Costco is testing out a new system for entering stores

3 years ago by MicroWave to c/news

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.

9point6 87 points 3 years ago

Makes sense, Costco makes its money from the memberships, not selling you stuff at wholesale prices after you've got one

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acockworkorange 8 points 3 years ago

Does it? What I get in rewards from shopping and refueling there more than makes up for my membership.

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9point6 21 points 3 years ago

The money you're saving doesn't necessarily have to have any relation to the profit they make.

Last year 72% of their profit was membership fees

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acockworkorange 4 points 3 years ago

Impressive. I wouldn't have guessed.

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dpkonofa -2 points 3 years ago

Yes, but most users don’t. That’s where they make their money.

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acockworkorange -1 points 3 years ago

I don't know about that. Everyone I know that has a membership gets enough rewards to pay for it. It's really not that hard, especially if you drive to work and fuel using their much cheaper gasoline.

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dpkonofa -2 points 3 years ago

That’s still just anecdotal. The vast majority of Costco memberships don’t, whether you know them personally or not.

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mateomaui 59 points 3 years ago

My costco card has my photo on it. Is that not a thing everywhere?

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HeyJoe 16 points 3 years ago

It is where I am as well, plus if you download the app you can bring up your ID card their as well, and it has the same photo on that as well.

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mateomaui 2 points 3 years ago

A bit belated, but it occurred to me that maybe the card for a second family member doesn’t have a photo, or still has the main member’s photo. I always assumed that the second person would have to get their photo taken for the card but since I’ve never borrowed a card, and don’t have a second user, I wouldn’t know.

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SnotFlickerman 4 points 3 years ago

My partner and I are on an account together. We are not married, different last names. We both have cards with our names and photos.

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Ehoalid 3 points 3 years ago

When we got my wife a card, they took her photo for her own card.

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Ullallulloo 14 points 3 years ago

Nope, during COVID they stopped taking or checking photos. They've had to spend the last few months getting everyone to get a new card now.

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mateomaui 4 points 3 years ago

Oh you are right, that’s a very good point, I never thought about them skipping the photos because of masks.

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krellor 7 points 3 years ago

My Costco photo is 20 years old and looks nothing like me anymore, but when I asked for a new photo they said no. So obviously they aren't looking closely at pictures.

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IamSparticles 1 point 3 years ago

Same. The last time they took my photo was when I got a Costco Amex card in... I think 2005? They don't even take Amex anymore, LOL.

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Carobu 55 points 3 years ago

One of the last times I was in, I was asked for my photo ID and Costco membership card no less than 5 times by employees. I literally got asked while I was in an isle looking at items. I've never had this happen before and made me honestly a bit irritated having to constantly pull my ID out of my wallet. This policy needs to chill.

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AnUnusualRelic 20 points 3 years ago

Aisle*

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MrBusiness 5 points 3 years ago

The Costco isles are more exclusive.

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winky9827b 2 points 3 years ago

Bulk water priced tho...

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PeterLossGeorgeWall 3 points 3 years ago

Aisle be back!

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LarryTheMatador -1 points 3 years ago

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FlavoredButtHair 5 points 3 years ago

Damn I so gotta use my friends account on instacart? But I like holding the product and seeing what I'm buying.

I share my Sam's Club with my gf and her family. They share their Costco with us and just walk by or shop online.

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scottywh 2 points 3 years ago

Instacart lets anyone order from Costco and Sam's without a membership... You just have to pay overinflated Instacart prices and be cool with the fact that you're exploiting someone's labor.

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FlavoredButtHair 2 points 3 years ago

Yea but you can also connect the membership to your instacart account.

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Texas_Hangover -13 points 3 years ago

Just tell them to fuck off.

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dpkonofa 18 points 3 years ago

You can’t. They are a private, membership-only business. If you tell them to fuck off, they can escort you out and disable your membership.

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Qwaffle_waffle 16 points 3 years ago

You CAN still say it, just with consequences.

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dpkonofa 3 points 3 years ago

Fair enough. OP did not say “tell them to fuck off and keep shopping”. 🤣

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dan1101 13 points 3 years ago

Or tell them to talk to one of the employees that already checked your card. That's excessive and can't be good for business.

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dipshit 4 points 3 years ago

Fuck off, then.

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5in1k -15 points 3 years ago

Yeah exactly, people are so afraid of confrontation these days, you can tell people to fuck off and they generally will.

