WHOLESALE CHANGE

Costco Launches Crackdown on Shoppers Sharing Membership Cards

Membership fees are also expected to rise.

Costco Wholesale Club confirmed Tuesday that it has started a crackdown on shoppers sharing their membership cards with non-members at self-service checkouts. “We don’t feel it’s right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” a Costco official told Axios. The company added in a statement: “As we already ask for the membership card at checkout, we are now asking to see their membership card with their photo at our self-service checkout registers. If their membership card does not have a photo, then we ask for a photo ID.” Costco CFO Richard Galanti also said on an earnings call last month that the company, at “some point,” will raise the price of memberships, citing inflation as a reason for not having done so already. A Gold Star membership currently costs $60 while Executive membership is $120.