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COSTCO: No admittance of non members doing shops?

February 19, 2026 04:29PM
Not sure if this is done in all Costco locations, but one had a front door attendant and was scanning membership cards for admittance. Is this now occurring in all of their locations? So be sure to have your letter of authorization handy.
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February 19, 2026 05:01PM
Yes, they have been scanning cards and looking at the photo for some time now. They would not let my daughter in with my card, member only. so yes, if you have an authorization letter, better print it out.
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February 19, 2026 09:13PM
Costco, I've found, is worse than Walmart. Why? Because they smile while herding us cattle. Insult to injury.
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February 22, 2026 08:02PM
If your Costco has a pharmacy by law they have to let you in. I am not sure but I think this is nationally. You would not be able to purchase anything from the rest of the store without a membership but if the job does not require a purchase I doubt they would notice you wandering around once you were in. I guess it would depend on how much you would stick out based on the job you are doing there. You also used to be able to enter if you had a costco gift card purchased by a member friend. Not sure under the new rules if that would still get you in.
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February 22, 2026 08:10PM
Based on media reports, they have tightened up about non members using member cards at self checkouts. Not sure if non members can still use gift cards or not which works for those of us only needing to go there once or ttwice per year. At least BJ's had those guest membership shops. Costco does not have guest passes.
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February 22, 2026 09:24PM
Sandy is right, Costco must let you in even if you're not a member to use their pharmacy. I let my membership lapse for about 8 years but still went to the pharmacy for my dogs' prescriptions because my vet charges 3 arms and a leg even for the cheapest antibiotics.
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February 22, 2026 09:39PM
They no longer do courtesy day passes. You are either a member or not. I would suggest getting a membership if you plan to shop there. If you get the membership strictly to do the job, it's a tax write-off. If I am not mistaken, even the guidelines state you need to be a member.

@Arch Stanton wrote:

Not sure if this is done in all Costco locations, but one had a front door attendant and was scanning membership cards for admittance. Is this now occurring in all of their locations? So be sure to have your letter of authorization handy.
Reply
February 23, 2026 08:43PM
Another way to get in if you are an older white middle class looking woman ( I dont know about any other "look" as i only look like one type of person) is to go to the exit door and ask them if you can go and use the restroom.
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February 25, 2026 12:13AM
We dont have photos on our cards as we signed up during a grand opening about 5 years ago. We mainly use our card for gas purchases. We went inside last week and they just glanced at my husband's card and waved us in.
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February 25, 2026 05:51PM
The Costcos here in N. Alabama have scanners at the door. And an attendant. It doesn't scan the picture, it scans the bar code on the back of the card. I haven't seen a Costco card without a bar code in at least 20 years, (might have been Price Club still? Though I lost my Price Club card long ago).
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February 26, 2026 03:01AM
They scan at Costco entrances but do not check the self-checkouts since scanning began. You an walk through the exit and then make your way through the registers to the pharmacy or where ever your shop is at.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230
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February 26, 2026 03:30AM
All of the Costcos I frequent scan and check your picture. Self checkout is checked albeit randomly; there's always an attendant or 2 assisting and scanning your card for you. Exits are manned by a person other than the 2 checking your receipts and cart.
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February 26, 2026 04:07AM
You can buy the membership and use it for 364 days, then request a refund. Both my husband and I have done this. Good way to gt the discounts for free.
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February 26, 2026 06:03AM
The only time I've used a self-checkout at Costco is at the food court. I only did it once, and I don't remember if I had to use my membership card at all. You're still required to use your membership card when you check out with a cashier. None of that has changed. The only real change I see since renewing my membership is the scanners at the door and the self serve kiosks at the food court.

I'm not a fan of the ordering system at the food court, which is why I only used it once. But like the pharmacy, Costco has never made folks use their card at the food court. Some of the stores in Southern California have the food court outside, and there are a lot of non-members that go there for lunches.
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February 26, 2026 07:15AM
All self-checkouts, with the exception of the Food Court, require your card to be scanned prior to scanning items for purchase. Same with the fuel pumps. If you do not have a membership, you just go in through the door closest to the customer service counter. It is usually another door on the exit side, unless they only have the exit and entrance doors. Go to the customer service area and just keep walking. No one will stop you unless that changed yesterday. Say you need to use the bathroom or you are buying from the food court or pharmacy. For all the locations I have gone to since the scanning started, no one has ever checked my photograph. I have my card on my phone and I scan it and keep walking. If someone is with me they just walk with me.
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February 26, 2026 11:48AM
Are you serious? That's pretty shady right there.....


