Costco Changes Could Be on the Way in Texas and Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, LA - Changes are on the way for one big box retail giant in Texas and Louisiana. Now this might not be permanent, but Costco is looking for ways to keep people from sharing membership cards. The company is now trying out closer scrutiny at the entrance to the store.

This new effort is being tested at a Costco in Washington State. A Costco employee is now scanning a shopper’s membership card before you are allowed to enter the store. The employee is told to check the photo to make sure it matches the person coming to the store to shop. This program is only being piloted at a few locations.

If you have ever shopped at a Costco, you know it's customary to show your card when you walk in, but now the company is considering tightening this up a bit to require a scan of the card. You are also required to scan the member card when you check out.

Costco executives say they have been seeing a spike in folks sharing their cards since most of the registers are self-checkout these days. No one is typically at the register to verify who is using the cards.

Costco rules say members are not allowed to transfer their membership, but can have children and up to two guests in the warehouse. The cardholder can give one additional card to one designated member of their household that is over 16 years of age.

Some customers are not happy about this change. One posts on X “Nothing says we don’t trust you as a valued customer more than a scanner at the start of your shopping trip.”
A bulk of Costco's earnings come from membership fees, which brought in $4.6 billion alone for the retailer last fiscal year, according to their annual report. An executive membership at Costco costs $120 annually and the standard “gold star” membership is $60.

Costco is not the only corporate giant cracking down on sharing memberships. Netflix, Disney + and others are charging extra for more people using your account.