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frezik 14 points 3 years ago

And then they can tell you to fuck off, because it's their store.

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5in1k -7 points 3 years ago

I’m sure they would try but if you’ve already shown the damn member card they can eat shit.

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key 37 points 3 years ago

About time. Doors are such an overrated method of entry.

edit: nevermind, read the article

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azimir 4 points 3 years ago

You're right. Hatches are where it's at these days. Those people advocating the window entry methods are just weird and smelly.

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Presently42 2 points 3 years ago

Genius comment. I'm literally lolling

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PaupersSerenade 30 points 3 years ago

Semi-related fun fact that I like to share; Costco doesn’t require membership for alcohol or pharmacy purchases.

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Raiderkev 7 points 3 years ago

Used to be food court too, but I believe they stopped that in 2020 ish

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hightrix 5 points 3 years ago

There are a few costcos in socal with outdoor food courts. I’m nearly certain there’s no membership required to use them. I may be wrong though, it’s been a while.

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BajaTacos 2 points 3 years ago

Both my local SoCal Costco's have outdoor food courts. You have to scan your card at them. One has a table with self serve kiosks for ordering too, then you queue up to get your food handed to you.

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Raiderkev 2 points 3 years ago

Yeah, it seems like they're cracking down. The only one I know of that has an outdoor food court is the one in Kauai. The last time I was in town it was closed for renovations, which sucks because on a trip out there I usually hit up the food court a couple of times for a quick cheap meal for the family. My guess was that they're going to either move it inside, or add some kind of thing to verify your membership.

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Canadian_anarchist 3 points 3 years ago

My local Costco doesn't require a membership to buy from the cafeteria. You order from a computer and pay.

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frezik 3 points 3 years ago

IIRC, there are sometimes state laws that prevent them from restricting access to the food court. It depends.

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fidodo 3 points 3 years ago

Is their alcohol not wholesale? I've noticed their alcohol prices aren't always the best.

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Telodzrum 8 points 3 years ago

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PaupersSerenade 4 points 3 years ago

My understanding is that in order to sell alcohol it needs to be available to 'the public at large'. Madison Square Garden lost its license after kicking out a lawyer for the same reason.

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Telodzrum 2 points 3 years ago

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fidodo 1 point 3 years ago

Wouldn't that only apply to bottom shelf alcohol? Or is the minimum so high that it even raises the price of mid tier?

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Kolanaki 22 points 3 years ago

This just saves the time of having such people getting in and filling up a cart and being stopped at the register. I've never been able to mooch off someone else's membership at Costco. The membership cards have photos of the member on them and they would stop me at the register whenever my dad sent me with his and not let me actually make the purchase. And I haven't even been to Costco (outside of the food court at the one down the street since it's outside and I can get that sweet hotdog combo without needing a membership) for years.

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IamSparticles 4 points 3 years ago

Costco stores started adding self checkout lanes a few years ago, which means that they weren't always checking the photo at checkout anymore.

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discostjohn 2 points 3 years ago

They check your card before you're allowed to use the self checkout.

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IamSparticles 1 point 3 years ago

It must vary from store to store. I've used self checkout at our store several times, and no human ever checks my card. I just scan it when I start checking out.

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MrBusiness 2 points 3 years ago

Really? Me ma and Dad use my card all the time, a few times they just had to give address.

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jordanlund 17 points 3 years ago

Now if they'd just come up with a new system for parking in the parking lot...

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LordKitsuna 24 points 3 years ago

What do you want them to create rotating carousels of underground parking? Their parking lots are already massive what more do you want.

I just always go to the farthest possible parking spot from the store cuz they are generally always open easy to get in and out of and bypass all the stupid closer to the store

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NotMyOldRedditName 10 points 3 years ago

If people are so annoyed by the parking situation, just plan your visits when it's not as busy. It's not that difficult, even if it might be inconvenient.

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ElegantBiscuit 12 points 3 years ago

I don’t know how anyone could ever stand going to Costco on the weekends. Just don’t. That’s like voluntarily driving during rush hour when you have the option not to. Unless you work the exact hours that Costco is open, going on a weekday evening is so much better of an experience all around. Weekday mornings aren’t bad either. I would have to be truly desperate for gas or groceries to go to Costco on the weekend vs just waiting until Monday.