@Luv2Travel123 wrote:

You can buy the membership and use it for 364 days, then request a refund. Both my husband and I have done this. Good way to gt the discounts for free.
Reply
February 26, 2026 08:00PM
For a while, mine was checking your photo when you were in the self checkout line, but they stopped that recently.
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February 27, 2026 01:12AM
How is that shady? It's literally what the membership rep who sold it to me suggested. The rep stated that I have 365 days to try out being a Costco member, and if I want to cancel anytime before 365 days, I could. I was a 'member' for a full year. Maybe went there three times. Spent less than $200 overall...found out it was nothing I wanted, so got my money back. Very glad they offer a program like this for people to try out their store and see if it works for them. Not shady in the least.
I also wanted to buy a giftcard at Christmas for my sister who LOVES Costco. Could not even do that unless I was a member, which I find ridiculous. So, my husband had to sign up just so we could walk in a purchase a giftcard. I don't make the rules....

@viv0412 wrote:

Are you serious? That's pretty shady right there.....


@Luv2Travel123 wrote:

You can buy the membership and use it for 364 days, then request a refund. Both my husband and I have done this. Good way to gt the discounts for free.
Reply
February 27, 2026 01:54AM
@viv0412 wrote:

Are you serious? That's pretty shady right there.....


@Luv2Travel123 wrote:

You can buy the membership and use it for 364 days, then request a refund. Both my husband and I have done this. Good way to gt the discounts for free.


I am all about squeezing a penny, but that crosses the line for me. I don't care what the employee said. She should be fired.
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February 27, 2026 02:27AM
Agreed! You can tell within the first shopping trip or two if it's a place that is going to be worth it. Cancel within 30 days and that's 'respectable' in my opinion. For my personal ethics this is a huge 'no'.

@ShopperGirly wrote:

@viv0412 wrote:

Are you serious? That's pretty shady right there.....


@Luv2Travel123 wrote:

You can buy the membership and use it for 364 days, then request a refund. Both my husband and I have done this. Good way to gt the discounts for free.


I am all about squeezing a penny, but that crosses the line for me. I don't care what the employee said. She should be fired.
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February 27, 2026 04:03PM
Great tip! Thank You Much.
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February 27, 2026 04:26PM
Again, it wasn't some 'fast one' I was trying to pull on the company. I participated in the deal that was communicated to me. I joined in the spring and kept it active through the holidays for food shopping. Found better deals at my local supermarket. Canceled it.

@viv0412 wrote:

Agreed! You can tell within the first shopping trip or two if it's a place that is going to be worth it. Cancel within 30 days and that's 'respectable' in my opinion. For my personal ethics this is a huge 'no'.

@ShopperGirly wrote:

@viv0412 wrote:

Are you serious? That's pretty shady right there.....


@Luv2Travel123 wrote:

You can buy the membership and use it for 364 days, then request a refund. Both my husband and I have done this. Good way to gt the discounts for free.


I am all about squeezing a penny, but that crosses the line for me. I don't care what the employee said. She should be fired.
Reply
February 27, 2026 04:37PM
It's been over a year since I've been in my area Costco for a merchandising job. I'm not a member. But when I've gone there wearing my lanyard, having my LOA, and asking to sign in the vendor log, I've never had any issue with going inside to do my job. I don't do jobs there often, but if I ever accept another merch job there, it'll be interesting to see if I can get in as a non-member merchandiser!
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February 28, 2026 11:11PM
The Field Agent app requires you to have a Costco membership if you do one of their gigs. They require a photo image of your membership card showing the ID barcode and your name. Some of their audits or tasks pay as little as $2.00. Hmmm...
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March 05, 2026 02:30AM
I live in So Cal and my costco has ordering kiosks in our outdoor food court. Its a pain to me but they are checking to make sure you are a member reportedly because their $1.50 hot dog and drink combo is a loss leader that they use as a perk for members. They had too many non members coming for lunch all the time and were losing too much money. In any case you go to the kiosk and put your order in and pay but you need to scan your membership card. Then you take your slip of paper the machine spits out up to the order counter. The self checkout registers also require you to scan your member card first before beginning to scan your items. They run a pretty tight ship which allows them to offer some good discounts. My membership pays for itself quickly but then I live walking distance so it is my local grocery store. Your closets may be full of xmas gifts you picked up all year on sale, mine are full of costco bargains grande sized.
@Morledzep wrote:

The only time I've used a self-checkout at Costco is at the food court. I only did it once, and I don't remember if I had to use my membership card at all. You're still required to use your membership card when you check out with a cashier. None of that has changed. The only real change I see since renewing my membership is the scanners at the door and the self serve kiosks at the food court.

I'm not a fan of the ordering system at the food court, which is why I only used it once. But like the pharmacy, Costco has never made folks use their card at the food court. Some of the stores in Southern California have the food court outside, and there are a lot of non-members that go there for lunches.
Reply
March 05, 2026 05:23AM
So I've read that you don't need a membership to use their pharmacy or optical services. I don't use either. I used to go to Costa Mesa a lot for technical training many years ago. All of the instructors would mention Costco'sfood court for lunch, lol.
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