LetYouKnow vs. the Costco Auto Program: What's the Difference?
In my years owning and operating new car stores, I saw plenty of buyers arrive with a Costco Auto Program certificate in hand. For members, it is a straightforward way to get a prearranged price from a participating dealership without haggling at the desk. LetYouKnow takes a different approach to the same goal of a fair price on a brand new car: instead of receiving a price arranged for you, you bid the price you want to pay and get an instant result.
How are LetYouKnow and the Costco Auto Program different?
The difference is who sets the number. The Costco Auto Program is a members-only car buying service that connects you with participating dealerships offering a prearranged member price on eligible new and used vehicles. You see a price arranged in advance and complete the purchase with the dealership, which remains the seller.
LetYouKnow starts with your price on a brand new car. Instead of receiving a preset figure, you set your own price as a single Bid and get an instant result. If your Bid is accepted, the new car is reserved at your accepted Bid price with a participating dealership within the search radius you selected. If your Bid is not accepted, you are not charged and can adjust your Bid and try again.
When your Bid is accepted, the price you set already includes all dealer and platform fees. Only applicable government charges such as sales tax, title, registration and licensing are added separately to reach your out-the-door total.
How does the Costco Auto Program help you buy a car?
The Costco Auto Program, administered by Affinity Auto Programs, Inc., is a members-only benefit. As a Costco member, you request pricing through the program, which connects you with a participating dealership in its network. You then work with an authorized dealer contact who shows you the prearranged member price on eligible vehicles, so you are not negotiating the base price from scratch at the desk.
For a member who wants a simpler experience and a price arranged in advance, that is a real convenience. The program is designed to reduce the back and forth on the vehicle price by setting member pricing ahead of time.
The important detail is that the program connects you with a dealership and the purchase is completed there. The dealership remains the seller, so applicable taxes, government fees, financing and any add-ons are handled in that transaction, and it is worth confirming the full itemized out-the-door figure with the dealer.
How does LetYouKnow approach the same purchase?
LetYouKnow empowers you to bid your own price on a brand new car. You build the new car you want, set your own price and get an instant result. If your Bid is accepted, the new car is reserved at your accepted Bid price with a participating dealership within the search radius you selected.
LetYouKnow is designed for price transparency on a new car. All dealer and platform fees are already inside your Bid. Government fees such as sales tax, title, registration and licensing are not included in your Bid and are typically paid as part of the final purchase with the dealership.
You enter payment information when you submit your Bid. If your Bid is accepted, the $799 service and reservation fee serves as a prepayment. It is included in your accepted Bid price and is not added on top. If your Bid is not accepted, you are not charged and can adjust your Bid and/or change options and bid again. Participating dealerships do not see your identity or contact information until your Bid is accepted.
Can I use the Costco Auto Program and LetYouKnow together?
Yes, and it can be a useful comparison. If you are a Costco member, the program can give you a prearranged member price on the car you want as one reference point. Knowing that number is helpful context before you decide what price you want to pay.
Then, on LetYouKnow, you can bid your own price on that brand new car and get an instant result. Rather than accept a price arranged for you, you propose the amount, and a participating dealer's threshold decides whether it matches. After more than fourteen years in dealerships, I see the difference plainly: the Costco program arranges a price for you; LetYouKnow lets you name yours and find out instantly whether it is accepted.
Sources
- What the Costco Auto Program is. The Costco Auto Program is a members-only car buying service, administered by Affinity Auto Programs, Inc., that connects Costco members with a network of participating dealerships offering prearranged member pricing on select new and used vehicles (Costco Auto Program, About, accessed June 15, 2026).
- How Costco member pricing works. A member requests pricing, is connected to a participating dealership and works with an authorized dealer contact to see the prearranged member price on eligible vehicles; the purchase is completed with the dealership, which remains the seller (Costco Auto Program, How It Works, accessed June 15, 2026).
- LetYouKnow platform facts. LetYouKnow is for brand new cars. The buyer submits the price they want to pay as a Bid and gets an instant result. All dealer and platform fees are included in the Bid. Only applicable government fees such as sales tax, title, registration and licensing are added separately. If the Bid is accepted, the $799 service and reservation fee serves as a prepayment included in the accepted Bid price. Buyers stay anonymous until the Bid is accepted.
