Non-Costco members will no longer be able to buy the $1.50 hot dog and soda combos, and this time, the company really means it.
That’s because some Costco stores announced that they will begin checking membership cards at its food courts starting April 8.
A recent social media post on the Reddit page showed a photo of a sign restricting access to the food court for non-Costco members.
“Effective April 8, 2024, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court,” the sign reads at a Costco store in Orlando, Florida, hinting at future restrictions on non-members’ access to the food court.
Costco officially restricted non-members’ access to its food courts in 2020, but the latest sign shows the company’s increased emphasis on membership card possession.
The Glendale Costco has already implemented kiosks that require shoppers to scan their membership card and pay for their food before they can pick it up, effectively making Costco food courts off-limits to non-members.
The company also began operating a new system in January that requires membership card scanning at the entrance of some stores to crack down on membership sharing and non-member access to stores.
It’s a self-help measure designed by the company to increase paid memberships and boost company profits. Last year, Costco’s membership revenue brought in about $4.6 billion, or 73% of its total revenue.
A basic membership costs $60 a year, while an executive membership, which includes benefits like 2% cash back rewards, costs $120 a year.
“We don’t feel it’s right for non-members to receive the same benefits and prices as our members,” said Costco. The warehouse store will begin requiring photo ID in addition to membership cards at self-checkout lanes this summer.
BY EUNYOUNG LEE, HOONSIK WOO [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
