# Costco US/CA

<figure><img src="https://1000logos.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Costco-logo-500x281.png" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Our Costco module supports account based checkout and is designed to handle both API and frontend monitoring, multiple queue entry attempts and standard add to cart flows. Costco often uses queues, strict cart validation and fast sellouts but Stellar streamlines the process with session based logins, watch task pairing and optional queue farm setups. This module performs best for high demand products, electronics, limited drops and products known to appear with little warning.

***

### **Quick Start (Recommended Setup)**

1. Add your Costco session under **Identities → Sessions**.
2. Make sure your Costco account has **default shipping address** saved.
3. Create profiles with full billing, shipping, and payment information.
4. Run:
   * **1 Monitor task** per product (API or ATC)
   * **1 Normal mode checkout task** per account
5. Clear your Costco cart **before starting tasks**.
6. If the product uses a QueueIt system, run **Queueit Mode** tasks (hundreds recommended) and enable *Wait for Queue Pass* on your Normal mode checkout task. Don't use watch task for normal mode if Queueit system is live
7. Use ISPs, DCs, or resi proxies depending on your setup.
8. Keep checkout delay low (around 2000 ms).

***

### **Preliminary Checklist**

Before setting up tasks on Costco, make sure you have everything below prepared:

### **Profiles**

> * Accounts are **required** for checkout.
> * Account email must match the profile email for best performance.
> * Make sure default shipping address is saved inside your Costco account.

### **Proxies**

> * **ISP proxies** – Recommended for some of your tasks
> * **Residential proxies** – Recommended for majority of your tasks
>   * Save both proxy groups under the **Proxies tab** in Stellar.
>     * If you're looking for proxies, check out [Stella Proxies](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/getting-started-with-stellaraio/stella-proxies) for high quality ISP and Residential proxies

### **Costco Accounts**

> * Accounts are **required** for checkout.
> * Account email must match the profile email for best performance.
> * Make sure default shipping address is saved inside your Costco account.

#### **Cook Group Access** <a href="#cook-group-access" id="cook-group-access"></a>

> Optional but recommended. Your [cookgroup](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/getting-started-with-stellaraio/cook-groups) can help you find product URLs, SKUs and early restock alerts.

#### **Test Task** <a href="#test-task" id="test-task"></a>

> Before big drops, run a **test task** on a random in stock product to confirm your account, proxies and delays are functioning correctly.

***

### **Sessions & Login** <a href="#h_d1a2cff968" id="h_d1a2cff968"></a>

1\. Go to **Sessions** tab

<figure><img src="https://1122101074-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MQL0BOlyqRRf7zyNKSf%2Fuploads%2FVWmI5zgMGyeIefsEx2NR%2FCostco%20Session.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9b0617c9-c2bf-489b-9525-4bbfc8c4c4af" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2\. Click on **Add Session**

3\. Enter:

* **Session Name**
* **Email** (Costco account email)
* **Password** (Costco account password)

<figure><img src="https://1122101074-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MQL0BOlyqRRf7zyNKSf%2Fuploads%2F3agKJfHopvW1bRfLYxpS%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=011a351a-f89e-41ca-b101-edf29663dabe" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

4\. Click **Save**&#x20;

5 . Session logs in automatically when starting a **Normal mode** task

***

#### Task Strategy & Timing <a href="#task-strategy-and-timing" id="task-strategy-and-timing"></a>

**How Many Monitor Tasks Should I Create?**

* Run **1 Monitor task per SKU**.
* You can run multiple Monitor tasks if you want redundancy, but it’s **not required** and usually unnecessary.
* Monitor tasks are lightweight and can run 24/7.

**Recommended:** 1 Monitor task per SKU is sufficient for most users.

***

**How Many Checkout Tasks Per Account?**

* **Strictly 1 checkout task for each SKU per Costco account.**
* Running more than one checkout task on the same account can cause:
  * Account locks
  * Checkout failures
  * Login/session instability
* you can run as many queueit tasks as your pc can handle as those do not use accounts.

