Costco hiking membership fee next month, testing card scanners in these parts of Canada

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Sorry, Costco card moochers — the big box warehouse is officially cracking down on membership sharing in Canada.

Earlier this year, Canadian shoppers began spotting membership card scanners in several locations nationwide.

This means shoppers need to scan their membership card instead of just showing it to an employee at the entrance.

In an email to Daily Hive on Monday, a Costco spokesperson confirmed that the retailer is testing scanners in the Ottawa, Edmonton, Regina, and BC Lower Mainland locations.

The spokesperson cited a page on the store’s site notifying customers of how the scanners will work.

“Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse,” reads the notice. “Once deployed, prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner.”

Guests will need to be accompanied by a valid member for entry, and if your membership card doesn’t have a photo, you’ll need to show a valid photo ID.

Costco began testing the membership scanners at entrances in the US earlier this year.

If your city has been spared so far from these scanners, one photo shared on Reddit of a card scanner at a Costco in Washington State gives a sneak peek of what it will look like.

Costco

A Costco membership scanner at the entrance of a warehouse in Issaquah, Washington (mike753951/Reddit)

The Costco spokesperson gave no further details as to whether these scanners will be implemented across all locations in Canada.

There have been mixed reviews about the scanners online.

One person on X says the backup it’s causing is making them reconsider their membership.

Another shopper in California supports the scanners and says they’ve experienced no delays.

If you live in BC and are wondering if you can still access the iconic $1.50 Costco hotdogs without a membership, you’re in luck. One Vancouver location has a workaround for non-members.

This isn’t the only way the retailer has tried to snuff out card sharing in the last few years.

Last summer, Costco told Daily Hive that it was cracking down on membership sharing by asking customers to show their Costco cards at its self-service checkout registers.

“We don’t feel it’s right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” the spokesperson said. A basic membership costs $60 a year, or $120 a year for an Executive membership, but that’s about to change.

Costco membership fee increase

For the first time in years, Costco will be hiking its annual membership fees.

The increase will apply to members in the US and Canada and will come into effect on September 1, 2024.

According to Costco, its current Gold Star membership will increase from $60 to $65 per year, and its higher-tier Executive Membership will jump from $120 to $130 annually.

The company noted that the maximum annual 2% reward for the Executive Membership will also increase from $1,000 to $1,250.

Costco added that the change will impact 52 million memberships, “a little over half of which are Executive.” There are currently 108 locations in Canada.

This is the first membership price hike Costco has implemented since June 2017.

For those hoping to get a membership before the price hike, Costco is currently offering Canadian customers a limited-time deal on the Gold Star and Executive tiers.

The offer expires on September 1, 2024, when the membership price hike will come into effect.

With files from Simran Singh

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