I shop at Costco. I don’t mind scanning my card. I suspect anyone who shops at Costco does not care one way one another. This isn’t news, and anyone getting irate about this should find a new topic.
this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2024
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I literally don't see the difference. My card gets checked by a person up front anyway. Who cares if it's now digitally scanned?
Now give me the option to skip the line by scanning and paying for my stuff via phone and the only person I absolutely have to interact with is the one who checks my cart as I'm leaving.
If you want that option, try Sam's Club.
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Agreed. The only change is a machine scanning your card rather than a pair of eyeballs.
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I am confused, don't they scan your card before you check out?
Yes, but you're more likely to run into an irate person when you turn them away with a cart full of groceries then you are if you turn them away at the door. Plus it reduces the wasted time of employees who have to unload said cart.
Yep, I think this is part of the answer.
I'm guessing another is identifying which members are primarily using membership card and cash, membership attached to an alternative FOP from their in-house charge (Citi currently), and digital native customers who are all in on the ecosystem.
Those data points can be used in several manners as Costco can glean valuable marketing insights into their customer base, their shopping habits, and their frequency. More than likely it will be used in ongoing in-house charge provider negotiations to ensure favorable terms for offering their services exclusively.
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Apparently the issue is cheaters using the self-checkouts according to the employee I talked to.
So now we all have to jump through more hoops instead of having another cashier or two. Ironically, there were extra staff at the door enforcing the scanning.
The scanning is also supposed to bring up your picture for identification.
They don't have a picture for me on file and gave me crap when I scanned. I just showed them my license and went on my way. I don't need my face linked to my name all over the internet when they get hacked next year.
They don’t have a picture for me on file and gave me crap when I scanned. I just showed them my license and went on my way. I don’t my face linked to my name all over the internet when they get hacked next year.
I get that, but its a private club. If its part of their membership rules your choices are comply or not be in the private club.
Yep, totally get it. I'll squeeze by as long as I can for the sake of privacy.
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The article makes it sound like they are doing this to speed up check out, and also to stop people from abusing the cheap hot dogs.
The only other thing I can think of is the possibility that people are getting in with expired cards to bypass the single guest per member limit, and then pooling their purchases once they're inside at the self checkout. Seems like a bit of a stretch, but it could happen.
But you do not need a membership card to access the food court, and in some states the food court is actually outside of the entrance. So I am going to have a little bit of doubt in the idea that this has anything to do with hotdog abuse. No offense intended!!
I just saw below it maybe varies from state to state on the food court - https://lemmy.world/comment/11638385
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Hot dogs aren't wrapped anymore and buns got smaller. Fuck the new guy.
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The scanners also spare Costco employees from having to ask shoppers for membership cards at registers and self-checkout, speeding up the process of entering and checking out, the Galanti told CNN.
Wait, one of the things is that Costco has is that it actually stores purchases on your account (this is especially useful for returns).
How do they connect purchase with your account?
Does this mean that they will use facial recognition? That's not that cool...
You scan your card before you purchase any items, so that's how that works. It's not facial recognition.
Did you read the quoted text that provides context that makes your response not helpful?
But if you're not scanning your card with the checkout, how do they know what you purchased? Scanning on entrance just confirms that you entered the store, while scanning with checkout was used to confirm what you purchased on that trip.
Unless you're using a Costco-issued card at checkout, too, I would have same question. And if you are still scanning at checkout, then this isn't the time-saver they're purporting.
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Same way all the other stores do? With your card number
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Are they changing policy that the food court and pharmacy are accessible to everyone? That’s in my membership agreement.
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Is the real play here to try and make account sharing more difficult? Encourage more membership purchases?
Been a shopper there for 30 years - they're not a company that makes changes willy nilly. Even if you can get into the store without a card, you can't buy anything without one. Surely the cost of sneaky samplers isn't the main thrust of this.
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Costco in the UK have been scanning cards since covid. It started as a way to limit numbers in store then someone probably went and looked at the data.
I visited a local Costco and they have started scanning memeberships, I forgot what the person told me but I think they have been doing it for a couple of weeks, not sure though.
I wonder how they will get around the alcohol only non-members.
While this legal side-step is great news for state residents hoping to save money on alcohol, it's not as simple as merely walking into the store and heading to the liquor section. Since greeters often check for membership cards at the door, someone hoping to take advantage of this loophole will likely need to tell the greeter they are there to purchase alcohol. Once inside, they will typically be given a temporary number by the membership desk, but will not be allowed to grab extra grocery items or hit the food court for a snack during their shopping spree; aside from the pharmacy and liquor, everything else at Costco is out of bounds.
In states where this alcohol loophole exists, additional limitations may apply. According to My Bartender, Costco stores in Delaware, Indiana, Texas, and New York are only allowed to sell wine and beer; other states permit the sale of hard liquor, while the state of Vermont insists that club stores sell their spirits to members only. Consumer Reports notes that these same policies apply to other club stores including BJ's Wholesale Club — but not to Sam's Club stores, which already have a nationwide policy of allowing non-members to purchase alcohol.^[[1] https://www.tastingtable.com/1355636/non-members-buy-liquor-costco-states/]
Costco Wholesale is installing membership scanners at the entrances of all of its locations to discourage non-members from shopping at the stores.
Guests must also be accompanied by a valid member in order to enter a store, Costco added.
The discount retailer began testing the technology earlier this year, with Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti relaying that more people had been sharing memberships since the pandemic in 2020.
Costco earlier in the year cracked down on who uses its food court to ensure that only members can capitalize on its famous $1.50 wiener-and-soda deal.
Costco said last month it was hiking its basic membership fee for the first time since 2017, increasing the annual charge to $65 from $60. The roughly 8% cost increase takes effect on September 1, the warehouse club announced. The cost of a premium membership is rising to $130 from $120. Costco also said the maximum annual 2% reward for its executive membership will rise to $1,250 from $1,000.
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Velcome to Costco. Your papers, please.
It’s a paid membership system. What makes you think you have the right to go in without a membership?
Do you bust into private gyms and demand to work out without paying?
Get outta here
Because browsing isn't buying. You absolutely can go into a gym and check it out without a membership.
Edit: Expecting me to buy a Costco membership before I can see things like whether or not they're keeping the place clean and their produce fresh is unreasonable in my opinion,
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They're are two stores close to me, and I've been to both of them this week. One of them had the scanner, the other didn't. I'm not really sure how it helps them, but it didn't hold me up any either.
Wait you guys got conned into paying to go shopping?!?
All those leaded petrol fumes really did a number didn't they lol
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They cannot enforce this unless they remove the pharmacy. Just refuse and walk in.
Or don’t be an ass to the person just trying to do their job and tell them you’re there for a prescription.
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