**Rule:** 1 account = 1 checkout task (no exceptions).

### Task Overview

**Normal Mode**

<figure><img src="https://1122101074-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MQL0BOlyqRRf7zyNKSf%2Fuploads%2FC304EjcCKjGeOjMRG4Q2%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ed20a07c-9882-46aa-b136-b8fd1c4c1773" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Monitor Mode**

<figure><img src="https://1122101074-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MQL0BOlyqRRf7zyNKSf%2Fuploads%2Fohcec7YFQoEAHrScavZ9%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=369dee0f-df1d-41a5-b81b-ab5392fb2f41" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Queueit Mode**

<figure><img src="https://1122101074-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MQL0BOlyqRRf7zyNKSf%2Fuploads%2FwRwtgtk5a4T4kwGCxhNB%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d66dd9f4-f082-413c-bd07-f2190c168077" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

### When to Use Modes

{% hint style="info" %}
**Important:** Your Costco account **logs in when tasks start**, not when the session is created. **Always clear your cart manually before running tasks.**
{% endhint %}

#### **Normal Mode (Checkout Mode)**

* Standard checkout flow
* Logs in → ATC → checkout
* Uses session credentials
* Best for direct restocks and fast moving items

#### **Monitor Mode**

* Monitors the product (API or ATC)
* Pings any checkout task with **Watch Task enabled**
* Does not add to cart or checkout
* Unlimited number of monitor tasks allowed

#### **Queueit Mode**

* Creates many queue entries
* Each task receives a different queue position
* When a task passes queue, it pings your **Normal Mode** checkout task (if “Wait for Queue Pass” is enabled)
* Ideal when Costco uses QueueIt for hot products
* Users often run **hundreds** of Queueit Mode tasks

***

### **Profile**

* Select the profile you want to use for checkout
* If “Use Account Address” is off → uses profile’s address
* If “Use Account Address” is on → uses Costco account default address (recommended)

***

### **Proxies**

You may use:

* ISP
* DC
* Residentials
  * If you're looking for proxies, check out [Stella Proxies](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/getting-started-with-stellaraio/stella-proxies) for high quality ISP and Residential proxies

All three work depending on your strategy and budget.

***

### **Product URL**

Find the product on Costco and copy the full product URL.

Example:

```
https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-create-a-size-paper-towels%2c-2-ply%2c-160-sheets%2c-12-count.product.100234271.html
```

Paste into your task’s URL field.

Your [cookgroup](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/getting-started-with-stellaraio/cook-groups) will provide product URLs

***

### **Monitor Type**

* **ATC** → frontend monitoring (via Costco.com)
* **API** → backend monitoring
  * Usually detects faster
  * More intense on proxies

***

### **Delays**

Recommended:

* **Monitor Delay:** \~5000 ms
* **Checkout Delay:** \~1000 ms
* **Reset Delay:** \~5000 ms

Adjust based on your proxies and cook group guidance.

***

### **Quantity (QTY)**

* Check with your [cookgroup](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/getting-started-with-stellaraio/cook-groups) for product specific quantity rules
* Stellar does *not* auto adjust if you set quantity too high

***

### **Session**

Allows you to pick which Costco session to use for the task.

***

### **Queue Captcha Provider**

Choose how to solve Costco QueueIt captchas:

* [**Bot**](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/navigating-stellaraio/what-is-the-captchas-tab/how-do-i-set-up-the-captcha-harvester) → built-in harvester
* [**Capsolver**](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/navigating-stellaraio/what-is-the-settings-tab/how-do-i-set-up-capsolver) → automatic via third-party
* [**Capmonster**](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/navigating-stellaraio/what-is-the-settings-tab/how-do-i-set-up-capmonster) → automatic via third-party
* [**AYCD**](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/navigating-stellaraio/what-is-the-settings-tab/how-do-i-integrate-aycd-into-stellaraio) → via AYCD toolbox

Configure depending on your provider.

***

### Login Method

Costco is known for frequently **temp banning or flagging accounts**, which can interrupt task flow. To help with this, Stellar supports **Passcode (OTP) Login**, allowing you to fetch the verification code through **IMAP** or **Manual Input**.

At the moment, OTP Login works even on temporarily flagged accounts, but Costco may tighten security at any time. For best results, we recommend running a **50/50 mix of Regular Login and OTP Login**, while still using **one account per task**.

***

### **Use Account Address (Recommended)**

* ON → uses address saved in Costco account
* OFF → uses Stellar profile address

ON is recommended for smoother checkouts.

