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Costco Tightens Gold Bar Policy Following High Demand
By Liliana Hall MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Costco tightens gold bar limits as prices soar and demand overwhelms online inventory.
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Costco’s gold bars have become so popular that the company is quietly tightening restrictions on its precious metal sales.
While members could originally buy two 1-ounce, 24-karat gold bars per transaction, Costco has since changed its policy. Shoppers can still buy up to two bars, but they can place only one transaction every 24 hours. According to the listings for the two 1-ounce gold bars currently available on Costco’s website — the Rand Refinery and PAMP Suisse Lady of Liberty — there’s a “Limit of 1 Transaction Per Membership, with a Maximum of 2 Units Per 24 Hours.”
Other gold and silver products sold on Costco.com also have purchase limitations. For example, members can also buy up to two 1-ounce gold coins in one transaction every 24 hours. And sales of 10-ounce silver bars are limited to one transaction, with a maximum of 10 units per day.
The warehouse giant has generated significant buzz since it began selling 24-karat gold bars in 2023. The Swiss- and South African-made bullion has sparked an online gold rush, with inventory repeatedly selling out. In its first-quarter earnings report for 2025, Costco listed gold as one of its top-selling product categories. Analysts at Wells Fargo estimate that the retailer earns between $100 million and $200 million a month from gold bar sales.
But the latest restrictions from Costco appear to respond to the rabid demand for gold this year. In April, gold prices hit record highs, driven largely by economic uncertainty and inflation fears, prompting a shift toward tangible assets like gold. Since the start of 2024, the price of gold has gone up by more than 60%.
Two years ago, for example, the 1-ounce Rand Refinery sold on Costco’s website for just under $2,000. Today, that same bar is priced at approximately $3,250. The current market price for one ounce of gold is around $3,295.
Costco has not issued an official statement or responded to requests for comment about the reasoning behind the new restrictions. However, as members start to pick up on the change, reactions have been mixed online.
“Good, they should limit it [to] one,” one Reddit user said on the r/CostcoPM (precious metals) thread, citing concerns about overwhelming demand and how difficult it already was to get even a single bar.
Others were less enthusiastic. “I’m not a flipper and regularly buy [the] max limit every order,” another user said. “If it’s [one bar], I can and will find better deals.”
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Liliana Hall is an Austin-based reporter for Money, where she covers a range of topics, including financial news, policy, banking, investing, passive income, financial planning and student loan debt. Passionate about accessibility and financial literacy, she’s dedicated to helping readers navigate the complexities of money management and feel empowered to make informed decisions about their financial futures. Previously, Liliana covered all angles of personal finance as a writer and editor at CreditCards.com, Bankrate and CNET. Before she ever wrote about money, she worked in a handful of newsrooms across Austin, Texas, covering everything from the Texas Legislature to SXSW and the 2019 Men’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Her work has been featured in The Daily Texan, Austin Chronicle and KUT. A Texas native, Liliana graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. When she’s offline, you can probably find her paddle boarding on Lady Bird Lake, riding her moped around town or reading for her book club.