Costco members have seen several notable changes at the warehouse club, from membership checks at the front door to new digital tools and checkout tests.
Some of the updates are already in effect for members. Others are being tested or rolled out more gradually. But taken together, they show that Costco is making changes to the way shoppers enter stores, use their memberships, and move through checkout.
Here are the biggest changes members should know about.
Membership cards are being scanned at the entrance
One of the most visible changes happens before shoppers even start filling their carts.
Costco says membership scanning devices are being used at warehouse entrances. Once the scanners are deployed at a location, members must scan their physical or digital membership card before entering.
Guests can still come in, but Costco says they must be accompanied by a valid member. The change makes membership verification more direct at the front door, rather than only later in the shopping trip.
For longtime Costco shoppers, this may feel like a shift from simply flashing a card to going through a more formal scan. For Costco, the change helps reinforce that the warehouse is a members-only shopping model.
Membership fees have gone up
Costco members are also paying more for their annual memberships.
The company increased membership fees effective September 1, 2024. A Gold Star membership went from $60 to $65, while an Executive membership increased from $120 to $130.
The fee increase was Costco’s first in several years. The company also kept the household card benefit, which allows each membership to include one free card for a designated household member age 16 or older.
For shoppers, the change is straightforward: keeping a Costco membership now costs a little more. But Costco’s broader pitch remains the same — members pay an annual fee in exchange for access to warehouse prices, bulk goods, and member-only services.
Digital membership tools are becoming more important
Costco is also putting more emphasis on digital membership features.
Through the Costco app, members can access a digital version of their membership card. Costco says the app also allows members to renew their membership and view their 2% reward balance.
The company has also added digital payment-card features that allow members to attach a Visa card to their digital membership card for faster checkout at warehouses. Costco says the feature can be used at U.S. warehouse registers, though it is not available everywhere in the store, including food courts.
For members who already rely on their phones for shopping, the change makes the Costco app more central to the store experience.
Costco is testing faster checkout technology
Costco has also been testing new ways to speed up checkout.
Company executives have discussed scan-and-go tests and automated pay stations designed to move members through checkout faster. Reports on Costco’s pilot programs describe systems where items can be pre-scanned before payment, reducing the amount of time shoppers spend completing the final checkout step.
This is not the same as saying every Costco warehouse has a fully rolled-out scan-and-go system. The checkout technology is still being tested and expanded selectively. But it is an important change to watch because checkout lines are one of the most common pain points at busy warehouse clubs.
What it means for shoppers
For Costco members, the biggest takeaway is that the warehouse experience is getting more digital and more tightly tied to membership verification.
Members may be asked to scan their card at the entrance. They are paying slightly higher annual fees. More membership features are moving into the app. And at some locations, Costco is testing new checkout technology meant to speed up the end of the shopping trip.
Costco has not abandoned the warehouse model that made it popular. Shoppers can still expect bulk items, Kirkland Signature products, food court favorites, and busy weekend aisles.
But the way members enter, pay, and use their cards is changing — and those changes are becoming harder to miss.
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