Costco.com

What Costco.com does

Costco Checks is a private, member-exclusive e-commerce check printing service operated by Harland Clarke Corp. under a licensing arrangement with Costco Wholesale Membership, Inc. The storefront at CostcoChecks.com sells personal checks, business checks (computer/laser and manual), high-security check variants, and a broad accessories catalog (address labels, checkbook covers, deposit tickets, ink stamps, envelopes, binders, and federal tax forms). Customers must be Costco members to purchase, and the offering is gated entirely behind Costco's brand and membership funnel.

The underlying technology stack centers on a Design Studio Configurator for online check customization, MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) encoding for downstream bank processing, and high-security printing features including 3D holograms and heat-reactive ink for counterfeit deterrence. The catalog spans roughly 232 personal check designs (with over 100 licensed designs from Disney, Lucasfilm/Star Wars, Thomas Kinkade, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, ASPCA, and other IP holders) and approximately 197 accessory SKUs, supported by a Quick Reorder workflow for returning customers.

The business model is a one-time-purchase, pay-as-you-go e-commerce model with volume-based unit pricing (e.g., 2-packs of personal checks at $25.39 scaling to 12-packs at $105.59), accessories sold at tiered set pricing, and ancillary shipping revenue from paid expedited options (Express Trackable at $22.80, Business Secure at $30.48). Free standard trackable delivery is included on personal check orders, and bundled business packages combine checks, envelopes, and accessories at a discount. Two primary customer segments — individual Costco members and Costco-member small business owners — are addressed through horizontal segmentation, with go-to-market executed exclusively via the CostcoChecks.com storefront and promoted through Costco's membership program, organic search, email, and the in-site design tool. Fulfillment, printing, and customer service are handled by Harland Clarke Corp. as the operating partner.

Name

Costco.com

Legal name

Harland Clarke Corp.

Website

https://costcochecks.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Costco Checks is a member-exclusive e-commerce check printing service operated by Harland Clarke Corp. under license from Costco Wholesale, selling personal and business checks plus financial accessories to Costco members in the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Check Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling personal checks, business checks, and high-security checks to Costco members. Products are sold in packs of 100-200 checks with volume discounts available.
2. Accessories: Revenue from complementary products including address labels, checkbook covers, binders, deposit tickets, envelopes, ink stamps, and tax forms.
3. Shipping Services: Additional revenue from shipping options including paid Express/Trackable delivery, with free standard delivery included on personal check orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Costco Checks sells personalized personal and business checks, high-security checks, and related financial accessories (address labels, checkbook covers, deposit tickets, ink stamps, envelopes, tax forms, binders) directly to Costco members through the CostcoChecks.com e-commerce site. The catalog spans hundreds of designs, including licensed brands such as Disney, Star Wars, Thomas Kinkade, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and ASPCA, with fulfillment handled by Harland Clarke Check Printing.

Product overview

Costco Checks, operated by Harland Clarke Check Printing, offers a comprehensive check printing and financial accessory service. The core product portfolio consists of Personal Checks and Business Checks, with High Security Check variants available for fraud protection. Personal Checks span hundreds of designs including licensed brands (Disney, Star Wars, Thomas Kinkade, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, ASPCA), animal themes, patriotic designs, and inspirational categories. Business Checks include Computer Checks for laser/inkjet/continuous printers and Manual Checks for traditional record-keeping. Supporting accessories include Address Labels, Checkbook Covers, Tax Forms, Deposit Tickets, Ink Stamps, Envelopes, and Binders. The service also offers Business Bundles for combined purchases at discounted pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Checks

Quantifiable outcome

• Free trackable standard delivery included on all personal check orders
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Heart AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026For every 'Precious Hearts' check style sold from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, Harland Clarke Corp. will donate $0.50 of the purchase price to the American Heart Association's Life Is Why Campaign.
• Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Harland Clarke donates $0.50 for every African American History check order sold to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc.
• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 December 202410% of the retail purchase price of all ASPCA-branded items goes to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to help further its mission to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $25,000 through December 31, 2027.
• Humane World for AnimalsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024From June 1, 2024 until May 31, 2026, Harland Clarke will donate $0.50 for every check and accessory sold to Humane World for Animals (formerly The Humane Society of the United States) to support their lifesaving work.
• Harland Clarke Check PrintingcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHarland Clarke Corp. operates Costco Checks as a third-party service provider, handling check printing, fulfillment, and customer service. The site is operated by Harland Clarke on behalf of Costco.
• Costco Wholesale Membership, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCostco Wholesale provides the brand association, membership base (over 70 million members), and exclusive distribution channel for Costco Checks products.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit conservation organization providing licensed animal imagery (penguins, koalas, polar bears, elephants, giraffes, owls) for check designs. Collaboration supports wildlife conservation efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sam's Club Checks: Warehouse-club-branded check retailer operated for Sam's Club members, structurally analogous to Costco Checks given the parallel warehouse club membership model and member-exclusive positioning. Closest direct peer in terms of GTM motion and customer base.
• Checks Unlimited: One of the largest direct-to-consumer online check retailers in the US, offering personal and business checks, address labels, and accessories. Highly comparable to Costco Checks in product mix, e-commerce GTM, and target customer (consumer and SMB check buyers).
• Carousel Checks: Direct online competitor offering personal and business checks, often bundled with accessories like address labels and checkbook covers. Closely matches Costco Checks in catalog structure, online ordering flow, and customer segmentation across individual and small business buyers.
• Walmart Checks: Walmart's branded online check portal offering personal and business checks to Walmart customers. Most directly comparable to Costco Checks in terms of being a mass-retailer-branded check destination with member/customer-exclusive pricing and access.
• Bradford Exchange Checks: Specializes in collectible and themed check designs (licensed characters, art, nostalgia themes), directly mirroring Costco Checks' licensed-brand design strategy (Disney, Star Wars, San Diego Zoo). Strong overlap in design-driven product differentiation and emotional/cause-related appeal.
• Current (Deluxe): Deluxe Corporation's direct-to-consumer check brand, offering personal and business checks via a similar e-commerce model. Direct peer given Deluxe is one of the largest check printers in the US and Current is its flagship consumer-facing check brand.
• Designer Checks: Online check retailer with a design-led assortment comparable to Costco Checks' themed/character check portfolio. Targets the same consumer and small business segments with similar accessory attach products.
• Check Advantage: Online check retailer offering personal, business, and high-security checks alongside accessories. Comparable in product breadth, security-tier offering, and target customer mix of individuals and small businesses.

Broad incumbents

• Vistaprint (Cimpress): Cimpress-owned online printing platform offering personal and business checks alongside a much broader printing product portfolio. Comparable to Costco Checks in check ordering UX and customer base, but operates at significantly greater scale across multiple print categories.
• Deluxe Corporation: Largest US check printer with a broad portfolio spanning consumer (Current), small business, and enterprise financial printing services. A broad incumbent peer whose capabilities overlap with Costco Checks' product range but at much greater scale and across multiple channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/costco.com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Costco.com