Costco said to be testing out membership card scanners at entrances

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Costco said to be testing out membership card scanners at entrances

Costco is reportedly trying out a membership change at a "few locations" that has its customers reacting strongly in support or opposition on social media.

www.foxbusiness.com

They're getting more serious than election officials.

 

[gqchris]

I just walk in even when they ask. I mean whats the point, i cant check out without a card. I hate the receiot check on way out also. I just paid 7 feet away.

Im offcially a grumpy old man!

 

[Angler]

You can't even get a hotdog without a card.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

They should use RFID cards and an air blast food sorter. Walk through the scanner, it picks up your card, you get past. If it doesn’t pick up your card you get an air blast to the face. Maybe even add some dye to the air blast so the non-card holders are easy to spot.

I just wish Costco would go back to making you prove employment before allowing you to be a member, but I’m sure they enjoy the extra money too much to go back to that.

 

[TonyFanelli]

Just a matter of time when people scan their right hand or forehead to see how much they can buy...maybe the next covid booster will have a chip in it

 

[done]

They dont' want you in the store after they scan your card and is not valid, Hope they don't check IDs at the bank ! Who cares who the fuck you are,Paranoid people in this world

 

[Singleton]

Yet you don’t need a membership to walk in and purchase booze.

 

[Javajoe]

Yet you don’t need a membership to walk in and purchase booze.

Or at their pharmacy

 

[RitcheyRch]

Read Sam's Club considering same.

Sam's Club announces it will stop checking receipts and start using AI at exits

At CES 2024, Sam's club announced it will use start using AI to save customers' time and prevent lines from forming at it's exit

www.usatoday.com

 

[LazyLavey]

I hate the receiot check on way out also. I just paid 7 feet away.

"We check receipts to make sure you weren't charged for something and did not get it"... Costco

 

[shintoooo]

You can also buy Costco gift cards and use those without a membership

 

[rrrr]

Is it really that much of a burden to take the card out of your pocket and show it to the door geek?

 

[The Prisoner]

Is it really that much of a burden to take the card out of your pocket and show it to the door geek?

There’s a mean old lady at Sams in Bullhead….she’s a straight up witch.

 

[2Driver]

Makes sense, I understand the business runs at cost and the membership fees are the profit.

I don’t care about the receipt check at exit. Just the opposite, any company that takes shoplifting with a heavy hand is a place I’ll reward with my biz.

 

[havasujeeper]

Since we're talking Sam's and Costco, how about limiting to one card per kid? Them 12 little fucks tagging along behind mom or dad are eating all my free samples!

And get off my lawn!

 

[Sharky]

Is it really that much of a burden to take the card out of your pocket and show it to the door geek?

No kidding. I have always had to show my card to get in my Costco.


Mine has even started a new thing where they check your picture on the card and compare it to you. Keeps people from loaning their cards to someone else. Even family members.

 

[77charger]

You can also buy Costco gift cards and use those without a membership

My mom use to get me one for gift and said same thing but everytime I used it they told me I need membership was always pain in ass.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Makes sense, I understand the business runs at cost and the membership fees are the profit.

I don’t care about the receipt check at exit. Just the opposite, any company that takes shoplifting with a heavy hand is a place I’ll reward with my biz.

They’ve got a markup on everything in there. There margins are just under 13%. But yes they supplement that with memberships.

 

[lenmann]

They’ve got a markup on everything in there. There margins are just under 13%. But yes they supplement that with memberships.

I'm surprised the margin is that tight, but a quick Google search confirmed your number. Wouldn't membership fees be counted as revenue and be part of the Gross Profit Margin calc? I'm no accountant but I cant think of a way to push membership fees out of the revenue line.

For reference Costco competitor margins are better.

 

[lenmann]

BTW, I have no issue with Costco checking membership upon entry. It's the only store I have been in where I have never seen a zombie, tweaker, unhoused individual shop lifting and/or stealing shopping carts. I will gladly take a couple of extra minutes of my time to maintain a zombie free shopping environment.

 

[LuauLounge]

"We check receipts to make sure you weren't charged for something and did not get it"... Costco

I was leaving and got stopped at the door. Someone has switched the label on a fresh meat package, The cashier didn't catch it, it didn't catch it, the guy at the door did. It was about $25 higher. I never look at the labels.

 

[Englewood]

They’ve got a markup on everything in there. There margins are just under 13%. But yes they supplement that with memberships.

What else is crazy is almost 3/4 of their profit comes from membership and not sales

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

I'm surprised the margin is that tight, but a quick Google search confirmed your number. Wouldn't membership fees be counted as revenue and be part of the Gross Profit Margin calc? I'm no accountant but I cant think of a way to push membership fees out of the revenue line.

