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.

  • Flying Squid
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    010 months ago

    Once again- if all of that is the case, why shouldn’t I be able to buy a one-time admission to Costco?

    • Zoolander
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      010 months ago

      Because they don’t offer one. They are a membership-based business. You have no point anymore.

      • Flying Squid
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        010 months ago

        Ah, here we are- corporations should be allowed to do whatever they want with no regard to the consumer. You should have led with that.

        • Zoolander
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          010 months ago

          Never said that either. You just can’t stop being dishonest even if just for a second. I feel bad for anyone that has to deal with you in the real world. It must be exhausting.

          • Flying Squid
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            110 months ago

            You didn’t have to say it. It’s the logical inference based on what you said.

            However, since you’ve decided to make personal attacks, I’m going to end this conversation now. Feel free to insult me again, but you will be flagged for violating community rules if you do so.