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Riven 3 points 3 years ago

Agreed, people's complaints are that they're too lazy to walk. I also usually park on the furthest lane near the back. Makes it easier to quickly part and quickly leave. Same when I go to the mall or any other shop with a parking lot. Mostly everyone could use some extra steps in anyways.

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zipzoopaboop 5 points 3 years ago

Whenever I go to Costco it's a crapshoot if I actually go depending on the parking situation

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Trollception 4 points 3 years ago

Never had an issue with parking. Sure you might need to walk a bit but there's always parking.

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CosmicCleric 13 points 3 years ago

From the article, as I didn't see this being mentioned in the OP summary...

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.

So it seems like there's two different things going on, per the article, when you're entering the building, and when you're trying to use a self checkout machine.

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krush_groove 5 points 3 years ago

Costco UK has been scanning cards for months, we don't have self checkout, though.

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CosmicCleric 3 points 3 years ago

Costco UK has been scanning cards for months

In the US it's still visual verification by an employee, as stated in the article.

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krush_groove 1 point 3 years ago

Just providing some extra info, not refuting anything in the article...

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CosmicCleric 0 points 3 years ago

Just providing some extra info, not refuting anything in the article…

Just noting the differences on each side of the Pond.

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cashews_best_nut -5 points 3 years ago

When did we get them in the UK?

Do we have to import every fucking brain dead piece of bullshit from that shit hole country.

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Telodzrum 1 point 3 years ago

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Pyr_Pressure 4 points 3 years ago

When you enter the building I've never had anyone check if it's actually my card, they only do that at the checkout. You just need to flash the card so they can tell you have one on your way in. They check the photo and address at the checkout though. I guess people were getting by that with the self checkouts.

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CosmicCleric -1 points 3 years ago

I'm just repeating what was said in the article.

Having said that, each and every time I've had to flash my Costco card at the employee at the front door, as it also states in the article.

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KeefChief13 11 points 3 years ago

I hate going to costco so many people and the suv carts.

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LifeOfChance 13 points 3 years ago

I mean the carts are specifically designed for what they sell. Sam's and BJs are the same way. A smaller cart would be filled with just a couple items.

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arin -6 points 3 years ago

Cars i assume?

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Tofushopdriftin 6 points 3 years ago

I think they may be referring to the carts and their size

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Custoslibera 1 point 3 years ago

Yes, similar to SUVs those carts could run over a small child and you wouldn’t notice.

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AngryCommieKender 1 point 3 years ago

Unlike the SUV, the small child may just end up scooped up by the lower part of the cart.

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doggle 2 points 3 years ago

Maybe. Many do drive enormous SUVs to Costco, but Costco also has very large shopping carts.

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grue 10 points 3 years ago

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.

In other words, punishing customers for a self-inflicted issue.

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Jazsta 10 points 3 years ago

How is it punishing customers? The rest of the article suggests it may improve things

“It speeds up the process at entry and speeds up the process at the checkout,” he said. “That’s what we believe and we’re going to pilot it.”

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Esqplorer 7 points 3 years ago

How can it possibly speed up things at entry? They're going to be checking IDs like a bouncer at a club. I can imagine it speeding up checkout only if they stop requiring card scanning at that time too, and/or massive amounts of people are doing this today.

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Shelbyeileen 7 points 3 years ago

How does this mean that people won't have to scan their cards and prove themselves at checkout, when they allow anyone inside for the pharmacy, optical center, and to purchase alcohol?

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dpkonofa -4 points 3 years ago

They won’t have to show IDs at checkout since the ID would already be confirmed at the door, I’m guessing…

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Microplasticbrain 1 point 3 years ago

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dpkonofa -5 points 3 years ago

Why would it need to be both? The cards have the member’s picture on them. A single confirmation is enough.

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Microplasticbrain -1 points 3 years ago

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pozbo -2 points 3 years ago

Costco could save a lot of money by just issuing a QR code to each paying member that they then have tattooed on their right wrist for easy scanning.

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numbermess 6 points 3 years ago

There's a lady at the door of the Hacks Cross store in Memphis that is absolutely relentless about seeing and reading the values on membership cards as people enter the store. I feel sure that she used to be a living legend at the highway patrol before she retired and took this job.

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cdf12345 13 points 3 years ago

She’s playing Papers Please irl

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TastyWheat 10 points 3 years ago

Glory to Arstotzka.

