Have You Been Sharing a Costco Membership? Here Are Your Options Now That Costco Is Cracking Down

Costco memberships provide a great value for many people, as the warehouse club's discounted prices enable you to keep your credit card bills down by taking advantage of the store's good deals.

Some people have been taking advantage of Costco bargains without their own memberships, though -- generally by borrowing a card belonging to a member and using it at self-checkout.

Costco is aiming to put an end to this practice now by asking to see a Costco card with a photo on it at self-checkout registers. For cards without a photo, the warehouse club will be asking for an additional form of photo identification.

With Costco now making sharing memberships impossible, those who have been taking this approach to warehouse shopping will need to explore the other options available to them. Here are a few of them.

1. Share one card with a household member

Although sharing with people outside of your household is a no-no, Costco does allow you to provide account access to one other person. Specifically, both primary and affiliate members are given a single free Household Card that can be used by anyone age 16 and over who lives at their address.

Don't assume you can give this single card to a friend or loved one who lives elsewhere, though. The Costco website makes clear that the shopper who is using the household card may be required to provide proof that their address is the same as the primary or affiliate account holder's address.

2. Account sharers can go shopping together

Although Costco members cannot give a card to someone outside of their household, there's no rule that says they can't bring a friend with them when they shop. Non-members who were previously sharing cards with Costco members can simply tag along with the member and have the member check them out.

The member does have to pay, though. Fortunately, it's easy enough for the friend who comes along to send over the money they spend on Costco goods from their checking account using services like Zelle or Venmo.

This is one of the few options for getting around the rule that says only household members can share cards. If you and a friend or loved one were splitting a membership to save money and you want to continue to do so despite living at different addresses, this is likely the approach you will need to take.

3. Each household can purchase their own membership

Finally, the last available option is for each separate household to simply have their own membership. So, if you were getting a card from a friend and can't do so any longer, you'll need to decide if getting a Costco membership of your own is worth it for your personal finances.

Costco memberships start at $60 annually for the Gold Star membership or $120 for the Executive membership. And, there are periodic promotions that allow you to get a gift card with membership, which can effectively reduce the annual cost.

If you shop at Costco often with your shared card, this approach may just be your best bet so you can ensure you continue to get access to the products you love at Costco's affordable prices.