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.

  • Zoolander
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    -310 months ago

    I’m not. I’m paying for the benefits they provide.

    • Flying Squid
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      110 months ago

      What if I wanted to buy something from Costco without the discount?

      • Zoolander
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        -110 months ago

        Since you can’t buy items not in bulk, you can only buy things that don’t have that discount, as I already mentioned. The discount is the benefit you’re paying for, amongst others.

        • Flying Squid
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          010 months ago

          What if they didn’t charge you money for the discount? Do you really think they would go out of business?

          • Zoolander
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            -110 months ago

            I don’t know but that’s not relevant. Since membership fees are their primary and largest source of revenue, they might.

      • Zoolander
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        -310 months ago

        Yes… at a higher price than you would otherwise. That’s why you’re not paying for a membership.

        I don’t see why this is so hard for you to understand.

        • @[email protected]
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          10 months ago

          We shop differently, I’m not here trying to convince you that you’re wrong. I don’t need a 400 pack of bog roll for the 2 souls in my home… I guess get over yourself?

          • Zoolander
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            -110 months ago

            I’m not telling you that you have to shop at Costco, my guy. Sounds like you’re the one that needs to get over yourself. The world doesn’t revolve around you. I’m just explaining why other people might choose to get a membership at Costco since you seem incapable of doing basic math.

            • @[email protected]
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              10 months ago

              The world doesn’t revolve around me? No shit, it revolves around it’s axis…

              You’re trying really hard to get me to unleash an emotional retort but I just don’t care enough. It doesn’t make sense for me to buy a membership to a bulk retailer because I have a small family. But do go on and tell me I don’t know how to do basic math or I feel like the center of the world…

              I don’t like corporate dipshits milking people for profits. Sorry that offends you, but I hope you stay mad about it for at least the rest of your day 🤣

              • Zoolander
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                -110 months ago

                I’m not trying to get you to do anything. You have a real self-centeredness complex. I’m only pointing out that you’re wrong to suggest that it’s not worth it to have a membership to a store.

                As for the last bit, that would require me to be mad. Unlike you, I don’t wish ill will on people for no reason.

                • @[email protected]
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                  10 months ago

                  How is it wrong (using your words here) for a family of 2 to not be able to justify a Costco membership? You say I can’t do basic math so I want to see your breakdown. Clearly you’re right and that’s why you keep responding 🤣

                  We use about 5 rolls of tp a month and don’t drink excessively so let us see those numbers fly.

                  Be sure to clear it with Costco HR, wouldn’t want to misrepresent your products.

                  • Zoolander
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                    10 months ago

                    I never said it was wrong for a family of 2 to do anything. You’re just being dishonest now. You said that this is akin to Amazon adding ads or some other nonsense or Netflix backtracking on account sharing. I’m just pointing out that that is incorrect. Costco has never allowed you to share a membership outside of the household and the membership provides benefits that people are paying for. That’s it. That’s the whole thing.

                    Also, the fact that you think the only way someone would disagree with you is that they literally work for Costco is telling. Says a lot about how you view the world.