Re: 🛒 Costco Is Ending Membership Sharing 🛒

tipsy · ‎03-11-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
@VanSleepy wrote:
A Costco member was always allowed to bring 1-2 nonmembers with them. So you could  "share" as long as you were present. Are they eliminating that?
@VanSleepy I walk in with my husband without showing my card, but I wouldn't be able to buy without showing my card. You always showed your card when buying at the regular checkout. In fact, they take it kand hold onto it until your purchase is completed. Whether they checked the card to make sure the picture matched I wouldn't know.

So, the person bringing the non-member into the store would have to buy the mdse for them.

@Icegoddess When a member brings a non-member in they would only have to buy the merchandise if a CC was used because the membership name & CC name must match. But if the non-member uses cash or a debit card they can purchase the item(s) as long as the member accompanies them.. I did this for my neighbor, brought her in, she bought a TV & used her debit card.

As far as the gas pumps, my Costco has the fob option & you can have the fob(s), as many as you want, connected to your CC. Gas fob-users do not need to be members because no card is involved, you just wave the fob in front of the reader. I have extra fobs & let my kids borrow one to fill up their tank when they visit.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@VanSleepy It's been a long time since we joined, so I forgot exactly what the process was.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@tipsy no fobs here that I know of.

VanSleepy · ‎10-05-2010

Sorry my initial post was confusing - I've been a Costco member for many years so I know how it all works ☺

I've brought a nonmember friend with me on a few occasions and we were always allowed to separate the orders and pay separately. Maybe it depends on the location or mood of the cashier.

panda1234 · ‎04-27-2015

@Luvsmyfam wrote:
@MG Chris I've wanted a membership card to Sam's and Cosco,but justify it being by myself.I really enjoy shopping,but can't see myself buying anything in bulk

@Luvsmyfam @you would be surprised, nonparishables don't have to be purchased as often. Who can beat a $5.00 rotisserie chicken?

NicksmomESQ · ‎08-19-2014

@Icegoddess wrote:
@NicksmomESQ wrote:
@VanSleepy wrote:
A Costco member was always allowed to bring 1-2 nonmembers with them. So you could "share" as long as you were present. Are they eliminating that?
@VanSleepy As far as I know you can have a free membership for someone else who lives in your household. So my DH & I share a membership, & that is totally allowed. We each have our own picture ID cards.
I think you're asking if a member can bring a non member into Costco with them to shop, as long as the member is there.My answer is you probably still can,because you are with the member,who is likely considered the one doing the shopping.

The issue with the membership, is that members are giving their second cards to people who don't live in their households & don't have their own ID cards.Some of the people getting the second cards don't even live in the same state as the cardholder.
@NicksmomESQ I'm not even sure that's it. You don't automatically get a 2nd card. You have to go and add the person who has to be there to get their picture taken and put on the card. I'm not sure what they do to verify that the 2nd person is actually living at the same address, probably nothing. So, you could get away with giving that 2nd card to your son or daughter who, in my case, lives across town. They're simply now checking to make sure the picture on the card matches the person doing the buying. So, apparently, members are allowing others to borrow their card and shop using it.

Those pictures are so bad and mine hasn't been updated since I got my card, so it may be more a case of scaring people than actually verifying. However, when it happened to me last week, I was already at the scanner and I just handed her both cards (membership and credit) since they were together in my back pocket, so they may be verifying that the name on the card matches the credit card being used. People may lend their membership cards, but not many people are going to lend out their credit cards.

@Icegoddess I got my membership card many years ago & my picture isn't on it. My picture is on my credit card. My husband is the account owner & we mailed in our application & got both cards with our names on it, in the mail.It must have been 30 years ago & we were sponsored by my husband's employer at the time, who paid the yearly fee.

We were never asked to get new cards & we're in Costco every few weeks.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@VanSleepy wrote:
A Costco member was always allowed to bring 1-2 nonmembers with them. So you could "share" as long as you were present. Are they eliminating that?

This is not about having a guest join you and you use your privileges to assist them, it's about giving someone else your membership card so they can avail themselves of the benefits without you being there.

Personally, I would do a friend in the first scenario a favor once or twice, but after that I would feel taken advantage of and tell them it's time for them to get their own membership.

VanSleepy · ‎10-05-2010

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@VanSleepy wrote:
A Costco member was always allowed to bring 1-2 nonmembers with them. So you could "share" as long as you were present. Are they eliminating that?
This is not about having a guest join you and you use your privileges to assist them, it's about giving someone else your membership card so they can avail themselves of the benefits without you being there.

Personally, I would do a friend in the first scenario a favor once or twice, but after that I would feel taken advantage of and tell them it's time for them to get their own membership.

I don't mind bringing a friend so they can shop for items that may not be available elsewhere or to save some money, but I mind it because I much prefer to shop alone!