Costco's membership requirements have changed significantly, with another adjustment imminent.Costco membership requires a valid Costco card, which must be presented to an employee upon entry.
A January 7 Reddit post suggests a recent update that may make this policy more serious: Some places scan membership cards at the door.
In four days, the article received almost 7,000 upvotes, with several commenters saying they'd seen people turned away for using someone else's membership card.
According to a Reddit user, scanning a card displays a larger ID photo on a screen in front of the employee, preventing card theft.
The company's desire to stop this is expected. CFO Richard Galanti told the Wall Street Journal in 2023 that "a really small percent of members" share their cards, but it's crucial to prevent.
said, "When you're dealing with millions of transactions, even a very small percentage is something you would want to correct."
Your local Costco probably hasn't scanned your card yet. Despite that, change is imminent. A new rule has been enacted in Issaquah, Washington.
To ensure smooth implementation, Costco often tests new policies here before implementing them elsewhere. If this new approach works, other Costco members will likely see it soon.
Some shoppers may not notice this change, and if you're used to showing your Costco card to the attendant at the door, it won't change much.
In the past, you needed a membership card to enter the store, although its little ID photo was rarely checked.
This meant you may have gotten away with borrowing someone else's card. The new policy appears to change that.