Costco Doubles Down on Big Changes Soon Affecting Michigan Stores

It's been nearly a year since Costco began taking a Netflix-esque approach when it comes to membership sharing, and now the company is doubling down on those efforts. Michigan Costco shoppers, get ready, because shopping just got a lot more tedious.

If you're new to the Costco shopping experience or missed the efforts Costco began implementing last year, their approach was rather simple: make sure members, not friends and family of members, are reaping the benefits of a Costco membership.

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Costco cracked down on self-checkout loopholes and implemented AI technology while pushing members to share their membership with "Household" tier memberships only.

That parlayed into Costco using membership scanners before entry at select locations, and if your membership card didn't include a photo ID, you'd have to provide personal identification.

Now, Costco has gone a step further to make sure members aren't sharing their membership outside of Costco's approval by taking that tactic national.

Costco posted this message on its website:

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.

The change will soon be in effect nationwide, including all 16 Michigan locations.

While it could seem like even more of a hassle, in reality, it may help speed up checkout lines. Checkout clerks and self-checkout kiosks won't have to ask for your membership card or ID again since only those who pass the entry checkpoint can get in.

Either way, it appears Costco is going to get its way by making sure you aren't sharing your membership with anyone anymore.