One COSTCO shopper was shocked by how strict the retailer’s card membership policy was.
The store rule forced her to abandon her $150 shopping cart and air her grievances online.
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Costco has cracked down on membership rules after realizing that non-members have been using membership cards that don’t belong to them.
Membership sharing rates have been especially high since the expansion of self-checkout.
The retailer began enforcing several policies to reduce card sharing, including requiring that the name on a customer’s credit card match the name on their membership card.
It came as a surprise to Costco shopper Rikki Nelson, who detailed her experience in a Facebook post publish from the end of June.
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Rikki explained how she went to Costco with a friend who was a member of the bulk retailer.
“I really wanted to help my friend as she broke her leg and has a lot of medical bills at the moment. We both bought a few things and I wanted to pay for most of it,” she said.
However, the cashier informed Rikki that she could not pay by credit card because the name on the card did not match the name on the signature.
The cashier refused to allow the shopper to pay for the $150 worth of groceries.
“I WOULD NEVER GET A MEMBERSHIP THERE IF THAT’S HOW THEY PLAY. Their politics are absolutely shit. Why does it matter where they make their profits? It’s money for their business. TAKE MY MONEY,” the buyer railed.
“So I went to Sam’s Club to buy my own stuff. My poor friend walked out with the three items she could afford. Unbelievable!!!!!”
REPRESSION
In 2023, CFO Richard Galanti told Wall Street Journal that only a small percentage of members share their cards with non-members.
“But when you’re dealing with millions of transactions, even a very small percentage is something you’d want to fix,” he said.
“Since expanding our self-service checkout, we have noticed that non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them,” a company statement said.
“We don’t think it’s right that non-members receive the same benefits and prices as our members.”
Costco Membership Sharing Guidelines
Costco has strict rules for subscription usage that shoppers must follow and has been cracking down on violators in recent years.
- Core Member Usage: Only the primary cardholder can use this Costco membership card. It is not allowed to share it for purchases, as the photo on the card must correspond to the person using it.
- Domestic Card: Each Prime Member can add one free Household Cardholder who lives at the same address. That person will receive their own membership card and can shop at Costco independently.
- Guest Policy: Members can bring up to two guests per Costco visit. However, only the member can make purchases. Guests must be accompanied by a member.
- Authorized cardholder: For an additional fee, you can add an authorized cardholder, such as a family member or friend, who does not reside at your address. They will receive their own card and will be able to make purchases independently.
Credit: Costco
MORE MEMBERSHIP POLICIES
In addition to the credit card policy, Costco has other rules in place to limit member sharing.
For example, Costco members must present their card and photo ID at checkout at certain locations.
The rule is implemented in both traditional checkout and self checkout.
Costco has also introduced ID scanners in select stores to check member status upon store entry.
Members are also required to have their own membership cards.
Prime members can add a family member for free, but each must use their own physical card with their picture and name.
Additionally, Costco food court customers must present their membership card to make a purchase.
In related news, Costco members discovered a new feature at a local store that is “better than self-checkout.”
Additionally, a Costco shopper was furious about a “mortgage payment”-level membership renewal fee.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