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mrspaz 8 points 3 years ago

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Bitflip 5 points 3 years ago

They started this here months ago. My wife kept her maiden name when we got married. I'm sure you can figure out why our 2 hour customer service call ended in cancellation. FUCK Costco

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DavidGA 19 points 3 years ago

In a decade you’re the first person I’ve ever met who had a problem with Costco.

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Socsa 4 points 3 years ago

Meh, I cancelled for similar reasons. They have tilted over to being way too aggressive about the card shit and it's gotten annoying. Plus, I don't think a lot of the deals are actually very good these days.

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bufordt 11 points 3 years ago

Did you not bother to get your wife her own card?

My wife never changed her name, but she's got her own card under her name, on my membership.

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Bitflip -2 points 3 years ago

We tried to get me one, but we had issues getting the marriage certificate promptly, and customer service really wanted me to pay for my own account.

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bufordt 10 points 3 years ago

That makes zero sense. You don't have to be married to get the household card, just have to live in the same house.

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Bitflip -1 points 3 years ago

Exactly! They did a great job ignoring that and talking us out of the membership. All I really miss are the muffins.

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beebarfbadger 3 points 3 years ago

Trebuchets.

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doc 3 points 3 years ago

My local started this months ago. At self checkout they ask to see the photo on the back of your membership card to verify you're the same person. No secondary ID, and not sure what the point of that would be anyway. Counterfeit member cards?

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Horsey 3 points 3 years ago

They’ve been doing this here in southern AZ since I became a member like 5 years ago lol

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pound_heap 3 points 3 years ago

I wonder if that brings changes to the membership tiers. I pay more for Executive membership to get 2% cashback, but if they will not scan my membership on the checkout how would they know how much I've spent?

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cmbabul 3 points 3 years ago

You’ll still have to scan at checkout, the POS system will only work for booze and pharmacy without a valid membership

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chronicledmonocle 2 points 3 years ago

Honestly, I've been considering just cancelling my Costco membership. Sam's Club let's you scan as you shop, check out on your phone, and walk out. If Costco let you do that, it would help cut down on this greatly.

Only let two phones be registered at a time and that's your ID. Or have different tiers for solo, duo, or family with different price tiers. If you get a new phone, you have to invalidate your old registration. Have TOTP or one-time QR codes generated in the app for when you check out in line or at the gas station. Let the old people still have cards, but you check their ID every time. If someone forgets their card, let them look it up by phone number and present an ID to prove they are that member. Could even give $10 off a membership for going digital or an extra 60 days of membership if you go all-digital to incentivize it. When someone goes digital, flag their card barcode as no longer active in the system if someone tries to use it.

If you go digital, you get to scan n go and walk right out. Someone scans a QR code of your receipt as you leave like they do at Sam's Club. Sam's Club even let's you scan a gas pump with your phone and it will already program in a credit card of your choice, tie that pump to your membership, and give you a digital receipt. Totally paperless and basically zero contact.

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Poxlox 27 points 3 years ago

Yawn. Costco > Sam's club (ew, Walmart) for treating employees, plus Kirkland brand is the best store-name brand. Btw you can have a digital card on Costco app. I'm not even sure what your reason was for canceling, and for some reason I read your whole comment twice

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clegko 8 points 3 years ago

The one place where Sam’s beats Costco is its scan and go app. You literally scan the barcodes of the items you want to purchase as you shop, check out in the app and walk out the door. Never have to speak to anyone or wait in the checkout line.

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Poxlox 3 points 3 years ago

I could understand how this would appeal to someone with extreme social anxiety or someone really pressed for time, but in reality I don't care for this at all. I'll wait in line for 2-5 minutes or scan it myself at self checkout if I'm really pressed for time for some reason

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cdf12345 3 points 3 years ago

When I buy huge , heavy items , it’s real nice to not try to find the barcodes on 40lb packs of cat litter and cases of water.

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TardisBeaker 7 points 3 years ago

This. I choose Costco for many reasons. I don't care what others like about Sam's bc I'm not going to give money to that company.

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LilB0kChoy 2 points 3 years ago

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dpkonofa -1 points 3 years ago

This is an odd take to me. You acknowledge that you pay for the membership and yet you’re against them enforcing the very benefits that you, as a member, are paying for and then your “solution” to that is to cancel your membership and do the same thing that they’re attempting to curb *specifically for their members *.

