Costco is testing new expertise that might result in a crack down on membership-sharing, or when individuals who have not paid for an annual membership piggyback off of paying members’ playing cards. 

Usually, Costco members want solely flash their membership playing cards at staff to achieve entry to the purchasing membership. Memberships are non-transferrable, however households can obtain one further membership card. A fundamental membership prices $60 yearly, whereas the chief membership, which has perks like a 2% money again reward, is $120 per yr.

Now, Costco is testing a technique that might fight membership sharing: It’s asking customers to scan their membership playing cards at shops’ entrances. The wholesale membership’s newest transfer comes because the chain has launched self-checkout registers, which have make it simpler for these kinds of customers to slide via the cracks. 

“A couple of Costco areas are scanning Costco membership playing cards on the entrance. This check is to match members to their playing cards on the door prior to buying an improved member expertise,” a Costco spokesperson stated in a press release to CBS MoneyWatch.

Over the summer time, Costco began asking customers to current picture identification together with their bodily membership playing cards at self-checkout registers, like they’re requested to do in common checkout lanes administered by employees. 

“We do not really feel it is proper that non-members obtain the identical advantages and pricing as our members,” Costco stated when it introduced the change. 

A client who stated they have been at a retailer in Issaquah, Washington, the place the corporate is headquartered, posted pictures of the system in motion on Reddit. 

An indication on the scanner reads, “You can be requested to scan your membership card earlier than coming into the warehouse” as a retailer employee oversees the method.  

Costco at present operates 871 warehouses, together with 600 in the US.