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Costco vs Progressive: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Costco or Progressive cheaper?

We cannot answer that with published data. Costco does not release public rate information, so no independent study — ours included — can put a national average next to Progressive's $2,062/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Costco or Progressive?

Neither has a clear edge. Costco scores Not rated and Progressive 673/1,000 on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Costco better than Progressive overall?

We can't put two scores side by side here. Costco does not publish enough of the underlying data for us to give it an overall score — we would rather say so than compute one from the two or three figures that do exist. Progressive scores 4.1 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Costco to Progressive mid-policy?

Yes. Auto policies can be cancelled at any time, and most insurers refund the unused premium pro-rata — though some charge a short-rate cancellation fee, so check your policy before you cancel. The one rule worth following: get the new policy bound and in force before you cancel the old one. Even a single day uninsured can count as a coverage lapse, which raises your rate at the next renewal and, in some states, exposes you to a registration penalty.

CostcoNot scored

Progressive

Across our six scoring categories, Costco comes out ahead in 0, Progressive in 3, with 3 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: Costco does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. Progressive is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.

Costco vs Progressive, side by side

Category

CostcoRead the full review

ProgressiveRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

4.0$2,062/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Claims satisfactionJ.D. Power 2025 claims study, out of 1,000 · 20% of score

Not rated

Not ranked as its own brand in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study

2.5673/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study, segment average 700

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

2.5More than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

4.5Fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Better

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

4.0A

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

4.5A+

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

Better

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

3.59 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · No branded telematics program found

5.016 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: Snapshot

Better

Digital experienceApp ratings and self-service depth · 15% of score

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

5.04.83 iOS / 4.6 Android

App Store (806K ratings) and Google Play (260K ratings), August 2026

Availability

40 states, members only

All 50 states and D.C., direct and through independent agents

Best suited to

Costco Executive Members who value guaranteed renewal

price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium

Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.

Costco vs Progressive across all six categoriesScored 1–5. Longer is better in every category — the price bar already accounts for cheaper being better.

CostcoProgressive

Category by category

Price

Too close to call

Costco does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Progressive's $2,062/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat Costco's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.

Costco

No published premium. The rate study behind every other price on this site does not quote Costco separately, so the price category carries no score.

Progressive

$2,062 a year for full coverage, about 13% under the national average and effectively tied with State Farm. Progressive's real pricing story is the discount stack rather than the base rate.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Costco posts Not rated and Progressive 673/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

Costco

Costco is not a ranked brand in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study. American Family's 702 is measured on a different book of business and is not borrowed here.

Progressive

673 out of 1,000 is the weakest claims score in this review — 27 points below the segment average and 70 behind Erie. This is Progressive's clearest weakness.

Complaint record

Progressive ahead

Progressive takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Costco's More than expected.

Costco

More complaints than expected for its size, per NerdWallet's analysis of 2022–2024 NAIC data — a worse record than American Family's own brand.

Progressive

Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which sits oddly alongside the claims score and suggests the friction shows up in satisfaction rather than in formal complaints.

Financial strength

Progressive ahead

Progressive takes financial strength on A+ against Costco's A.

Costco

AM Best A (Excellent), affirmed in September 2025 for all three companies that underwrite Costco auto policies.

Progressive

AM Best A+ (Superior). No concerns about its ability to pay.

Discounts

Progressive ahead

Progressive takes discounts on 16 published against Costco's 9 published.

Costco

Nine published auto discounts, counting the member discount itself. No usage-based program is offered through Costco.

Progressive

Sixteen published discounts, more than almost anyone — and unusually, Progressive publishes the average value of most of them rather than hiding behind 'varies'.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Costco posts Not published and Progressive 4.83 iOS / 4.6 Android, a difference too small to choose on.

Costco

No app-store figures we could attribute to the program. Policies are serviced through American Family's account system, and we could not confirm which app Costco policyholders use.

Progressive

4.83 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play. Progressive was built direct-to-consumer and the digital experience shows it.

So which one?

Pick Costco if…

You are among costco executive members who value guaranteed renewal.
Availability fits: 40 states, members only.

Read the full Costco review →

Pick Progressive if…

You are among price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium.
You want the lower complaint record — Progressive sits at Fewer than expected.
Financial strength is a priority; Progressive holds A+ from AM Best.
You expect to stack discounts — Progressive's lineup is the broader of the two.

Read the full Progressive review →

Costco vs Progressive, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Costco or Progressive cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Costco or Progressive?

Is Costco better than Progressive overall?

Can I switch from Costco to Progressive mid-policy?

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