This is, to me, akin to someone paying for a gym membership and then cancelling said membership when the gym enforces not letting people in who haven’t paid to use the facilities. Aren’t you paying specifically for the gym staff to enforce who is allowed to come in and use the facilities?

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LilB0kChoy 2 points 3 years ago

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chronicledmonocle 1 point 3 years ago

I haven't cancelled yet. I said I was considering it.

I agree Costco selection and products are better, as well as their employee treatment. However, I have both at the moment, Sam's Club is a quarter mile from me while Costco is a 18 minute drive one way, and I can easily get in and out of Sam's Club with the Scan and Go app. That's why I'm considering whether renewing is worth it.

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NotMyOldRedditName 5 points 3 years ago

A app to scan like that would be amazing. Would go a long way to shortening those massive lines that make getting into and out of aisles complicated when it's busy.

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RoseRose56 1 point 3 years ago

So what happens if two friends go to Costco but only one has a membership card? Will they deny access? or, in an even better scenario, if you accompany an elderly. I used to borrow a friends card and shop at Costco time to time.
Edit: That was in Canada

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hips_and_nips 18 points 3 years ago

Last sentence, second paragraph:

Anyone with a card can bring up to two guests to the club during each visit, the company stipulates.

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RoseRose56 6 points 3 years ago

I didn't see that! thanks!

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citrusface 1 point 3 years ago

Mine has always done this? You have to show your card to enter... And they do it at check out too

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mrcleanup 12 points 3 years ago

...along with photo ID...

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citrusface 3 points 3 years ago

Yes - at checkout at the self service - they make us show your id and your card

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mrcleanup 3 points 3 years ago

Huh, they haven't been doing that here... I figured that must have been the new thing. How annoying.

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dpkonofa -2 points 3 years ago

The cards already have a photo on them as does the app’s digital card. You only have to show Photo ID if you have a “COVID card”.

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Passerby6497 7 points 3 years ago

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technicalogical 11 points 3 years ago

Non-members need to go though. Pay your dues or go to another store.

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punkwalrus 4 points 3 years ago

My Costco card has a grainy photo on the back, too.

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citrusface 1 point 3 years ago

Same

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GMkOz2MkLbs2MkPain 1 point 3 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/...

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JBar2 2 points 3 years ago

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citrusface 2 points 3 years ago

Look man - don't assume I can read. I'm like every other red blooded American that looks at a title and makes glaring assumptions and gives opinions that no one asked for. Okay?

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ApathyTree -3 points 3 years ago

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squiblet 6 points 3 years ago

No you're not. It's private property and you can only enter if the owner says you can.

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QuarterSwede 0 points 3 years ago

Except they have to allow you in to get to the pharmacy which has to be open to the public.

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squiblet 1 point 3 years ago

in some states, yes. Other than that, no. And not all Costcos (Small Business Cetners for instance) have pharmacies.

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ApathyTree -3 points 3 years ago

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Son_of_dad -2 points 3 years ago

This bullshit started with self checkouts. We need to widely reject self checkout, they cost people their jobs and just create more corporate bullshit. If these corporations want to avoid shop lifting and other issues, hire staff and get rid of self checkouts. I refuse to use them and shake my head at the employees when they direct me to an open self checkout.

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bufordt 1 point 3 years ago

My closest Costco doesn't really have self check, since they always have someone there doing the scanning for you. Effectively the self check is a weird looking Express Lane that they only sometimes enforce the item limit on.

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Willy -4 points 3 years ago

I wonder if they will take Apple ID. I haven’t carried a drivers license since my state started using them a while back.

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dpkonofa -1 points 3 years ago

I’m not sure why you’re being downvoted. I would love for my Costco card to be in my Apple Wallet and I would doubly love if they accepted my digital ID as I am in one of the 50 states that legally requires its acceptance.

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arin -5 points 3 years ago

So a family can't bring their multiple kids and the grandparents to Costco? WTF?

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Maggoty 5 points 3 years ago

No if the member is there most Costcos won't care. It helps them sell more anyways. This is people going by themselves with someone else's card.

