A membership at Costco is well worth the money when you shop for groceries in bulk. The savings on bulk goods can often offset the cost of membership within only a few trips to the warehouse.
If you do your family grocery shopping at Costco, or if you have friends that would like to use the membership, you’ve probably wondered if you can use someone else’s Costco card. Costco membership conditions claim that the membership is non-transferrable, but there are ways that you can get around this…
Can You Use Someone Else’s Costco Card?
You cannot use someone else’s Costco card. However, an existing Costco member can bring up to two guests with them when they shop. Purchases are still limited to the membership holder.
Keep reading to find details on using someone else’s Costco card, as well as general information on the Costco membership conditions and regulations.
Can You Use Someone Else’s Costco Card at Self Checkout?
Since the self checkout terminals do not have individual attendants, you might be tempted to try using someone else’s Costco card at the self checkout. According to reports on Reddit and elsewhere, this is not recommended. Using someone else’s card is still against the rules.
You cannot use someone else’s Costco card at self checkout. The name associated with the payment method must match the name registered on the Costco card. Some associates may allow a guest to purchase items through the self-checkout if the card holder is present.
Ultimately, whether or not you can purchase items yourself as a guest with a Costco member will depend on how strict the local managers and associates are. Some of them will allow guests to pay for items with their own payment methods.
You can always allow the membership owner to pay for the items themselves and then transfer them the money afterward. Remember to hold on to the receipt so you can tell how much the items cost.
Can My Husband Use My Costco Card Without Me?
Some Costco members may be unclear about Costco’s policy on family members using a Costco membership. In general, individual memberships are non-transferable. However, it is possible for primary members or account managers to extend their card to another member of their household.
Your husband cannot use your Costco card without you under normal circumstances. However, you can sign into your account on Costco.com and extend your membership to one other person from your household.
To change your Costco membership account settings, you can sign in and visit the Account Details page on Costco.com.
Can I Use My Parents’ Costco Card?
Likewise, if your parents have a Costco membership, you may be under the impression that you can shop with the card on their behalf. Unfortunately, since Costco memberships are non-transferable, this puts your parents at risk of having their membership revoked.
You cannot use your parents’ Costco card. However, they can bring you with them to shop as a guest, or they can extend their membership to include you through their account settings on Costco.com.
Guests are not permitted to make purchases when shopping with members at Costco. However, the membership owner can purchase your items on your behalf and allow you to pay them later in order to get around this limitation.
As mentioned above, adding household members to your card can be done through the Account Details page on Costco.com.
How to Add Someone to Costco Membership?
As a primary member or account manager, you can add one person from your household to your Costco membership from the Account Details page on Costco.com.
To add someone to Costco membership:
- Sign in to your account at Costco.com
- Navigate to the Account Details page
- Assign your free household card to a family member of your choosing
- The free household member may pick up their Costco card at the membership counter of any Costco location
In order to qualify as a free household member, a person must be over 18 years of age, and residing at the same address as the primary member. Business account holders may add additional free household members by paying additional fees.
For more information on the membership conditions at Costco, you can visit the Membership Conditions and Regulations page at Costco.com.
Can You Use Someone Else’s Costco Card Online?
Just like with self checkout, members may be tempted to try and let others use their Costco membership to shop online. However, as with other methods, the Costco card is non-transferable.
You cannot use someone else’s Costco card online. However, the membership owner may purchase items online on your behalf and have them shipped to your address. That being said, only the actual member will have access to customer services like refunds.
Attempting to use another person’s Costco membership, whether online or in person, is against the Costco membership conditions. Abuse may result in your membership being revoked.
Can You Be Banned for Using Someone Else’s Card?
If you want to try and use someone else’s membership card at Costco, it’s important to know the risks. Costco membership conditions clearly state that membership is non-transferable.
You will not be banned from Costco for using someone else’s card. However, the actual membership owner may face repercussions as a result, such as having their membership revoked.
If your membership has been revoked, you may need to contact customer support in order to reactivate your account. It is at the discretion of the membership staff at Costco whether or not they reinstate your membership.
Want to learn more about Costco? Check out these related posts to learn when does Costco restock, does Costco accept coupons and does Costco take EBT?
Conclusion…
Shopping at Costco can be convenient and save you a lot of money in the long run. However, Costco shoppers must have a membership in order to make purchases, and Costco is fairly strict about this policy.
Primary members may add free household members to their card by visiting their account details page on Costco.com. Free household members must be over 18 years of age and residing at the same address as the Primary member. Failure to comply with membership policies may result in your membership being revoked.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away in the comments section.