Costco’s entrance-card scanners began as a small test in January 2024, but the company later described scanning at warehouse entrances as a membership requirement. The point is to verify that the person entering is an authorized member—not to screen shoppers for phishing or other general scams. Members should scan a physical or digital card at the door and still show it at checkout.
What Costco’s entrance scanners do
The readers accept the barcode or QR code on a physical or digital Costco membership card. A scan checks membership access before a shopper reaches the sales floor; it does not replace the checkout check. An entrance attendant remains available to help when a card is missing, unreadable, inactive, expired, or lacks a photo. Costco’s current instructions describe the process at its membership-scanner help page.
Costco first tested the readers at a handful of warehouses, including Issaquah, Washington. GeekWire reported the pilot on January 17, 2024 (report on the initial test). The company later said scanners would be deployed at local warehouse entrances over the coming months. Its current membership terms say members must scan at the front door. The earlier “testing” headline is therefore historical: the policy has broadened, though physical layouts and staff procedures may differ by warehouse.
Why Costco introduced the check
Costco links the enforcement push to nonmembers using membership cards that belonged to other people, particularly after self-checkout expanded. The company says the underlying membership policy did not change; enforcement became more visible as it addressed unauthorized card use. Its explanation is available on Costco’s membership-card help page.
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Because membership fees are part of Costco’s business model, access is a member benefit rather than an open loyalty program. Scanning at entry creates an earlier verification point and may make casual card sharing harder. Those are operational reasons for the policy, not proof that scanners have reduced shrink, shortened lines, or increased revenue; the cited company materials do not quantify those outcomes.
What members need to do
- Have a usable membership card ready. Bring the physical card or open the official digital membership card in the Costco app.
- Scan at the entrance. Place the barcode or QR code against the reader and wait for confirmation or assistance from an attendant.
- Keep the card available for checkout. Costco still requires the membership card at the payment register and may ask to compare its photo at self-checkout.
- Resolve account or photo issues with staff. An inactive or expired membership may mean a stop at the membership counter. If the card has no photo, Costco says the member may need valid photo ID and encourages adding a photo.
Costco’s entrance instructions cover the digital card, photo identification, and membership-counter assistance at its official help page; checkout requirements appear in its member disclaimer.
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Guests, household cards, and sharing
A permitted guest may enter when accompanied by a valid Costco member; the guest does not thereby become an independent member. That differs from a household card: Costco allows an eligible primary or affiliate member to add one qualifying person who lives at the same address. Check Costco’s current membership-card rules for the precise eligibility terms.
Membership cards are not transferable. Lending a card to a friend, relative in another household, or other nonmember is not the same as adding an eligible household card. Costco’s terms require a valid membership card with its membership number and a recognizable, unobstructed photo; a screenshot, copied barcode, or photo of someone else’s card should not be treated as a valid substitute.
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What if the scan fails?
- Dead phone or trouble opening the app: Use the physical card if available, or ask the entrance attendant for help. Do not assume an unofficial copy or screenshot will be accepted.
- Unreadable card or missing photo: Ask staff to verify the membership. Costco may ask for valid photo identification when the card has no photo; a membership-counter visit can address adding one.
- Expired or inactive membership: Expect to be directed to the membership counter to resolve the account before entering.
- Lost or stolen card: Report it promptly to a Costco membership counter or use the contact method in Costco’s membership terms.
- Questions about entering as a guest or for membership service: Speak with the attendant rather than trying to use another person’s card.
What the scan does—and does not—say about privacy
Costco’s privacy notice says it may collect membership-card photos, membership numbers, and identity-document information. It also says members may be asked to show or scan a physical or digital card, including its photograph, when entering or visiting a location, completing a transaction, or exiting.
That is distinct from a claim that the entrance reader identifies people by facial recognition. The published materials cited here establish barcode or QR-code scanning and photo-related membership verification; they do not establish that Costco uses facial recognition, biometric matching, or an AI fraud score at the door. Shoppers concerned about how their information is handled can review the linked privacy notice directly.
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What changes for shoppers
The scan adds a step and can cause friction when a phone is dead, a barcode will not read, or a member needs staff assistance. It can also raise accessibility and privacy concerns. Costco provides an attendant fallback, but its published materials do not report measured effects on entrance wait times or quantify savings from the policy.
For an active member with a usable card, the practical adjustment is straightforward: have the card ready at entry and keep it available at checkout. The scanner is best understood as a membership checkpoint, not a new general-purpose scam detector.
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