Starlink at Costco — Complete Buying Guide

Starlink — SpaceX’s low-earth-orbit satellite internet service — now reaches more than 10 million subscribers worldwide and covers 99% of U.S. addresses. It is particularly transformative in rural areas where cable and fiber have never reached. Costco has been an authorized Starlink reseller since December 2023, and the bundle has continued through mid-2026. Here is what actually matters before you buy.

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  Does Costco sell Starlink — and is the bundle still active? Yes — Costco is an authorized Starlink reseller · Standard Kit bundled with 2 months of free service credit · 90-day return window · In-store stock is inconsistent — Costco.com online is more reliable · Check starlink.com first for address-specific promotions that may beat this deal

  Costco became an authorized Starlink reseller in December 2023, and as of mid-2026, the bundle remains active on Costco.com — the Standard Kit paired with two months of free service credit. Costco is also officially listed as a reseller on Starlink’s own website. In-warehouse stock at physical Costco locations appears and sells out quickly; Costco.com online ordering is the more reliable purchase path. The two concrete advantages of the Costco deal are: (1) two months of free service credit worth $110 to $350 depending on the plan you activate, and (2) Costco’s 90-day electronics return window — three times longer than Starlink’s own 30-day return policy. The key caveat after the June 2026 price increases: always verify current pricing at starlink.com for your specific address before committing. Promotions in some areas may produce a lower first-year total than the Costco path.
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  What does Starlink cost per month now — after the price increase? Residential 100 Mbps: $55/mo (select areas) · Residential 200 Mbps: $85/mo (most popular) · Residential MAX: $130/mo (400+ Mbps) · Roam 100 GB: $55/mo · Roam 300 GB: $80/mo · Roam Unlimited: $175/mo · Rental customers add $10/mo Kit Fee · No contracts on any plan

  Starlink raised prices effective June 18 — the first broad increase in years — adding $5 to $10 per month across all Residential and Roam plans. The entry Residential 100 Mbps plan moved from $50 to $55 a month. The most widely used Residential 200 Mbps plan went from $80 to $85. The premium Residential MAX plan climbed from $120 to $130. Roam plans rose similarly. A new $10 monthly Kit Fee now applies to any customer renting rather than purchasing the dish. Standby Mode — the low-speed backup holding state — doubled from $5 to $10 per month. The one exception: the Roam 300 GB plan held steady at $80 a month. All plans remain no-contract with no data overage fees — you can change or cancel anytime without penalty.
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  What is Costco’s return policy on Starlink — and why does it matter? 90-day electronics return window — the same as Home Depot, and three times longer than Starlink’s own 30-day direct policy · Hardware return only — service fees already paid are not refundable through Costco · This window matters because satellite performance depends on your specific location and you need time to evaluate it properly

  Ninety days is the real reason the Costco deal stands out beyond the service credit. When you buy directly from Starlink, you have 30 days to return the hardware if you’re unhappy. At Best Buy, the standard window is 15 days (30 days for Plus members). At Costco and Home Depot, it’s 90 days. Satellite internet performance is heavily influenced by factors that aren’t obvious immediately: tree canopy above your property, local network congestion, the angle of your roof relative to the satellite arc, and how signal behaves across different weather and different times of day. Ninety days gives you a full season to truly evaluate whether Starlink delivers consistent, usable speeds at your specific address. If you’re at all uncertain — or if you have significant tree coverage — the Costco or Home Depot return window is meaningful protection that a 30-day window does not provide. Hardware returns only; Costco does not refund service fees already paid to Starlink.
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  What is the new $10 monthly Kit Fee — do I have to pay it? Only if you rent the dish instead of buying it · Buying the Standard Kit outright ($349) eliminates the Kit Fee permanently · Renting adds $10/month on top of your plan rate — making the entry total $65/mo instead of $55/mo · Over 12 months, the fee adds $120 to your annual cost

  This is new and catches people by surprise. Starlink now charges $10 per month for any customer who uses a rented dish rather than a purchased one. If you buy the Standard Kit outright — $349 as a one-time payment — there is no Kit Fee, ever. If you take the rental option, your true monthly cost is $10 higher than the plan price alone suggests. Over a year, that Kit Fee adds $120 to your total. The math on when buying makes more sense than renting: at $10 per month in Kit Fee savings, the $349 purchase price pays for itself in a little under three years. For most people who plan to stay on Starlink long-term — which in rural areas with no other broadband alternative is essentially everyone — buying the dish outright is the better financial decision. This is one reason the Costco bundle (which applies the two-month credit to the plan rate but sells owned hardware) is structured favorably: you own the dish after purchase, so the Kit Fee never applies.
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  Which Starlink plan is best for most households? Residential 200 Mbps at $85/mo is the sweet spot for most homes · Sufficient for multiple HD streams, Zoom calls, remote work, and everyday browsing · Entry 100 Mbps at $55/mo works well for singles or retired couples with lighter usage · Residential MAX at $130/mo adds travel perks worth exploring if you own an RV

