Costco to require membership card scans upon entrance
Aug 7, 2024, 2:30 PM | Updated: 2:33 pm
In an aerial view, the Costco logo is displayed on the exterior of a Costco store on July 11, 2024. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
(Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
Costco is officially rolling out new membership scanners, meaning customers will have to scan their membership cards in order to enter the store.
“Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse,” Costco wrote in a press release. “Once deployed, prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner.”
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The membership card scanners are expected to be installed at the store entrances. In California, the new scanners have already been spotted at Costco locations in Huntington Beach and Inglewood, with videos on TiTok and other social media platforms going viral over the change. According to The Hill, locations in New York, Florida and Pennsylvania will begin scanning cards soon, while one location in Texas said they would likely start the process next month.
The lone exception to shopping at Costco without a membership are pharmacy prescriptions, which can be purchased both online or at a location. This exception doesn’t extend to the optical center.
This decision is the latest in a series of efforts to crack down on unauthorized card-sharing. Costco announced earlier this year it will start initiating spot checks at the self-checkout counters to discourage shopping without a membership or sharing a membership with another person.
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“We don’t feel it’s right that nonmembers receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” the company wrote in a prepared statement.
Membership fees also went up in price for the first time in seven years. The Gold Star membership increased from $60 to $65, while the Executive membership increased from $120 to $130.
Non-Costco members must be accompanied by a valid card-carrying member to enter the store.
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.
