Bad news if you’re mooching off of someone else’s Costco membership: The retail giant is cracking down.

When you enter Costco, you need to show your membership card to an employee to shop. Costco membership cards are non-transferable, but the company allows members to give a second household card to one other person in their home. Anyone with a card can bring up to two guests to the club during each visit, the company stipulates.

But Costco has noticed that non-members have been sneaking in with membership cards that don’t belong to them — particularly since Costco expanded self-checkout.

Costco recently started asking for shoppers’ membership cards along with a photo ID at the self-checkout registers, the same policy as regular checkout lanes, to crack down. “We don’t feel it’s right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” Costco said in announcing the change.

And now, Costco is testing out a system that requires members to scan their membership cards at the store entrance — instead of just flashing the card to employees. Shoppers have spotted the new scanners at a store in Washington State and posted photos on Reddit.

  • citrusface
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    110 months ago

    Mine has always done this? You have to show your card to enter… And they do it at check out too

    • @mrcleanup
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      10 months ago

      …along with photo ID…

      • citrusface
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        10 months ago

        Yes - at checkout at the self service - they make us show your id and your card

        • @mrcleanup
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          310 months ago

          Huh, they haven’t been doing that here… I figured that must have been the new thing. How annoying.

      • Zoolander
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        -210 months ago

        The cards already have a photo on them as does the app’s digital card. You only have to show Photo ID if you have a “COVID card”.

      • tech
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        1110 months ago

        Non-members need to go though. Pay your dues or go to another store.

    • Punkie
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      410 months ago

      My Costco card has a grainy photo on the back, too.

    • @JBar2
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      210 months ago

      "And now, Costco is testing out a system that requires members to scan their membership cards at the store entrance — instead of just flashing the card to employees."

      “The scanners also mean employees don’t need to ask customers for their membership cards at cash registers and self-checkout.”

      • citrusface
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        210 months ago

        Look man - don’t assume I can read. I’m like every other red blooded American that looks at a title and makes glaring assumptions and gives opinions that no one asked for. Okay?

      • squiblet
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        610 months ago

        No you’re not. It’s private property and you can only enter if the owner says you can.

        • @QuarterSwede
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          010 months ago

          Except they have to allow you in to get to the pharmacy which has to be open to the public.

          • squiblet
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            110 months ago

            in some states, yes. Other than that, no. And not all Costcos (Small Business Cetners for instance) have pharmacies.

              • squiblet
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                10 months ago

                That’s great, have fun going into Costco! Anyway, I originally got a membership because I was getting a prescription that was $360 without a membership and $310 with it, and membership is $60. Once you price out the discounts using the pharmacy without a membership isn’t a very sound plan. I’m also not sure why people seem excited about going into Costco and not buying anything.