Costco Is Cracking Down on Membership Card Sharing: Here’s What’s Changing

The warehouse retailer will have “membership scanning devices” at the entrances of its locations starting in the next few months

Costco is implementing a stricter protocol to prevent shoppers from sharing their membership cards with non-members.

After first cracking down on membership card sharing with a photo-verification system in 2023, the bulk-retailer will soon have devices at its store entrances that will scan each membership card.

“Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse. 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,” Costco said in a statement shared to their website.

The statement adds, “Guests must also be accompanied by a valid member for entry,” referring to their guest policy that allows members to bring up to two guests with them (only members can purchase items).

Related: Costco's Craziest Items for Sale: From Gold Bars and Caskets to 72 Lb. Blocks of Cheese

In June 2023, Costco starting carrying out their initial photo-verification system at self-checkout kiosks after noticing that “non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them,” the company wrote in a statement shared with PEOPLE at the time.

“Costco is able to keep our prices as low as possible because our membership fees help offset our operational expenses, making our membership fee and structure important to us,” the company added in the statement.

They also emphasized that “membership cards are not transferable” and that “we don’t feel it’s right that non members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members.”

Related: Creator Ate Nothing but the $1.50 Costco Hot Dog Meal for a Week — Here's What Happened

In 2020, efforts to discourage card sharing were also implemented when Costco announced that non-members would no longer be able to dine at their famously cheap food court where you can get a hot dog meal for $1.50.

At the time, the warehouse chain put up signs at their locations across the U.S. that said, “Effective March 16, 2020, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court. You can join today. Please see our membership counter for details.”

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Costco offers memberships starting at $60 a year and operates 606 warehouses in the United States as of June 2024.

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