***

### **Skip Cart Clear**

* ON → wont clear cart upon starting task meaning you will check out item(s) you already have carted in your account along with the item you're running in bot
* OFF → cart will be cleared upon starting task

***

### **Send Cart Webhook**

* ON → You'll receive a [Discord webhook](https://guides.stellaraio.com/stellar/navigating-stellaraio/what-is-the-settings-tab/how-to-set-up-discord-notifications) when your task carts an item
* OFF → No Discord webhook will be sent&#x20;

***

### **Task Stop After Carting**

* ON → Your task will stop after successfully carting your item(s)

  * **Open Browser (Globe Icon)**\
    The globe icon allows you to open a logged in browser session directly from a running task with the account already authenticated and ready to checkout. This is especially useful for users running a few accounts or troubleshooting ACO issues as it lets you manually complete checkout without restarting tasks

  <figure><img src="https://1122101074-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MQL0BOlyqRRf7zyNKSf%2Fuploads%2FNj4gwi4t11xiLyu7E1oh%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=db4ae6fc-7eca-4cf1-b0cd-79b4ca864941" alt="" width="375"><figcaption><p>Image of the globe icon</p></figcaption></figure>
* OFF → Your task will not stop after successfully carting your item(s), it'll continue the normal ACO process and attempt to checkout

***

### **Watch Task**

Helps reduce proxy bans and improve speed.

If enabled:

* Checkout task waits for Monitor task
* Monitor task pings checkout when product is in stock
* Checkout task immediately starts ATC + checkout

If disabled:

* Checkout task monitors, ATCs, and checkouts independently
* Higher request load

Disable Watch Task if product is using queue system

***

### Wait For Queue Pass\*

* ON → Your task will wait for a queueit mode task to pass queue before attempting to checkout
* OFF → Your task will not wait for a queueit mode task to pass queue\
  \
  \*Please note: This will only work when using Queue-It mode with a checkout task and watch task enabled or for queue-it drops ONLY. It will not work if used with an independent checkout task on an in stock item.

### Common Errors and Fixes

* **Akamai Ban**
  * *Cause:* Account- or proxy-related issue
  * *Fix:*
    * Try different proxies
    * Reset the Costco account password
* **Kasada Ban**
  * *Cause:* Account- or proxy-related issue
  * *Fix:*
    * Try different proxies
    * Reset the Costco account password
* **Waiting For Monitor**
  * *Cause:* Normal status message
  * *Fix:*
    * Task is waiting for a monitor-mode task or server-side monitor
    * Will proceed once the product is detected in stock

***

### Costco Queue Drop FAQ

**Do I use the regular Queue-It module or Costco module?**

* Use **Costco module** with **Wait for Queue Pass** enabled and **Queue-It MODE** tasks started.

**How many Queue-It tasks should I run?**

* There’s no fixed number, but don’t run 10–20 tasks. That won’t pass in time.

**Do I use residential proxies or ISPs?**

* Use a mix of both and see what performs better for you.

**Is it one account per task?**

* Yes. Strictly one account per task.
* Using multiple tasks on one account will clip it instantly.

**Do I use “Stop Task After Carting”?**

* With current strict costco checkout restrictions using proxies it is **RECOMMENDED** to use this feature unless you know your proxies will work on the checkout flow to avoid getting your account softbanned, you can manually checkout once the item has been carted.&#x20;
* Use it if you constantly have issues with ACO.
* Some members prefer manual checkout because Costco’s protection can be inconsistent.

**I’m using AMEX and my tasks are showing errors - what do I do?**

* AMEX isn’t supported at Costco. Only Visa and Mastercard work.

**“adding to cart - akamai ban”**

* Proxy block. Try different providers - ideally residential proxies.

**“initiating checkout - akamai ban”**

* Account temporary block or proxy block.
* Try running tasks with **Stop Task After Carting** enabled and check out manually.
* If you see **ERR\_HTTP2\_PROTOCOL\_ERROR** or **“Costco mobile services unavailable”**, it’s a 100% account block. Let the account rest for a while.

**“error submitting order - server error”**

* Caused by profile issues or Costco itself.
* We pushed three updates to improve handling of this error, but if it’s profile-related it may not be solvable.
* Test your profile on an in-stock item:
  * If it works, it’s site-related and our updates should improve it further.

**Where do I check out once my task carts and I have “Stop Task After Carting” enabled, or when the task tells me to check out manually after failing Akamai on initiating checkout?**

You have three options:

1. **Globe icon next to the task status**
   * This loads your logged-in session directly.
   * Just follow the normal checkout steps.
   * [More info here](https://discord.com/channels/1417577339671285984/1417581701315428493/1450832305089286215)&#x20;
2. **Open Browser in Sessions**
   * Same as the globe icon next to the task.
   * Opens the session with your account already logged in.
   * [More info here](https://discord.com/channels/1417577339671285984/1417581701315428493/1450832305089286215)
3. **External browser or tools (e.g. AYCD)**
   * Possible, but very time-consuming.
   * This is why using the in-bot browser is strongly recommended.

**In-bot browser requirement**

* Chrome must be installed in the default system path.
* Just install Chrome normally and it will configure itself automatically.