Costco comments and questions

[statsman]

In Florida, we can purchase bear/wine - that selection is in-store. We have to get age checked at self-checkout, but can still use it.

The full liquor area is a separate entrance outside the store.

Texas is similar. At Costco, the purchase of any hard liquor is in an adjacent, separate entrance/building. Primary reason for this design is hard liquor sales are forbidden on Sunday in stores in Texas, which means liquor stores are closed on Sunday. Restaurants and bars have different rules for Sunday.

You can purchase alcohol in self-checkout lanes here in Central Texas, but an ID check is needed.

 

[rodi]

For the people who say they don't scan/check the card at checkout? I guess they're not executive members. I want my cashback accounted for on both my costco citi card and my executive member account. (Double dipping!). I *want* them to scan my membership card at checkout!

 

[statsman]

For the people who say they don't scan/check the card at checkout? I guess they're not executive members. I want my cashback accounted for on both my costco citi card and my executive member account. (Double dipping!). I *want* them to scan my membership card at checkout!

Whether in a regular checkout line or a self checkout line, the membership card is scanned here. I would suspect this is always the case at all Costco locations.

What's happening right now in self checkout is if you happen to scan your membership card to start and grabbed the hand scanner before a Costco employee does (much to their anger, it seems), I am required to show the photo.

 

[Trooper]

Here's a dumb question...Why doesn't Costco just have a robust process to scan cards when you enter the store? Then they wouldn't need a 2nd process at checkout, when a potential offender already has a cart full of goods.

 

[Aerides]

For the people who say they don't scan/check the card at checkout? I guess they're not executive members. I want my cashback accounted for on both my costco citi card and my executive member account. (Double dipping!). I *want* them to scan my membership card at checkout!

Even if I wasn't exec, I can "hear" the machine in my head saying "Please scan your membership card" - it's a requirement to begin checkout, whether your basic white card or your co-branded credit card.

 

[Aerides]

Here's a dumb question...Why doesn't Costco just have a robust process to scan cards when you enter the store? Then they wouldn't need a 2nd process at checkout, when a potential offender already has a cart full of goods.

It would probably create a bottleneck that impacts all customers - most of whom are good and have their cards ready. And jerks could just say "I'm here to join" and go up to the membership counter, and then swan off.

 

[jollystomper]

Interestingly, today at Costco I was not asked to show my ID on the self-checkout line. At the register a worker came over, but just to scan the larger items in my cart.

 

[obsessed]

Makes perfect sense. The food court is a money loser intended to promote goodwill and store traffic. The last thing they want is freeloaders and ravenous high school kids.

Before I retired, I worked at a manufacturing company. Costco opened up a couple blocks away. The floor workers flooded the Costco food court at lunch (they worked hard and appreciated a low-cost high-calorie meal). No membership was required to walk in to the food court.

 

[Venturer]

For the people who say they don't scan/check the card at checkout? I guess they're not executive members. I want my cashback accounted for on both my costco citi card and my executive member account. (Double dipping!). I *want* them to scan my membership card at checkout!

If you just get the Costco visa scanned before the checkout starts & then use it to pay you will get both points towards you membership. We always get both checks/certificates every year. I don't even remember where my old white card is.

 

[audreyh1]

Our self check requires membership ID scan first - back of our CC in our case.

 

[mpeirce]

These days you don’t even need to carry the card. The Costco app on my phone will display my photo and a QR code for them to scan. And they accept Apple Pay for actually paying.

Same when I get gas there - app to gain access, then Apple Pay.

I only carry three cards these days: Fidelity Visa, Drivers license, and medical insurance card.

 

[audreyh1]

These days you don’t even need to carry the card. The Costco app on my phone will display my photo and a QR code for them to scan. And they accept Apple Pay for actually paying.

Same when I get gas there - app to gain access, then Apple Pay.

I only carry three cards these days: Fidelity Visa, Drivers license, and medical insurance card.

Right, I usually do that too. Show phone at the entrance and scan phone at the self-checkout.

