PSA: Having Your Costco Card Ready Keeps The Line Moving For Everyone

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Whether you're stocking up your fridge with Costco's low-priced, high-quality meat or just picking up Costco Oreos, which are better than grocery store Oreos, you're inevitably going to find yourself in a checkout line at the end of your shopping trip. Because most shoppers tend to do weeks' or months' worth of shopping whenever they visit the warehouse chain, those checkout lines can be slow. While there's nothing that can be done about how much people buy in one go, there are ways to get that line moving faster. For one, keep your Costco membership card ready to scan when you get to the cashier. It might seem trivial, but this small gesture doesn't just make things easier for those behind you; it also speeds up your checkout process.

A Costco trip, especially one with a long shopping list, is best done with a bit of planning, and having your Costco membership card handy should be part of that plan. This is all the more prudent now that all Costco outlets require shoppers to show their cards at the entrance as part of the company's strategy to cut down on membership sharing. Over the approximately 30 trips a year that the average member makes to a Costco store, these little time savers can add up to a good chunk of time. Best of all, you can use this time to pick up the legendary $1.50 hot dog and soda combo or sample the other best-ranked food offerings from the Costco food court.

Considering that it's next to impossible to find a parking spot near a Costco entrance, the walk from your car to the store is a good time to get your membership card out. You're going to need it once when you enter and then once again at the checkout counter. Therefore, instead of putting it back into your bag or wallet, keep it in your pocket. Better yet, get a retractable clip for your Costco membership card, which you can wear during your shopping trip. Alternatively, you can pull up a digital membership card on the Costco phone app, but make sure you have the app open before getting to the scanner, or else you'll risk holding up the line as you wait for the app to load.

You can also save a lot of time by planning your shopping trips. Considering you'll have to stand in line the same amount of time irrespective of whether you buy a few things or a lot, try to minimize your number of Costco visits by stocking up in one go. You can always use stackable bins and airtight containers at home to store bulk food items from Costco. Timing when you go is also useful since Costco outlets have slow and rush periods. Weekends will almost always be busy, while afternoons in the middle of the week tend to have light crowds. For even better chances at getting shorter lines, ask the staff at your local Costco about when that particular outlet has light footfall and plan your visit accordingly.