For reference Costco competitor margins are better.


View attachment 1322662

The margins and membership fees are separate from a finance perspective. That is why the chart above looks so disproportionate to competitors.

 

[Justfishing]

You may not think the nargins are great but look at the volume. The average ticket is higher than sams, target etc. plus they always seem busy

 

[LazyLavey]

A coworker was wrongfully arrested at Costco for theft. He sued Costco and ultimately won....

 

[dnewps]

Costco is for cheap hot dogs and fuel…the rest is a pain in the balls

 

[ltbaney1]

I have no issue showing a card to get in, or my receipt on the way out. but what I HATE is the asshats slinging samples at the end of the aisles, and even more than i hate them i hate the people who crowd around them even more. i have said for years, put all the sample people in a corner just for them and if you want to see whats there or feed your kids lunch from the sample people go over there out of the way of everyone else.

 

[Good Stuff]

I was leaving and got stopped at the door. Someone has switched the label on a fresh meat package, The cashier didn't catch it, it didn't catch it, the guy at the door did. It was about $25 higher. I never look at the labels.

Probably almost 10 years ago I noticed the entire section of fillet was labeled as ground beef. I told a worker and he didn’t even look. Just told me the name must be wrong but price was right. I bought about 15 fillets for $20-30 and invited all my friends over for a steak dinner.

 

[nameisbond]

They compare your picture on the card when you use self check out. Costco started that a few months ago. It is illegal here to charge a membership fee for pharmacy prescriptions. So you just say "pharmacy" at the door and they have to let you in here. I don't mind the receipt checking on the way out. Nor do I mind verifying memberships.

 

[OC Mike]

I was leaving and got stopped at the door. Someone has switched the label on a fresh meat package, The cashier didn't catch it, it didn't catch it, the guy at the door did. It was about $25 higher. I never look at the labels.

Some douchebag probably switched stickers to their favor..

 

[Bigbore500r]

Is it really that much of a burden to take the card out of your pocket and show it to the door geek?

No, but this eliminates the door geek . . . and that's probably why they're doing this.

 

[The Prisoner]

Costco is for cheap hot dogs and fuel…the rest is a pain in the balls

Don’t know where you are but the fuel line at the Henderson location is extremely deep and looks like a giant pain in the balls. I would pay more per gallon somewhere else than endure that line.

 

[JM21]

Don’t know where you are but the fuel line at the Henderson location is extremely deep and looks like a giant pain in the balls. I would pay more per gallon somewhere else than endure that line.

My Temecula Costco opens gas at 6am and its a ghost town. Thats when I hit it up and dont get the dirty looks when I fill up 5 additional race jugs of fuel and leave with over 50 gallons of fuel including the truck.

 

[shunter2005]

Entry check doesn't bother me, what I would like is Scan and go like Sam's. I hate that damn Costco express checkout line. Show your card again before you get to the checkout kiosk, then scan your card once again before you scan everything. PITA!!! Scan to app on phone, pay in one step. No checkout line.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Costco has a method when it gets busy I think they need the scale up. It’s effective at speeding things up and they should do it all the time.

One of the Costco guys/gals comes up to you in line, scans your card and then scans the contents of the cart. When you get up to the checker with the cart, tell them it’s pre-scanned. They scan your card and you pay. No taking anything out of the cart, then putting it back in. You’re on your way out the store. So much easier.

 

[rrrr]

Entry check doesn't bother me, what I would like is Scan and go like Sam's. I hate that damn Costco express checkout line. Show your card again before you get to the checkout kiosk, then scan your card once again before you scan everything. PITA!!! Scan to app on phone, pay in one step. No checkout line.

Costco has a method when it gets busy I think they need the scale up. It’s effective at speeding things up and they should do it all the time.

One of the Costco guys/gals comes up to you in line, scans your card and then scans the contents of the cart. When you get up to the checker with the cart, tell them it’s pre-scanned. They scan your card and you pay. No taking anything out of the cart, then putting it back in. You’re on your way out the store. So much easier.

If they change to scanning what are you gonna do with that extra twenty seconds of living? Choose wisely.

 

[Markus]

Costco is for cheap hot dogs and fuel…the rest is a pain in the balls

Pizza. Don't forget the pizza.

 

[shunter2005]

If they change to scanning what are you gonna do with that extra twenty seconds of living? Choose wisely.

Well, I'm gettin' pretty old, so twenty seconds could mean a lot.