’s return policy on caskets and more.

Here’s what you need to know about buying a casket from Costco

As you probably know, Costco offers its members the benefits of lower prices through group buying power. The warehouse club chain never marks anything up more than 15% — and the same holds true for caskets.

Table of contents

1. What is the price of a Costco casket?
2. How long does it take to get a casket delivered?
3. Can I get a Costco casket delivered to any state?
4. What info do I need to order?
5. Will a funeral home accept a Costco casket?
6. Must I be present at the funeral home to receive the casket?
7. Can I return a Costco casket?
8. How can I get additional info?

1. What is the price of a Costco casket?

Costco offers a selection of eight caskets that range in price from $899.99 to $1,799.99. Best of all, that price includes shipping charges!

2. How long does it take to get a casket delivered?

Costco says it can deliver a casket in three business days provided you place your order by 10 a.m. PST.

So for example, let’s say you order on Tuesday before 10 a.m. PST. You can expect the casket to be delivered by Friday at 5 pm. local time. But if you miss that 10 a.m. PST deadline by even a minute, Costco’s website say the delivery would be bumped to the following weekday, so you wouldn’t receive it until the following Monday.

If you’re interested in ordering, customers are urged call before ordering to “verify availability and to confirm Shipping Delivery time and date.”

If you’re paying by credit card and there’s some kind of hold or decline, that will delay your order. Other possible unforeseen delays that can complicate delivery timelines include:

• Acts of God
• Weather-related conditions
• States of emergencies

In the interest of making the delivery process as smooth as possible, Costco recommends that customers call the funeral home to inform them of their casket order at least one business day before it is delivered.

3. Can I get a Costco casket delivered to any state?

The Federal Trade Commission has rules stating that funeral homes must accept any casket purchased from a third-party source.

Unfortunately, Costco can only deliver caskets to some states. The list includes 39 states and Washington, D.C.:

1. Alabama
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Connecticut
6. District of Columbia
7. Florida
8. Idaho
9. Illinois
10. Indiana
11. Iowa
12. Kansas
13. Kentucky
14. Louisiana
15. Massachusetts
16. Michigan
17. Minnesota
18. Missouri
19. Montana
20. Nebraska
21. Nevada
22. New Hampshire
23. New Jersey
24. New Mexico
25. New York
26. North Carolina
27. North Dakota
28. Ohio
29. Oregon
30. Pennsylvania
31. Rhode Island
32. South Dakota
33. Tennessee
34. Texas
35. Utah
36. Virginia
37. Washington
38. West Virginia
39. Wisconsin
40. Wyoming

4. What info do I need to order?

To expedite the ordering process, Costco says you should have the following info on hand for the “Shipping Address” at checkout:

• First and last name of the deceased
• Name of mortuary or funeral home
• Address of mortuary or funeral home
• Phone number of mortuary or funeral home

Additionally, you’ll need the following info for the “Billing Address” at checkout:

• First and last name of the paying customer
• Company name to bill (if applicable)
• Street address to bill to
• Phone number of the paying customer

5. Will a funeral home accept a Costco casket?

As stated earlier, a funeral home must accept a casket that you purchase from Costco per FTC rules.

The “What Consumers Cannot Be Required To Purchase” section of the FTC Funeral Rule expressly states that a funeral home:

“…Cannot refuse to serve a family because they do not purchase one particular item (e.g., a casket or embalming) or a combination of items or services.”

In addition, both state and federal laws bar a funeral home from charging any additional fees for your Costco casket purchase.

6. Must I be present at the funeral home to receive the casket?

Fortunately, you do not have to be at the funeral home when the casket is delivered. If you’re told by the funeral home that you do, push back on them. Costco’s website recommends you tell them any requirement for you to be there for delivery is a violation of Section 453.4(b)(1) of the FTC Funeral Rule.

However, we should note that if the casket is being delivered to somewhere other than a funeral home, you or someone else will need to be there to receive it. You can coordinate this delivery with the carrier.

7. Can I return a Costco casket?

Costco is known for its generous return policy. But that policy only extends to caskets in limited circumstances. According to the warehouse club’s website:

“Costco.com will only accept a return of a casket due to freight or cosmetic damage from shipping.”

If you believe you have grounds to return a casket, don’t try to do it at your local warehouse club. Instead, call 1-800-955-2292 or email customerservice@costco.com for further instructions on the returns process for caskets.

8. How can I get additional info?

We understand you may have additional questions before ordering a casket from Costco when a loved one passes away. In that case, you can use the contact info reference above — 1-800-955-2292 or email customerservice@costco.com — to get additional info before making your mind up about this important and sensitive end-of-life issue.

Final thought

Costco offers very affordable prices on caskets. But they’re not the only ones who give consumers a solid option for shopping away from the funeral home.

Both Walmart and Amazon have even more casket options available online than Costco does. We’ve got a look at what they offer in our article titled: You can save big money on caskets at Costco, Walmart and Amazon.

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