Another BIG Change is Coming to Costco and Idahoans Are NOT Happy

We’re less than a month away from Costco hiking their membership fees for the first time in seven years. Now the warehouse is making another change that not everyone is excited about. 

Back in January, news leaked that the membership warehouse was testing a new way to crack down on members who were trying to get away with sharing their membership with friends and family members who were non-members. A Reddit user posted a photo of a new scanner at the front door of an Issaquah, Washington warehouse. The sign hung on the scanner’s pole read:

You will be asked to scan your membership card before entering the warehouse. 

After the post went viral, CNN confirmed that Costco was running a pilot program at several stores, including in Issaquah where they’re headquartered. A representative told the news outlet that they had seen a spike in prohibited membership sharing since 2020 and that they believed the scanners would help speed up getting into the store and checking out. 

READ MORE:  What Does the Death Star on Items at Idaho Costco Stores Mean? 

In other words, Costco is tired of trying to get away with the brick-and-mortar retail version of sharing your Netflix password. 

Well, apparently they liked what they saw in that pilot program because Costco recently posted this message on their website:

Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse. Once deployed, prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner. Guests must also be accompanied by a valid member for entry.

They also note that if your membership card does NOT have a photo on it, you’ll need to show a valid photo ID matching the name on your Costco card. 

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The program is being expanded to all warehouses, including the seven locations in Idaho. The way that the new policy reads, it looks like you can still bring your kids and up to two adult guests with you when you scan your membership card but only the member may buy items. 

What seems a bit unclear now is what becomes of the Costco Shop Cards. Those must be purchased by members, but the way the policy reads, a non-member who received one as a gift may use it to enter the warehouse and pay for items. However, it appears some locations make that rather difficult based on what we’ve seen on Reddit. 

In July 2023, they made it mandatory to show your membership card and photo ID when checking out after discovering how much membership sharing was happening inside the warehouse. At the time they told several media sources, including Business Insider “We don't feel it's right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members.”

Membership Price Hikes Begin in September

Idaho Costco members can expect to see new membership rates beginning September 1. Here’s a look at the small change.