  For a household of two people — retired couple, empty nesters, small family — the Residential 200 Mbps plan at $85 a month is the right starting point for most situations. It delivers speeds up to 200 Mbps, which is more than adequate for multiple simultaneous video streams, Zoom calls with family or doctors, and remote work. If your usage is lighter — primarily email, web browsing, occasional video calls, and standard-definition streaming — the Residential 100 Mbps plan at $55 a month (where available at your address) is genuinely sufficient and saves $30 a month. The Residential MAX plan at $130 per month makes the most sense for households with four or more heavy users, those running home-based businesses with large file transfers, or RV owners — because it includes a free Starlink Mini rental and a 50% discount on associated Roam plans, essentially giving you both home internet and portable travel internet in one subscription. Start with the plan that fits your actual habits, then upgrade later if needed — there’s no penalty for changing plans.
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  Is Starlink easy enough to set up without a technician? Yes — self-installation is free and typically takes 20–30 minutes · The Starlink app walks through every step and includes a sky-view obstruction scanner · The dish self-levels automatically · Roof or chimney mounting is more involved but still doable — guides available in the app · Professional installation available from $199 if preferred

  Starlink was deliberately engineered for self-installation by people who are not tech-savvy. The kit comes with everything you need — dish, router, all cables, power adapter, and a kickstand for ground or deck placement — and the free Starlink app guides every step. Before you place the dish permanently anywhere, use the app’s obstruction checker: it uses your smartphone camera to scan the sky above your chosen location and shows you exactly how much sky view is blocked by trees, rooflines, or nearby structures. This single step prevents the most common setup mistake. The dish has a built-in motor that automatically tilts to the correct satellite angle — you just need to position it somewhere with a clear sky view. For anyone who prefers professional help, Starlink-certified installers charge starting around $199, and Best Buy’s Geek Squad offers in-home setup for approximately $329. Professional installation is most useful for permanent roof mounting or routing cables through walls and attic spaces.
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  Is there a Starlink senior discount or AARP discount? No — Starlink has no senior discount, AARP deal, or age-based pricing · The entry Residential 100 Mbps plan at $55/mo is the best fit for most seniors with lighter usage · Some states have launched broadband subsidy programs that can reduce the bill · California, New York, Oregon, and Texas have active state-level programs

  Starlink does not offer a senior citizen discount or any age-based pricing as of mid-2026, and there is no AARP partnership. However, seniors often find that the entry plan tier covers their actual usage patterns well — if your internet use is primarily email, video calls with family, web browsing, and watching occasional streaming shows, the Residential 100 Mbps plan at $55 a month handles all of that comfortably. The federal Affordable Connectivity Program that previously discounted internet for qualifying households ended in June 2024. However, several states have since launched their own broadband subsidy programs: California’s LifeLine Home Broadband Pilot, the New York Affordable Broadband Act, and programs in Texas and Oregon can reduce monthly internet costs by up to $30 for qualifying low-income households. Contact your state’s public utilities commission or broadband office to see what is available at your address — these programs are underused and rarely advertised to the people who qualify.
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  What are the real hidden costs of Starlink nobody mentions up front? Congestion surcharge: $500–$1,500 in some high-demand areas · Kit Fee: $10/mo for rental customers · Shipping: ~$50 from Starlink.com (free with retail pickup) · Optional mounting hardware: $35–$85 · Professional install: $199–$329 · First-year total for most home buyers: approximately $1,100–$1,600

  The costs that catch people off guard with Starlink mostly come down to two things. First, the congestion surcharge: in high-demand urban and suburban areas where the satellite network above your location has limited remaining capacity, Starlink charges a one-time surcharge ranging from $500 to $1,500 before you can begin service. This is not charged everywhere — it shows up (or doesn’t) when you enter your specific address at starlink.com. Always check before buying hardware anywhere. Second, the monthly Kit Fee: $10 per month added to the plan cost for any customer renting rather than owning the dish. Beyond those two, shipping from starlink.com adds around $50 (free when picking up at a retail store). Optional mounting hardware for roof or pole installations runs $35 to $85. Professional installation adds $199 to $329. Adding it all together for a typical rural home buyer purchasing the Standard Kit, activating the Residential 200 Mbps plan at $85 a month, and skipping professional install, the true first-year cost runs approximately $1,100 to $1,600 depending on accessory needs. With the Costco two-month credit, first-year service drops by $170, bringing that estimate down meaningfully.

Tap a button below to find Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Walmart locations near you. Always call ahead to confirm Starlink is in stock at your specific store.