The Real Reason Costco Checks Your Receipt When You're Leaving
Costco exterior
In June, Costco showed it meant business when news of a card-sharing crackdown made headlines. Nationwide, members had to show their cards when entering and at the check-out.
When leaving, shoppers are asked to show something else: A receipt. The whole practice can feel ridiculous. A Costco employee scans the receipt. Yet, as members know, calling a trip to a local warehouse a "Costco haul" is a massive understatement. Costco is loved for its gigantic bulk items like whole chickens and 18-count egg cartons. Is it actually possible to check the receipt twice and determine if a shopper has been naughty or nice (read: Not paid for everything in their cart)?
Not really, but it is a layer of protection for the store—and even you. Here are the biggest reasons Costco checks receipts at the door, including ones that'll leave you grateful for the inconvenience (hear us out).
Related: Costco's Delicious New Holiday Cake Has Shoppers Going Wild
Why Costco Checks Receipts At the Door
1. To prevent receipt reuse
Costco employees aren't necessarily checking to ensure that everything in your cart is on the receipt in a matter of moments. They're a talented bunch, but they're not superhuman. The real trick is in the slash they draw on receipts after checking. This mark makes it basically impossible to reuse a receipt for a future haul.
2. To make sure you paid for certain items
While Costco employees can't check the entire receipt, they are looking for a few specific items.
In 2019, a Costco employee told Business Insider they also checked for initials on big-ticket items like jewelry, stamps and anything over $300. These buys needed a supervisor's initials. They also check for under-the-cart items like massive packages of tissue boxes and water.
The point is not to catch people red-handed, though.
"It’s not to target shoplifters," Kevin Heuer, a general manager of the Costco in San Francisco, told SFGate.com in 2018. "Invariably, that could happen without someone paying for something, but if there’s an extra item in their basket, that’s not their fault. That’s our fault. Sometimes checkers forget to ring up items placed on the bottom of the basket.”
Related: The 10 December Costco Finds Everyone's Talking About
3. Because Costco has your back
The receipt check isn't just to ensure you paid for everything but rather to make sure you paid the correct price for your items. Per the website, "It’s also a good way to ensure that our members have been charged properly for their purchases.."
In other words, Costco doesn't want you getting overcharged.
“We want to make sure they’re not getting overcharged, and they’re not getting undercharged," Heuer confirmed to SFGate.com. "It’s not to target shoplifters."
How Checking Your Costco Receipt Can Help You
Costco's website lists "inventory control" as a reason for the post-check-out receipt check. It appears to be an effective strategy. While other big-box retailers like Target and Walmart are reporting losses because of theft, Costco is not.
"We haven't seen any major change in shrinkage," Costco CFO Richard Galanti said in an earnings call. "We've been fortunate in that regard."
Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
Up Next: Shoppers Are Calling Costco's Tasty New Dessert 'Incredible'
