Costco is expanding its automotive services to include key fob replacement through a partnership with Car Keys Express, now available at 500 locations across the United States and Canada. The program offers replacement keys for 90% of vehicles on the road today, with over 600 unique SKUs and 1,000 smart keys in stock.

Customers can have keys replaced while shopping, with no appointment necessary. While Costco doesn't list individual pricing online, Car Keys Express claims its service costs up to 50% less than dealership prices. Standard smart keys typically cost around $320 at dealerships, with some premium keys approaching $500, making Costco's offering potentially a $160 savings on average.

Not all vehicles are covered, particularly some German makes and extremely new models requiring software updates. The service represents a significant disruption to the traditional dealership monopoly on key replacements. As Car Keys Express CEO Mark Lanwehr noted, the program proves consumers are eager for alternatives to the 30-year dealership monopoly on key replacement services.