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One of the perks of joining Costco is getting to take advantage of the warehouse club giant’s generous return policy. With few exceptions, you can bring purchases back to the store at any time and get a full refund. So if you buy a kids’ winter jacket your child doesn’t end up wearing, there’s no issue with returning it eight months later.

You may be surprised, though, to learn that Costco’s flexible return policy extends to partially eaten food. You’d think that the “you ate it, you bought it” rule would come into play, but Costco is more than willing to give people their money back for food items they’re not satisfied with. However, you need to follow the rules.

How to get refunded for partially eaten food at Costco

If you’re bringing food back to Costco because of a taste issue, the general rule is that you need to return 50% of it (or more) to get a refund. Say you buy a bakery cake whose flavor doesn’t sit well with you. If you eat a slice, realize it’s gross, and bring the rest of the cake back, you shouldn’t have an issue getting your money back. If you bring back half of the cake, you’re probably still OK.

But if you bring back a cake that’s 80% eaten, Costco’s staff is going to laugh at you and tell you to go away if you ask for a refund. Well, OK, they probably won’t do that. But they’re unlikely to give you your money back when it’s clear you’ve consumed the bulk of that cake.

Now, if you’re bringing food back due to a quality issue, you may be able to get away with returning less than 50% of it. For example, if you buy milk with a sell-by date of Oct. 30 and it spoils by Oct. 22, you may be able to get refunded even if you’ve finished, say, two-thirds of it. That’s because you should, in theory, be entitled to milk that lasts as long as the printed date.

But even in that case, you need to be reasonable. If there’s a quarter cup’s worth left, don’t go asking for a refund. Not only are you unlikely to get one, but too many returns of an unreasonable nature could put your account at risk of getting flagged. And that, in turn, could result in your membership being revoked.

Bring in the evidence

Another key rule to follow when returning partially eaten food to Costco is that you have to actually bring in the item in question, even if it smells or looks disgusting. To put it another way, Costco wants your moldy berries, chunky milk, and green-tinted bakery bread. So hold your nose and load those items into your trunk if you’re bringing them back for a refund.

The good news is that because Costco sells food that’s high in quality, issues with early spoilage are likely to be rare. But if you do end up dissatisfied with a food purchase, don’t hesitate to bring the item back.

Costco’s business model centers on customer satisfaction. And if you’re throwing out food, you’re not saving money, which goes against Costco’s value proposition.

If you want to maximize your Costco savings, know when and how to return food. And be savvy about the credit cards you shop with. Check out this list of credit cards that offer extra rewards at Costco so you can enjoy even more benefits as a member.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.