Costco Just Recalled Some Restaurant Gift Cards: Here's Why
Costco's a great place for all sorts of deals, but not just on the thousands of products you can pluck off the shelves. The warehouse chain has also long been a destination for great deals on gift cards, some of which were even good at multiple restaurants — "were" being the operative word. A major change in business has prompted Costco to issue an unusual recall.
The store recently sent a letter to customers who bought a Synergy Restaurant Gift Card between October 27, 2025, and January 26, 2026, notifying them that the Synergy Gift Card Network shut down as of January 31, and according to Synergy, February 1 was the last day they could be redeemed at restaurants.
Customers with one or more of these dead gift cards can take them to their local Costco for a refund on any remaining balances. If you're unsure about a remaining balance, you can still check them at this website. Refunds may take a while, though. Other customers who have done this reported the process taking a long time, perhaps because of Synergy and/or Costco systems being overloaded with refund requests.
Costco members took a huge hit on a major benefit
The sudden closure of the Synergy Gift Card Network is a major inconvenience for Costco and its members. Gift cards like these were previously one of the best Costco membership benefits that people didn't know about. Members could buy gift cards in bulk for less money than their face value, which was an even better deal with Synergy's versatility.
Costco customers have been shocked and disappointed by the loss of Synergy cards, with complaints that the store should not have so heavily discounted them right before the card network folded. Some even said that restaurants stopped accepting them before the cutoff date. It might not be as explosive a recall as Costco's literally exploding Prosecco bottles from last year, but this one is hitting customers hard.
However, your Costco membership can still save you money at restaurants. Synergy cards are gone, but the store still has other restaurant gift cards that can be bought in bulk for lower than face value, great for either gifting or using yourself.