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Wahots 5 points 3 years ago

Read the article, silly. This isn't about family members, it's about non-members flashing cards that don't belong to them. x3

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EmptySlime 1 point 3 years ago

It sounds like they're referring more to the bit about the member being able to bring up to two guests maximum into the store. So like if I had a membership and tried to bring my partner, my brother, and my 3 kids to the store with me because I'm disabled and need help shopping at a place like Costco but I'm the only one that drives. Is that me trying to bring 2 guests into the store, or 5? I might have misread but the article really didn't make it clear what constitutes a guest. I know even if it is 5 that my partner could be the secondary cardholder and it sounds like have 2 guests too but like there are families with 5 kids. What about just the two parents and the 5 kids?

Logically you'd think kids wouldn't count, but the article kinda makes it sound like anyone whose name isn't on the membership card is a guest. I think that's where the confusion comes from.

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FlyingSquid -5 points 3 years ago

Well that sucks. A lot. We only have a Sam's Club here, but my family buys very little in the sizes that they offer things. There's one exception which is a much bigger expense otherwise, so we borrow my wife's co-worker's card every other month, buy a few boxes, then do it again. So we are there like four times a year and maybe spend $400 total. With a membership, it would be another $50 on top of that. For going four times a year. I'm sure they'll follow Costco's lead.

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nezbyte 6 points 3 years ago

I wish more places had the Scan and Go option in the app like Sam’s Club. Not having to visit a register is so nice.

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Wahots 3 points 3 years ago

Even if you just buy gas, condoms, and medicine at Costco, you'd break even quickly. Depending on your location, even just one gas stop at Costco gas saved us $60, the price of a membership.

Medicine that costs north of $130 at CVS costs $47 at Costco. Some of the stuff you can get at Costco, like berries, are half the cost as normal grocers, and usually much higher quality goo. Some, you even get an entire carton of milk free vs buying the same ultra pasturized milk at other stores. We go there and split up a Costco run by our families :)

Hell, even in college, Costco saved us students so much money. We were so hungry, haha.

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YeetPics 0 points 3 years ago

You make a very good point. This thread is a Costco circle jerk apparently. Bulk addicts gonna tweak lol.

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FlyingSquid 3 points 3 years ago

Costco treats its employees very well and they should be lauded for that, but frankly, I think the whole idea of paying a corporation for the privilege of shopping in their store is bullshit and should not be encouraged.

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Theharpyeagle 6 points 3 years ago

Meh, it depends on how much you really need to buy. We have a big household so we do genuinely save buying in bulk when we'd usually need to get at least a couple packages of whatever food to feed everyone.

Doing probably 75% of my shopping there with the 2% cash back has allowed my membership to pay for itself. And personally, knowing that they treat their employees fairly well is big draw, especially with how draining retail work can be.

So it's definitely not for everyone, but if you do actually use all of the stuff you buy, it does have decent benefits.

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FlyingSquid -3 points 3 years ago

Sure, but why should you have to pay for the privilege of shopping there in the first place?

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YeetPics 1 point 3 years ago

paying for the privilege

Amen to that. It feels like I'm subsidizing wages. If your business needs me to pay for the merchandise AND a pass for entry you can fuck right off.

Economics of scale mean bulk purchases are cheaper. They get them much cheaper than you do when you buy there (given it'll usually be less per unit compared to other stores). This is akin to Amazon adding ads to their PAYING customer's plans or Netflix backtracking on account sharing. Corpo BS of the highest degree.

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FlyingSquid 1 point 3 years ago

Imagine if you had to buy a McDonalds membership at $50 a year in order to buy a Big Mac...

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Sagifurius -7 points 3 years ago

Well, not renewing my membership, hell with this horseshit.

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Sarmyth 3 points 3 years ago

Yeah, they don't care. They want everyone buying to have a membership, as it's been for decades. This isn't some new crazy way they're screwing people. It's making sure the rules their members agreed to are followed.

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Sagifurius -3 points 3 years ago

I'm sick of being treated like a shoplifter at their store, and now they're doubling down. They can fuck off at this point.

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Sarmyth 2 points 3 years ago

Well, now you just sound like you wanna shoplift! 😆

Seriously, though, what does this have to do with shoplifting? It's like you're making up excuses to be mad. Just say you don't wanna pay and leave it at that. No excuses are needed.

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Sagifurius -3 points 3 years ago

You think it's normal to have your ID checked against your card, at the entrance, at the till, and then have your receipt checked as you leave? Our grandpas' generation wouldn't have stood for it, and I've come to agree.

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Mr_Dr_Oink 2 points 3 years ago

Why is this a problem for you? In the UK, they scan your card at the entrance, and it affects my day in absolutely no way whatsoever.

