Costco Enforces Membership Requirement for Food Court Access

Starting April 8, Costco will require a membership card for food court purchases, aiming to preserve exclusive benefits for its members.

Costco to require membership cards for food court purchases starting April 8, 2024, aiming to ensure benefits for paying members only.
The policy change primarily targets locations with outdoor food courts, driven by member complaints about non-members accessing the budget-friendly options.
Despite the new requirement, Costco's popular $1.50 hot dog combo price will remain unchanged, maintaining a commitment from its co-founder.
Costco's membership fees, a significant source of its profit, help subsidize the low prices of its food court offerings.
The crackdown on non-member access is part of broader efforts to enforce membership benefits, including testing new technology for card verification.