Costco is cracking down on membership sharing. Here’s what to expect on your next visit

“Sharing is caring,” as the old saying goes — but Costco is urging customers to quit it when it comes to the company’s membership cards.

In fact, you might get carded on your next shopping trip.

The wholesale club is pushing back against membership sharing after an uptick in nonmember shoppers using cards that don’t belong to them at self-checkout, a Costco spokesperson told McClatchy News.

“Costco is able to keep our prices as low as possible because our membership fees help offset our operational expenses, making our membership fee and structure important to us,” the company said in a statement. “We don’t feel it’s right that non members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members.”

A basic Costco membership costs $60 per year with the option to add someone from your household, according to the club’s website. For $120 per year, a premium membership comes with the same, in addition to discounted services and rewards.

Going forward, members will be asked to flash their membership card when using the self-service checkout lanes, Costco said.

Shoppers whose cards don’t include a photo will be asked to show a photo ID.

“Last time I was in Costco here in DFW area last week, the employee manning the self-checkout line asked to see the picture on my membership card,” one shopper wrote on Twitter. “They never asked before.”

Costco is just the latest company to tamp down on membership sharing, taking a page from streaming giant Netflix’s book. The platform now requires users to pay extra if they want to share their password with someone outside of their household.

News of the Costco crackdown drew mixed reactions online.

“Mom has a Costco membership I went with her and wanted to pay for what she was getting,” but the store didn’t allow it, another shopper recalled. “Like bro I’m trying to do something nice for mom.”

Costco didn’t share additional information.

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