Costco makes a major change to its cake ordering process after customer complaints

Costco members have long complained about having to make custom cake orders in person, made worse by crowded parking and no online confirmation

Ordering cakes from Costco will soon be, well, a piece of one.

The warehouse club is finally going digital, allowing members to place cake and deli tray orders through the Costco app, meaning no more paper forms or in-person trips to the store.

The update is expected to be available to all members by the end of this year, the warehouse retail club announced Thursday, after first revealing plans for it during the Q1 2026 earnings call in December 2025.

For years, members had to physically head to the bakery, scribble their orders on a printed form and make a second trip to pick up their creation. Many found the process half-baked, especially with crowded parking lots and no online confirmation to ease the wait.

“Many of the things that we’ve heard from our members that could be a little bit clunky are now moving to a digital state, and we’re seeing great adoption right out of the chute,” Costco CEO Ron Vachris told investors in the December call, adding that the company aims on “locking in” its brick-and-mortar business with its virtual digital business.

Costco members will soon order cakes and deli trays through the app, replacing in-person paper forms (Getty Images)

Some members reported seeing the new app feature rolling out in certain areas as early as August 2025. A Reddit user shared a screenshot of the improvement available in Salt Lake City, prompting celebrations among other users.

“This is awesome news, will save me from an extra $200 shopping trip when I go to drop off the order form for my kid’s birthday cake lol,” one person wrote.

Early adopters reported that the Custom Cake Ordering button was not immediately obvious. Some had trouble locating it, while others found it under the Warehouse tab at the bottom of the app, appearing as a rectangular white button.

Costco says in-app ordering will be available exclusively to members, and a Custom Cake Ordering portal still does not appear on the retailer’s website. The company is also enhancing its mobile app with AI-powered features designed to create a personalized, persuasive experience that drives membership sign-ups and renewals. Upcoming tools include digital membership cards, in-store inventory checks and gas price trackers.

The Independent has contacted Costco for comment.

With more than 800 warehouses worldwide, including over 600 in the U.S., Costco has long trailed rivals like Sam’s Club in online bakery offerings. Additional digital upgrades, such as faster self-checkouts, are also on the way.