What's wrong with a business wanting only paying members to enter the members only shop?

Why does scanning your card make you feel like a shoplifter?' (Sorry, i read your chat with the other person in this thread)

This is such an odd take to me.

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Sagifurius -2 points 3 years ago

Their entire model is based on assuming everyone is probably a thief, and I've just had it. That receipt checking of everyone as they leave is bad enough, and my last (literally last, i decided not to go back, wasn't going to renew and just now realized it would have expired in December) trip there, the woman held everyone up by meticulously counting and comparing every single item in everyone's cart. took 15 minutes to leave with goods i had paid for, finally just said fuck it and left while they screamed at me like fucking morons. "Touch me and see what happens". Aside from that, I don't want my movements documented and recorded by a card reader, for example, this whole incident, no I don't want people actively trying to fuck with me know who I was.

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Mr_Dr_Oink 2 points 3 years ago

Damn. You've got issues. Your mind is warped.

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Sagifurius -2 points 3 years ago

No, it's just remnants of when people had pride and manners.

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TardisBeaker 0 points 3 years ago

Because you can't give your card, which has your picture on it, to anyone you want? That really doesn't make sense. How many people do you think your membership, that you pay for, should cover? I doubt you actually had one bc this will literally only affect people who don't have memberships.

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Sagifurius -3 points 3 years ago

You saw the answer to that right here, and you wrote this anyways.

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TardisBeaker 0 points 3 years ago

User name checks out, you do sound weirdly furious at the world.

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cdf12345 -9 points 3 years ago

The free shipping on the Sam’s plus destroys the Costco mail order services.

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TardisBeaker 8 points 3 years ago

But then you have to shop from Sam's. People choose Costco over Sam's for many reasons..

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LrdThndr 7 points 3 years ago

Our local Sam’s is disgusting. I was considering joining a while back during a $10 membership sale.

Everything was a mess, the employees all looked like they wanted to kill themselves, and the was a literal pile of human shit in the middle of the bathroom floor - not even in a stall or near a toilet - just a big ol dookie right in the middle of the bathroom.

Did not join. Wasn’t even worth $10 to me.

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YeetPics -4 points 3 years ago

Fuck yea Sam's club unite! You're being downvoted because this thread is an advertisement.

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cdf12345 1 point 3 years ago

I mean I have both Costco and Sam’s memberships both have pluses and minuses

The clothes at Costco are amazing at times Sam’s has better paper products imo (TP, Kleenex)

Costco has a better food court

Costco parking designs are maddening, everyone I’ve been to have this diagonal entrance that is awful.

I think the Costco frozen section is a bit better than Sam’s.

Cat litter is way way cheaper st Costco

I’ve gotten $500 airfare gift cards for $429. Which is like getting free $ when you need to fly anyways.

Sam’s bulk candy isle is superior.

I think the Costco pharmacy has better pricing but no drive thru and it can be extremely slow.

I keep both memberships but I recently moved away from my Sam’s so it kinda out of the way, but with the plus membership I can usually get staple items delivered for free, something Costco doesn’t really do.

I guess we’ll see if I keep them both next year.

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YeetPics 0 points 3 years ago

™

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YeetPics -9 points 3 years ago

No free trials? I literally don't know what I'm missing and if they're fine with that so am i.

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TardisBeaker 6 points 3 years ago

If you tell them you're thinking about becoming a member & want to check it out, they will let you walk around. They'll just tell you you can't check out without a card. So yes, free trial.

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YeetPics -7 points 3 years ago

Nah, gonna go sign a membership at Sam's club. Fuck Costco.

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this_1_is_mine 2 points 3 years ago

how would you control that? Is this your first free trial?

Maybe your 20th?

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YeetPics -7 points 3 years ago

If you read my comment you'll see I mention they don't offer free trials. This is my 0th free trial.

I wouldn't have to manage that for a few reasons, here are 2.

1.they don't offer it

2.I don't work there

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this_1_is_mine 3 points 3 years ago

Uh. ...... Hmmm. OK. No you didn't. You said I quote "No free trials? I literally don't know what I'm missing and if they're fine with that so am i." That's a question followed by a statement.

Meaning by the way you wrote it.

1 you didn't know

2 you seem to be OK without so why care they don't?

Anyway they seem to be doing OK without you.

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YeetPics -5 points 3 years ago

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news

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