We carry our Costco Visa cards anyway - 3% dining and hotels. I’d use ApplePay too for the dining but US restaurants are so retro and don’t want to support portable terminals. Europe is wonderful about ApplePay.

 

[mpeirce]

Right, I usually do that too. Show phone at the entrance and scan phone at the self-checkout.

We carry our Costco Visa cards anyway - 3% dining and hotels. I’d use ApplePay too for the dining but US restaurants are so retro and don’t want to support portable terminals.

A lot more restaurants are offering tap and pay around here. Nice.

 

[Rustic23]

Seems the easy way to let a friend shop on your card is to purchase a gift card, and add to it when it gets low, of course collect the money first ��

 

[Buckeye]

Y'all made me go look at my Costco Citibank credit card and there is a color picture of me on there!

 

[Buckeye]

Same here - always use self checkout. We don’t have nearly as full a cart as most folks and the line moves amazing fast.

We are all well-trained and get through the self check quickly!

 

[Buckeye]

Interestingly, today at Costco I was not asked to show my ID on the self-checkout line. At the register a worker came over, but just to scan the larger items in my cart.

They were checking every day during December. Haven't been checked in January.

 

[Scrapr]

Here's a dumb question...Why doesn't Costco just have a robust process to scan cards when you enter the store? Then they wouldn't need a 2nd process at checkout, when a potential offender already has a cart full of goods.

This is what Costco is trialing at issaquah store. The story i saw had a picture of one scanner at an entrance. That is not going to be enough scanners, but I'm sure they will figure something out. So instead of waving your card as you enter Costco will have a little more rigorous process to only let members enter

 

[audreyh1]

Y'all made me go look at my Costco Citibank credit card and there is a color picture of me on there!

Wow, glad you finally saw it!

 

[jollystomper]

Makes perfect sense. The food court is a money loser intended to promote goodwill and store traffic. The last thing they want is freeloaders and ravenous high school kids.

Before I retired, I worked at a manufacturing company. Costco opened up a couple blocks away. The floor workers flooded the Costco food court at lunch (they worked hard and appreciated a low-cost high-calorie meal). No membership was required to walk in to the food court.

The last Megacorp office I worked in, before work at home occurred, was a short walking distance from a Costco. It was not uncommon to see 20-30 co-workers there at lunch. I went with a small group probably a couple of times a week.

 

[Tadpole]

I downloaded the Costco app to my phone and discovered that, even though my card is old and does not have a picture, the app has both a picture and an image of my card. So, as long as I have my phone with me, I have a picture to show them.

 

[rk911]

I downloaded the Costco app to my phone and discovered that, even though my card is old and does not have a picture, the app has both a picture and an image of my card. So, as long as I have my phone with me, I have a picture to show them.

Our Costco cards do NOT have our photos on them and we do not have Costco credit cards. Based on the above post I downloaded the app and signed in. Nope, no photo there either but I'm not surprised since we've never had our photos taken at Costco...other than appearing on their surveillance cams. We renew online so we'll see about photos going forward. The only ID we have with photos is our driver's licenses and my Illinois gun owner's card. Even my FAA pilot certificate card has no photo.

 

[Tadpole]

I don't remember having my photo taken but, since I have been to their counter a few times about my web access, I'm not surprised they had me have the photo taken. The photo is not too long ago - shows the old lady, gray hair, wrinkles and all. Actually, a better photo than on my driver's license.

 

[Jerry1]

I loaded the Costco app on my phone. It was already on my iPad. I have my Costco credit card entered into the app. I’ve used it before to make purchases through the app on the online site. Question is, can I use my phone to not only get into Costco but to also pay. I’m assuming there’s a way, but I’d like to have some sense of how it works before I’m in line trying to pay.

 

[audreyh1]

I loaded the Costco app on my phone. It was already on my iPad. I have my Costco credit card entered into the app. I’ve used it before to make purchases through the app on the online site. Question is, can I use my phone to not only get into Costco but to also pay. I’m assuming there’s a way, but I’d like to have some sense of how it works before I’m in line trying to pay.

Yes, you can use ApplePay with an iPhone at checkout. I do it with my Apple watch. I think Costco supports other phone digital payment methods.