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The ways to shop at Costco WITHOUT a membership as retailer cracks down
Costco, the king of membership-based warehouse chains, has been cracking down on non-members accessing its discount stores.
The wholesale retailer, whose membership prices will increase in September, recently announced that shoppers will soon have to scan their physical membership card as they enter its store.
In addition they will also have to visually match the photo that will come up for the scanned card.
The scanners, which have already been spotted in some California locations, are an attempt to stop bargain-hunters borrowing a friends membership card without paying the annual fee themselves.
However, savvy shoppers can still find way around the new measures, according to Lifehacker blog.
Costco is cracking down on membership
1. Costco gift cards
Costco gift cards can be purchased by any existing member but spent by anyone.
Gift cards can be purchased in person at stores or on the Costco website.
Once inside you can pay for Costco goods with any payment method of your choosing.
In theory this means you can use a $25 gift card to get through the door but buy as much as you want at checkout.
2. Buddy up with a card-carrying member
One of the most simple ways to avoid having to fork out for your own membership is to go to the store with a friend who already has one.
Once you're in the warehouse you can browse the aisles and then pay for the items at the checkout.
3. Shop online
Although there is a small surcharge, Costco offers lots of great deals to non-members online.
Skip the hassle of trying to duck and dive into the store and browse the site at leisure.
A TikToker also encouraged those without a membership to purchase Costco products on Instacart, a grocery delivery and pick-up service.
'I just wanted to show that you can use Instacart Costco without a membership,' Tiff Bish said in the video before walking viewers through the steps.
'You just click through, click continue, then click no thanks about the membership, and then you're good,' she said in the video which has been viewed more than 500,000 times.
4. Visit the pharmacy or Costco Optical
Costco offers lots of great-value services that do not actually require membership to take advantage of.
Costco's pharmacy, optical department, and food court are all open to non-members.
So you can enjoy a $1.50 hot dog and soda while popping in for an eye test.
Costco.com offers lots of discount deals to non-members for a small surcharge
The wholesale retailers pharmacy is available to non-members
Costco's executive membership will increase by $10 to $130 a year in September
Costco's membership prices are set for their first hike since June 2017.
The chain's standard membership will go up by $5 a year taking it from $60 to $65.
The Executive level - which offers a 2 percent rebate on all Costco purchases made that year up to a total of $750 - will increase by $10 to $130 a year.
In the three months ending ending February 18, Costco generated $1.11 billion in membership fees - that was almost 2 percent of its total revenue for the quarter.
It means Costco nets around $4 billion-plus a year from the fees - a figure that will likely go up with the increase.