Costco has quietly increased its purchasing limits on gold bars amid a surge in popularity.
The new limit requires shoppers to purchase only one two-ounce gold bar per transaction, instead of a previous limit of two.
Costco also limited its Jumbo 100-gram bars to one per checkout, instead of last year’s maximum of five, Business Insider reported.
The retailer’s gold bars have been incredibly popular since they launched in 2023, regularly selling out within minutes.
Costco often uses item quantity limits for products where it anticipates strong demand for a good deal, according to the outlet.
Analysis of Costco’s pricing strategy found the retailer sells gold for a generously small markup on average over the spot price.
Gold has been in popular demand recently amid economic uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals.
Gold has traditionally been seen as a ‘safe haven’ investment, or as a hedge against inflation, and has seen its price soar in recent months.
Costco quietly placed a purchase limit on its gold bars, allowing customers only to purchase one instead of two within a 24 hour period
The company clarified that only one transaction for a gold bar can be made every 24 hours.
It comes after shoppers could previously walk out of a Wisconsin warehouse location with a stack of five one-ounce bars, according to Business Insider.
The retailer began selling one-ounce gold bars for $1,950 in September 2023.
As of this month, the spot price of gold has topped $3,400 per ounce.
Analysis of Costco’s gold pricing, detailed in a Reddit thread, found products typically sell at a 0.8 to 2.4 percent premium over the spot price.
The results were based on 2,073 deals made on Costco’s gold bars from February to April this year.
Several Reddit users claimed the price for Costco’s Rand Refinery gold bar was significantly higher than what they’ve paid in the past.
Most of the commenters’ insisted that costs for a gold bar purchased in 2023 or 2024 were between $1,800 and $2,300.
Costco began selling one-ounce gold bars for $1,950 online and in stores in 2023
Reddit users noticed prices for gold bars have skyrocketed
Costco makes between $100 and $200 billion a year in gold bar sales
By 2024, Costco was making up to $200 million in monthly gold sales.
Following Costco’s golden success, the company launched platinum bars last year.
The platinum bars debuted for $1,089.99, which sold out within the first 24 hours after their release.
However, Reddit users believe platinum is less valuable as gold, and its prices have not been predictable over the last few years.
‘I’ve been checking these the last 4-5 months. Seems Costco has never been very competitive on premiums when it comes to platinum,’ a Reddit user claimed in March.
Analysts also predict the demand for platinum will fall if the global trade continues to deteriorate as a result of the tariffs.
Gold, on the other hand, is a different story.
One of the top gold-producing countries is China, which recently reached an agreement with the US to slash tariffs by 115 percent for 90 days.
With the increase in prices and popularity, experts believe Costco will continue making between $1.2 and $2.4 billion in gold bar sales, while the price of gold could soar up to $4,000 per ounce in 2026.