Like Netflix, Costco has supposedly become stricter in enforcing its no-membership-sharing policy in recent months. In some scenarios, customers who tried to use a family member’s card at the checkout said they could not complete their transactions.
Maybe not surprisingly, Angelo (@profitplug) believed this no-card-sharing policy is had gotten out of hand, a TikToker who shared how a woman was forced to leave the line when unable to pay and she tried using her son’s card.
The Policy Becomes a Serious Offense
Angelo’s TikTok post has now gone viral after releasing anecdotal proof that Costco stores are taking card sharing seriously.
In the video, Angelo likens Costco’s move to prohibit people sharing memberships to Netflix’s decision to prohibit people from sharing passwords.
The Comment Section Is Not Taking This Lightly
Many shoppers have been vocal via social media how this policy has brought irregularities when shopping. According to them, the rigorous requirements – even when “offenders” have valid credit cards – have resulted in delays.
In the comments section, people argued whether or not Costco’s plan to stop membership sharing was fair.
CNN Reports on the Netflix Policy
According to CNN, “Early results indicate Netflix’s new plan to boost its bottom line by cracking down on password sharing is working. The crackdown has resulted in a greater increase in new subscriber sign-ups than it did during the early days of the COVID epidemic.”
For Costco, greater enforcement of its card-sharing policy may result in more customers purchasing their own memberships, as this TikToker did.
Will The Backlash Be Enough to Prevent the Policy?
Historically, Costco does not go back on its mandates. Costco’s policy on card sharing is now a thing of concern. One Reddit user shared a picture Costco has portrayed to remind its shoppers.
Finally, in Costco’s defense, one of the comments from the viral TikTok video noted that not being able to share cards has always been a part of the Costco membership agreement: “That’s always been a rule; it’s been on the front of the membership this whole time, it’s on the contract you sign when you sign up.”
