If you've spent hours of your life in the Costco checkout line, you need to read this.
Costco Is Testing Out a New Feature That Would Speed Up Checkout Times—Here’s What to Know
Published on Jun. 03, 2025
When you consider that Costco has close to 143 million members, it stands to reason that its checkout lines may be a little slow, even when you’re savvy about the Costco checkout process. That’s a lot of people all trying to buy their favorite warehouse club must-haves. But—good news—in an effort to speed things up, Costco is considering a major change at checkout, something their competitor Sam’s Club is already doing.
Yes, as if a Costco membership wasn’t already worth it, now the retailer is trying to make it even easier for you to shop there. But will these changes work … or just confuse customers? We’re about to find out because Costco is testing this newness in select markets. Let’s dig into how checkout is going to look a little different at Costco going forward.
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What change is Costco making that would speed up checkout?
Some Costco locations are already seeing Scan-and-Go options for a speedier checkout experience. As Costco membership grows, the company’s leadership is fully aware it needs to enhance the member experience by making it as seamless as possible.
“Digital and technology are important parts of our future growth, and we’re investing to improve the member experience,” said Costco CEO Ron Vachris during a May 29 earnings call to discuss the retailer’s third quarter. “In our warehouses, we continue to work on opportunities to further improve the member experience. Please be on the lookout for several new technology pilots we are focusing on to help our members check out at a faster pace.”
Later, during a question-and-answer session, Vachris acknowledged that the Scan-and-Go testing has been extremely successful so far in moving people through lines and expediting transactions at select locations where the program is being piloted.
“We’ve seen some very, very early results that have been positive, and there’s been great adoption from our members,” he said. “Our operations team is really working on the front ends, and we know there are many benefits to that part of the Costco experience of moving people through much better. It really is using the digital enhancements we have available today.”
How does the Scan-and-Go feature work?
According to a Reddit thread about Costco Scan-and-Go, a customer was approached by a Costco employee who offered to use his tablet-connected scanner to pre-scan their cart.
“Was honestly pretty nifty because it basically queued up my entire cart and I didn’t have to unload my cart, just handed the checker my membership card for her to bring up the order,” says Redditor Talrynn_Sorrowyn. “Tapped my debit card to pay and went straight to the exit with a receipt.”
Ultimately, however, it appears that this is only the beginning of Costco’s attempts at Scan-and-Go. Think of it as a warmup for customers to get used to the idea before putting all the power in their hands. At that time, there will be a QR code to scan when you enter the warehouse to sign up for this type of checkout option.
Note that some items cannot be purchased using Scan-and-Go, similar to the items you can’t buy at self-checkout in a regular grocery store. These include alcohol, tobacco, prepaid cards and hazardous items.
Sam’s Club’s Scan-and-Go technology offers a hint
Over at Sam’s Club, a Costco competitor, the Scan-and-Go technology looks a bit different than what the Redditor above describes. As you’re loading items into your cart, you can scan them with the Sam’s Club app on your phone. Each time you scan an item, you hear a beep from your phone to let you know it was successfully scanned.
Once you’ve scanned everything in your cart, the app asks you to double-check the number of items. Then, after you tap “confirm,” you pay for everything within your app as long as you have a card saved in your account.
After you click “pay,” you receive a QR code in the Sam’s Club app, which you’ll need to show to the door checkers before exiting so they can scan it to confirm your purchases and allow you to exit the building with your cartful of items.
Where is Costco testing Scan-and-Go?
Costco hasn’t shared an official list of the test stores where Scan-and-Go is currently an option, but it’s rumored to be available at the Issaquah, Washington, warehouse, the location closest to Costco’s headquarters.
When is Scan-and-Go expected to roll out nationally?
This remains to be seen, as the pilot testing has really only been underway for a short time. However, given Costco’s dedication to improving the in-warehouse experience, expect it to be sooner rather than later. On Costco’s third quarter earnings call, chief financial officer Gary Millerchip said that about half its members have downloaded the Costco app. With that in mind, expect to see a heavier Costco app push in order to make Scan-and-Go the efficient success we all want it to be.
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Sources:
- Costco Wholesale: 3rd Quarter, FY 2025 Supplemental Information
- Costco Wholesale: Costco Wholesale Corporation Fiscal Q3 2025 Conference Call
- Smart Family Money: How to Use Sam’s Club Scan-and-Go
- Reddit: Costco is testing Scan & Go
