A Costco Membership Card , Is Now Needed to Eat in Its Food Court.
Even though Costco limited food court access to members only in 2020, enforcement of that policy has been lax until now, CBS News reports. .
The wholesale store is cracking down to
make sure that outsiders can no longer access Costco's $1.50 hot dog combo, among other items.
Effective April 8, 2024, an active Costco
membership card will be required to
purchase items from our food court. , Via a sign seen at a Costco store in Orlando, Florida .
You can join today. Please see our
membership counter for details, Via a sign seen at a Costco store in Orlando, Florida .
Ultimately, Costco doesn't think it's fair for non-members to access perks intended for members.
We don't feel it's right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members, Costco, via statement.
Costco made such statements last year when it started requiring photo IDs to be presented with membership cards at self-checkouts.
In January, some stores began requiring
membership cards to be scanned at store entrances to limit non-member entry and membership sharing.
A basic Costco membership is $60 per year.
An executive membership, which offers
perks such as cash back, costs $120 per year.
In 2023, membership fees accounted for
73% of Costco's total profit, CBS News reports.