Costco Launches Labor Day Deals With LG TV Cut to $1,800 and Apple Discounts

Q: Does the hidden 5% online surcharge for non-members completely wipe out the massive savings promised by these early holiday markdowns?

No. The 5% online surcharge for non-members does not erase Costco’s headline Labor Day discounts on the biggest deals, though it does trim them and can make smaller markdowns less compelling. On the LG C6 OLED TV, the sale price is $1,800 versus $2,700, a $900 discount. A 5% non-member surcharge adds about $90, leaving roughly $810 in savings before the extra $150 Shop Card. Even with the surcharge, that remains a very large discount. The same pattern holds on several other featured items. AirPods Pro 3 at $200 instead of $250 still save a non-member about $40 after a 5% fee. The Bose SoundLink Home speaker at $130 instead of $180 still saves about $43.50 after surcharge. The Ring bundle at $180 instead of $250 still saves about $61. Where the surcharge matters more is on modest discounts. A Lexar SSD marked down from $140 to $120 saves $20, but a 5% fee adds about $6, cutting the net savings to roughly $14. On the MacBook Pro at $1,850 from $1,999, the surcharge adds about $92.50, shrinking the effective discount to around $56.50 unless member-only extras such as extended warranty benefits apply. For shoppers buying one expensive, deeply discounted item, the surcharge usually does not wipe out the deal. But for lightly discounted products, it can make the value far less attractive. In many cases, a $65 Gold Star membership can pay for itself quickly on a large purchase, especially when member-only perks or Shop Card offers are included.

3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 25

$1,800 for LG's C6 OLED TV headlines Costco's early Labor Day 2026 sale, down from $2,700 and bundled with a $150 shop card through Aug. 30.
The promotion spans TVs, Apple devices, laptops, appliances and home goods as retailers ramp up holiday-weekend discounting ahead of Labor Day.
Apple offers include AirPods Pro 3 at $200 from $250 and a 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro at $1,850 from $1,999, while a Lexar SSD drops to $120 from $140.
Costco's membership model shapes the event: memberships start at $65 a year, and non-members shopping online typically face a 5% markup with some deals reserved for members.