COSTCO cracking down on membership sharing

[mevinyavin]

https://gizmodo.com/costco-puts-a-stop-to-sharing-membership-cards-id-1850585835

Costco members should be wary of sharing their cards with friends or family as the company takes action against non-members. The company announced on Tuesday that it is cracking down on card-sharing, and members will soon be required to show proof of identification at the checkout counters before they can make a purchase.

While the company has not confirmed when the new policy is expected to start, customers should reconsider using a borrowed card or risk being turned away at the counter. Costco has always requested the customer’s membership card at the register, but its new policy will require seeing photo IDs if their membership card doesn’t have a photo.

“Our membership policy states that our membership cards are not transferable and since expanding our self-service checkout, we’ve noticed that non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo. “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 spokesperson continued, “We don’t feel it’s right that nonmembers receive the same benefits and pricing as our members.”

[Thrifty]

I was in Costco last week and a teenager tried shopping with her mother's Costco membership card but they turned her away and would not allow her to complete the purchase.

[Yehuda57]

Has it not been this way forever?

[S209]

Has it not been this way forever?

I’ve seen people turned away at the entrance to Costco for years

[lcm]

I was in Costco last week and a teenager tried shopping with her mother's Costco membership card but they turned her away and would not allow her to complete the purchase.

At the entrance or by checkout?

[mevinyavin]

I was in Costco last week and a teenager tried shopping with her mother's Costco membership card but they turned her away and would not allow her to complete the purchase.

Has it not been this way forever?

I’ve seen people turned away at the entrance to Costco for years

That's what I thought, too. (Though I haven't been in a Costco for at least eight years.) Seems Costco thinks otherwise, though.
Agav, I saw this first on Gizmodo but the newsline is being parroted literally everywhere now.

[avromie7]

Has it not been this way forever?

They never checked IDs, and very rarely compared membership to CC.

[Dan]

Has it not been this way forever?

At regular checkout, yes. But not at self-checkout.

[Moshe123]

Doesn't work on bearded Jews. Photos are black and white. We all look alike. lol
I give my card to family here and there.

[Yehuda57]

They never checked IDs, and very rarely compared membership to CC.

They absolutely asked my wife for ID when she was using her mother's card about a decade ago and didn't let her checkout.

[Moshe123]

I have never been asked for ID. I've been asked many times to see my card.

[Dan]

I have never been asked for ID. I've been asked many times to see my card.

And when you don't match the picture?

[Naftuli19]

I have never been asked for ID. I've been asked many times to see my card.

Never been asked either, and at my local cost I've seen many people using cards that are most likely not them (unless they transitioned)

[chff]

Last week at self checkout they asked to see my card, and because it doesn't have a photo they asked for something else with my name so I showed my CC (because that I had in hand)

[chff]

And there was also new signs posted that they check cards etc

[Naftuli19]

And there was also new signs posted that they check cards etc

YLMV, was in cost yesterday didn't see anything

[zh cohen]

I never had them look at the picture on my card. My wife never bothered picking up her card, since she uses mine and never had an issue.

[HoKo]

I’ve seen people turned away at the entrance to Costco for years

I never really understood why Costco bothered to do that. If someone were to show up and say “ I don't currently have a Costco membership, but I'd like to look around and get a sense of what you guys sell and what the pricing looks like.”

Would Costco turn that person away?

[SHL]

I never really understood why Costco bothered to do that. If someone were to show up and say “ I don't currently have a Costco membership, but I'd like to look around and get a sense of what you guys sell and what the pricing looks like.”

Would Costco turn that person away?

I recall once being told by a Costco "greeter" that they would let in anyone with a valid reason and "it is BJs that only lets in members"

[yitzgar]

I recall once being told by a Costco "greeter" that they would let in anyone with a valid reason and "it is BJs that only lets in members"

Quite the opposite. Bjs allows anyone in and even allows non members to shop with a 20% markup