Costco is testing out a new system for entering stores
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.
You're still paying for the privilege of shopping there. I have no idea why you think that is how things should run.
I’m not. I’m paying for the benefits they provide.
What if I wanted to buy something from Costco without the discount?
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.
What if they didn't charge you money for the discount? Do you really think they would go out of business?
I don’t know but that’s not relevant. Since membership fees are their primary and largest source of revenue, they might.