A COSTCO customer was recently faced with a difficult decision as he prepared to check out.
Someone approached them about borrowing their Costco membership card — and they balked.
A recent Reddit publish sparked a discussion about the etiquette and potential consequences of sharing Costco membership cards.
The post described a situation in which a new Costco member and her partner encountered a group of college-aged students at a self-order kiosk.
The students, with a cart full of snacks and food, requested to use their membership card.
Unsure of the rules, the member hesitated before refusing.
This scenario sparked a discussion on Reddit about the implications of Costco membership sharing and the rules surrounding it.
“Only the member can make purchases, it is not a transferable right”, he wrote a user.
“You would probably be warned not to do this again and if this were repeated the membership would potentially be revoked.
“They used to not care so much about the member being present and then the paying companion, but they also cracked down on that,” they concluded.
REPRESSION OF ASSOCIATION POLICY
Costco’s policy is simple: Only the primary member whose name is on the card can make purchases using that membership.
Sharing your membership card, even for a single transaction, violates these rules.
This policy exists to maintain the integrity of the Costco membership program and to ensure that the benefits and discounts offered are enjoyed exclusively by paying members.
You need to present your membership card to a Costco employee to enter the store.
Costco membership cards cannot be transferred to third parties, per company policy.
However, members can issue a second family card to another person residing with them.
Additionally, each cardholder can bring up to two guests on each visit, per Costco policy.
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
To grant membership access to someone in your family, you must first log into your Costco account.
Then navigate to Account Details.
From there, you can add the person to your account and get their membership card at your local Costco.
Meanwhile, Costco customers are buying fewer items but spending more per visit as many struggle to afford necessities.
And a former Costco member revealed she saved nearly $400 after canceling her store membership.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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