‘No more membership sharing’: Costco is now requiring customers to scan membership cards at the door, man claims
A Tiktoker specializing in Costco news went viral after proclaiming that Costco membership sharing is going the way of the dodo.
TikToker But That's My Opinion (@butthatsmyopinion) gained over a million views when he posted a short video showing the supposed future of membership checking.
"Costco is now requiring that you scan your membership before you enter Costco," the TikToker said.
His video then cuts to a clip of an employee behind a post affixed with a card scanner, iPad, and a sign that reads, "You will be asked to scan your membership card before entering the warehouse."
The TikToker said that if members scan the card and the light turns green, they're "good to go." However, he claimed that a photo would appear on the iPad screen after customers scanned their cards, and employees would stop customers who didn't match the image.
"Now, this change is coming just months after Costco started requiring you show your membership at self-checkout. Essentially saying, 'Hey, just like all the streaming services like Netflix, we're tired of you membership sharing,'" he continued.
Luckily, he said this program is isolated to "one store in Washington, which is right next to the Costco headquarters," so it's not a company-wide phenomenon. However, he argued that it will most likely be rolled out to all stores in the future.
The TikToker also believes the iPad will replace the workers who check cards at the entrance because "I've walked by and flashed a Chipotle card, and they let me in." Additionally, he said it will likely replace the "grueling" membership check at self-checkout.
"So I think the age of Costco membership sharing is over," he concluded.
@butthatsmyopinion No more membership sharing at Costco #costcomembership #costcofinds #costcodealsandsteals ♬ original sound - But That’s My Opinion
Some were pleased with the new development.
"I'm happy for this coz truly it be so full in that store," a viewer said.
"I see no problems with this. though I would like to see the scan and go feature come to Costco," a second added.
Others hoped it would eliminate the constant card-checking that currently goes on.
"As a paying customer, I don't appreciate being treated like a criminal 3 to 4 times per shopping trip at Costco," one said.
"Good lord. My Costco we show the membership then we scan it to scan items then we scan again before we can pay..." another replied.
According to Business Insider, Costco recently implemented changes to crack down on non-members. Last June, employees were stationed at the self-checkout lanes to weed them out. Currently, the membership scanner But That's My Opinion references is only at the Issaquah, Washington location in the United States. However, United Kingdom locations have featured the device for a year.
Costco membership checking has caused issues in the past. A Canadian customer recently accused the company of "illegally detaining" him when he refused to show his membership card multiple times. Another claimed to have had his membership revoked in a case of mistaken identity. According to his video, a worker demanded to see a birth certificate to undo the error.
The Daily Dot reached out to Costco via its online media form and But That's My Opinion via email for further information.
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