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.

  • YeetPics@mander.xyz
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    10 months ago

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

    • TardisBeaker@lemmy.world
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      10 months 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.

      • YeetPics@mander.xyz
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        10 months 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