BIG UPDATE: Costco makes major change to stop membership sharing
According to The Street , Costco customers are familiar with the routine: showing a membership card to enter the store and presenting it again at the self-checkout line, where staffers also verify the cardholder’s photo. But soon, Costco will introduce a new system requiring customers to scan their membership cards upon entering its stores.
The new entry process will involve customers scanning the barcode or QR code on their membership cards or mobile devices. This change applies to all 882 Costco locations worldwide, including 611 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and 108 in Canada. Nonmembers will still need to be accompanied by a member to gain access, and staff will continue to greet customers at the store entrance.
If a customer’s membership has expired or they are not yet a member, they will be directed to the membership desk for renewal or registration.
This new scanning system was first tested in January at a few Costco locations. The move is part of Costco’s ongoing effort to combat membership-sharing, where nonmembers use someone else’s card to access the store and take advantage of Costco’s low prices. By scanning membership cards at the entrance, Costco hopes to reduce fraud and ensure that only paying members gain access to the store.
Costco’s annual membership fees are currently $60 for regular Gold Star members in the U.S. and Canada, though that price will rise 8% to $65 on September 1. Executive Membership, which offers a 2% reward on purchases, will increase from $120 to $130, an 8.3% jump. The maximum annual reward will also rise, from $1,000 to $1,250. Before this increase, Costco had not raised its membership fees since 2017.
While the new scanning process has received mixed reactions, with some customers worried about longer wait times at the entrance, others argue it’s a quick and necessary step to stop nonmembers from taking advantage of the store’s pricing.
