This Is What Costco Receipt Checkers Are Really Looking For

Can Costco employees really check everything in your cart against a receipt that fast? Nope—here's what they're doing.

Costco is a pretty magical place. Between the Kirkland products people rave about and Costco’s free samples, it’s the store to be. But after waiting in line and going through the checkout, having to stop for an employee to check your receipt is kind of a pain. Does Costco really need this extra layer of security?

Yes, it turns out. The receipt check helps reduce shoplifting, which in turn helps Costco keep prices low. It also ensures you’re not overpaying or underpaying for what’s in your cart.

Why does Costco check receipts?

To prevent shoplifting

If you’ve ever shopped at Costco, you know employees keep a close watch on the entrances and exits of the warehouse. Customers need to show proof of membership on the way in and walk out with receipts that match shopping carts. Costco CFO Richard Galanti says the store’s shrinkage rate—which includes shoplifting, cashier or administrative error and vendor fraud—has largely remained unchanged over the years, likely due to checking receipts.

But can a Costco employee really evaluate everything in a full cart in just a few seconds? In the past, rumors swirled about a “secret code” on receipts that employees look for. This Reddit thread from 2018 says that receipt checkers used to look for a two-digit code on the end of the member’s ID number that proved a receipt was printed that day. It would be impossible for shoplifters to reuse old receipts, because the code wouldn’t match the two-digit stamp assigned for that day.

However, after visiting a store multiple times in one day ourselves, we can confirm that this theory is not true. Costco receipt checkers give the receipt a quick scan, then slash it with a marker to make sure that receipt isn’t used again.

Here’s the secret: Costco employees aren’t looking too closely at your receipt vs. what’s in your cart. The slash is what helps deter future theft: You can’t reuse a marked receipt to steal a cartload of stuff on your next trip!

To check prices

Surprisingly, Costco receipt checkers do look at the prices. According to an article published by SFGate.com, employees check receipts to make sure that everything was properly scanned.

“It’s pretty simple,” Kevin Heuer, general manager of the Costco in San Francisco, told SFGate.com. “We want to make sure they’re not getting overcharged and they’re not getting undercharged. It’s not to target shoplifters. 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.”

Frequent Costco shoppers have confirmed this via Reddit, saying that receipt checkers have been able to catch when items have accidentally been scanned twice. “Sometimes they key in if you have multiples on the receipt, and verify you have two (or more) to make sure you weren’t double charged,” writes one Reddit user. “I’ve actually had them catch this for me once.”

Another Reddit user wrote, “One time I bought pastries and forgot that the price was for two, even though I only purchased one. The cashier didn’t realize it but the receipt checker did.”

Having your receipt checked may seem like an extra step, but it’s worth the wait.