Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable
Costco Wholesale Accounts Payable decreased by 12.2% to $20.65B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 10.9%, from $18.61B to $20.65B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Accounts Payable shows an upward trend with a 6.9% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionCurrent Liabilities
CategoryLiquidity
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ2 2026Mar 11, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase can signal improved cash management or extended payment terms, while a decrease may indicate faster payments to suppliers or reduced purchasing activity.
Detailed definition
This represents the short-term obligations owed to suppliers and vendors for goods and services received on credit. It i...
Peer comparison
Standard current liability for all companies; comparable across industries based on days payable outstanding.
Metric ID:
accounts_payableHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | Q2 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $15.54B | $16.28B | $19.56B | $17.09B | $17.65B | $17.85B | $18.35B | $16.41B | $16.85B | $17.48B | $20.36B | $17.49B | $18.84B | $19.42B | $21.79B | $18.61B | $19.82B | $19.78B | $23.51B | $20.65B |
| QoQ Change | — | +4.8% | +20.2% | -12.6% | +3.3% | +1.1% | +2.8% | -10.6% | +2.7% | +3.7% | +16.4% | -14.1% | +7.7% | +3.1% | +12.2% | -14.6% | +6.5% | -0.2% | +18.9% | -12.2% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +13.6% | +9.6% | -6.2% | -4.0% | -4.5% | -2.0% | +10.9% | +6.6% | +11.8% | +11.1% | +7.1% | +6.4% | +5.2% | +1.9% | +7.9% | +10.9% |
Range$15.54B – $23.51B
CAGR+6.2%
Avg YoY Growth+5.4%
Median YoY Growth+6.8%
Accounts Payable at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Costco Wholesale's accounts payable?
- Costco Wholesale (COST) reported accounts payable of $20.65B in Q4 2025.
- How has Costco Wholesale's accounts payable changed year-over-year?
- Costco Wholesale's accounts payable increased by 10.9% year-over-year, from $18.61B to $20.65B.
- What is the long-term trend for Costco Wholesale's accounts payable?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Costco Wholesale's accounts payable has grown at a 6.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $14.17B to $19.78B.
- What does accounts payable mean?
- Money the company owes to its suppliers for goods or services.