Big Change for Costco Shoppers in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota

For years, Costco shoppers have been able to breeze into their local warehouse with a casual flash of their membership card to a store employee manning the front entrance.

That's about to change.

Shoppers at the chain's more than 600 locations across America, including 15 stores in South Dakota (1), Iowa (4), and Minnesota (10), will now be required to have their card physically scanned as they enter the warehouse.

Costco has confirmed the new policy on their website's customer service page:

'Over the coming months, membership scanning devices will be used at the entrance door of your local warehouse. 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 must also be accompanied by a valid member for entry. If you have any questions or concerns, there will always be an attendant at the door to assist you! *If your membership is inactive, expired, or you would like to sign up for a new membership, the attendant will ask that you stop by the membership counter prior to entering the warehouse to shop.'

Costco is also shoppers who do not have a membership card that features a photo will need to show your valid photo ID to gain entry into the warehouse.

The move comes as the chain continues to crackdown on some members sharing their privileges with non-members, which has spiked since the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Last year, Costco began requiring shoppers to present their membership card and a photo ID to use the registers in the self-checkout lanes.