Many of us scroungers have been judged unworthy of the rewards by the Costco gods, who have spoken. Costco is taking action against non-members who take advantage of special offers and products available only to members by utilizing their membership cards.
Why Costco is cracking down on membership sharing?
Costco will soon cross-check membership cards against another photo ID, like a driver’s license or state ID, in addition to the standard requirement that consumers flash a membership card upon arrival. The company has observed the biggest abuse of its current membership policies in self-checkout lanes, thus the will be enforced there in particular.
“We don’t feel it’s right that nonmembers receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” the business said in an email statement to The Dallas Morning News. We now request to view the member’s membership card with their photo at our self-service checkout registers because we already request it at the register.
Costco’s membership costs
The annual membership fees for the grocery club range from $60 for a Gold Star membership to $120 for an Executive membership. What you get at each tier is as follows:
One Household Card, which may only be used by the primary member, is included with the Gold Star membership, and a second card, which can be given to a resident above the age of 18, is also included.
One Household Card is included with the Business membership, which costs $60 a year. However, additional cardholders may be added to the account for an extra $60.
All of the benefits listed above are available to Executive members, in addition to a 2% incentive on specific purchases, special prices on other Costco products and services, including insurance and business services, and “extra benefits on select Costco Travel products.”
So, do you think Costco’s offers and goods are out of your price range if you don’t share a residence with a member or if you find it difficult to justify spending $60 for the right to only purchase Kirkland rotisserie chicken? Not quite.
How to get around Costco’s membership rules?
Despite what larger businesses like Costco and Netflix may enforce, some regulations are supposed to be disregarded and some benefits are meant to be shared. Because of the current crackdown, non-members will simply need to get a little more inventive if they want to shop at Costco.
Having an existing member buy a Costco gift card (minimum $25) for the amount you want to spend in-store is one of the easiest methods to get around the membership sharing issue. A Costco gift card can be used without a membership card.
Searching the Costco website for the things you wish to buy in bulk is another technique to somewhat get around the rules. Non-members can purchase groceries on the website and use Instacart to have them delivered, according to the brand. For non-members, a 5% surcharge is levied, and they cannot purchase some special products that are offered to members only. Customers who are not members can also buy at Costco’s pharmacy.
Finally, buddy up: Costco members can still bring up to two friends who aren’t members themselves on each visit to the store. Keep in mind that the Costco website expressly states that “only Costco members may purchase items.” Here, adhering to the conventions of membership-mooching etiquette is essential for any shopper to succeed.
Offering transportation to and from the store, being considerate of the member’s trunk space, and offering to help with heavy lifting in and out of the car are just a few examples of how to be a good Costco moocher. However, since they must scan their card to complete the transaction, the Costco membership holder must always be the one to pay at the register. Make sure to return the favor as quickly as you can.
The entrances to the Costco kingdom have only been strengthened for greater security rather being fully closed. Fortunately for you, the wholesale club is not a stronghold. Happy bulk purchasing to everybody.
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