Costco testing scanners to enter stores

A few Costco locations are testing a new way to enter the store rather than just showing your membership card.

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Some Costco locations are now scanning cards as you enter the store, according to KIRO.

“This test is to match members to their cards at the door prior to shopping,” a spokesperson told the news outlet.

A basic membership at the company costs $60 a year and the executive membership costs $120 a year with a 2% cash-back reward, according to CBS News.

The reason for the new technology is partly because Costco started to notice that non-members were sneaking into warehouses with membership cards that did not belong to them. According to CNN, this was particularly noticed as the company started to expand its self-checkout.

“We don’t feel it’s right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” the company said, according to CNN.

This has also become an issue since the 2020 pandemic after noticing that people were sharing memberships, Costco finance chief Richard Galanti told CNN

“It speeds up the process at entry and speeds up the process at the checkout,” he said. “That’s what we believe and we’re going to pilot it.”

A list of locations that are testing the scanning of membership cards has not been released. KIRO reported that it saw firsthand that it is happening at Costco’s location in Issaquah, Washington.

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