'Like we were at Costco' shopper says after calling self-checkout policy 'cheap' (2024)

FAQs

Why did Costco get rid of self-checkout? ›

In the summer of 2023, Costco began asking staffers to crack down on checking membership cards in self-checkout lines. One reason: an increase in "shrink," from theft or products selling for less than actual prices.

They'll probably get stopped at checkout

Even if you use self-checkout, you're going to have to scan a membership card. Plus, an employee may also check your card -- and the picture of you on it -- before you even start checking out. If the person doesn't match the picture on the card, they won't be able to check out.

Costco recently started asking for shoppers' membership cards along with a photo ID at the self-checkout registers, the same policy as regular checkout lanes, to crack down. "We don't feel it's right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members," Costco said in announcing the change.

The cost of a self-checkout machine varies widely depending on brand, features, and capacity. Basic models can range from $1,500 to $10,000, while more advanced systems with additional features like implementing RFID scanning or built-in scales can exceed $20,000.

Self-checkout, on the other hand, shifts the work to customers, making them feel less rewarded, the study found. “Extra effort required to checkout and bag purchases and the expectation of being served by the store were negative consequences of self-checkout and decreased loyalty to the store,” according to the study.

Still, rising theft — part of what retailers call "shrink" — is the primary reason self-checkout is being ditched in some stores and restricted in others, according to Saunders.

Rather, the reason Costco is cracking down on membership sharing boils down to wanting to make things fair and pleasant for existing customers. During the company's most recent earnings call, CFO Richard Galanti explained the company's stance by saying, "We also had complaints from members saying, 'I pay.

There is also a chance that the card could be confiscated, but Costco does not state any direct repercussions for card sharing on its website. However, you can still shop with a member as a guest at any Costco store and primary members can assign a free household card to one other person in their homes.

While Costco officially restricted food court access to members in 2020, the newly posted signs detailing store policy suggest tougher enforcement is needed. "Effective April 8, 2024, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court.

Can you pay cash at self-checkout at Costco? ›

Yes, Costco does take cash as a payment method.

We do this to double-check that the items purchased have been correctly processed by our cashiers. It's our most effective method of maintaining accuracy in inventory control, and it's also a good way to ensure that our members have been charged properly for their purchases.

On the shop floor of supermarkets there is one shoplifting tactic which has become so commonplace, staff have given it its own name. The “banana trick” consists of putting an item through a self-checkout as a cheap fruit or vegetable product and walking out with a much more expensive item.

The retailer joins Target, Dollar General and other chains in recalibrating its reliance on self-service and rethinking the checkout experience. This audio is auto-generated.

The technology has been viewed as a way to lower labor costs and improve efficiency by taking up less space than manned checkout registers, according to Neil Saunders, managing director of the analytics company GlobalData.

At self checkouts, the membership cards are checked before you step up to the register. If the card isn't yours, they'll ask if you have a membership, look up your membership on the computer if you said yes, get your membership number entered in and you can continue.

Safeway, which operates 918 stores throughout the U.S., will remove self-checkout facilities at some of its Bay Area stores, according to a report by KTVU Fox 2. The move follows other major retailers like Walmart who have reduced or removed self-service options from some stores.

Walmart is scaling back on its self-checkout machines at two stores, as more retail giants are reducing the self-service option at their stores, citing an effort to combat theft. A Walmart in a suburb of St. Louis, Mo, recently began removing self-checkout machines, CBS News reported on Friday.

However, some studies have found that self-checkout enables more customer theft. For instance, a 2023 LendingTree survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers found that 15% of self-checkout users purposely stole goods. Forty-four percent of self-checkout thieves also said they would do it again.