Costco confirms testing of ‘scan-and-go’ checkout technology to speed up long lines

Costco has been testing checkout technology it hopes will speed up the checkout process, something members rank as one of their significant concerns with the warehouse retailer. 

CEO Ron Vachris said last week during the company’s third-quarter earnings call that Costco has “engaged in some ‘Scan & Go done by Costco’ kind of tests.” 

The technology has “been extremely successful in moving people through the lines and expediting the transactions,” according to the Costco exec. 

“We’ve seen some very, very early results have been very positive and great adoption from our members, seeing that as well,” Vachris told analysts and investors. 

Scan-and-go is something that Costco fans on social media have long said they wanted the retailer to bring to its stores, with some noting Walmart-owned competitor Sam’s Club offers it. 

COSTCO MEMBERS HAVE A 2025 WISH LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS THEY’D LIKE TO SEE

All Costco locations have traditional checkout lanes with registers that members go through to purchase items. Some also have self-checkout, according to Costco’s website. 

At Sam’s Club, customers have the option to use “Scan & Go” — they scan items as they shop and pay for them through an app with a worker scanning the digital receipt at the door. The company has started rolling out technology that uses an AI scanner to verify goods as customers leave, eliminating the need for receipt checks at the door. 

SAM’S CLUB PHASING OUT CHECKOUTS, BETTING BIG ON AI SHOPPING

Meanwhile, another warehouse retailer — BJ’s Wholesale — has “ExpressPay” that enables members to “skip the line and scan items through the BJ’s App as they shop to make checkout even faster,” according to its website. BJ’s customers using “ExpressPay” pay in the app and show their QR code receipt at the door. 

FOX Business reached out to Costco for comment on its “scan and go” tests. 

Vachris said last week that Costco “continue[s] to work on opportunities to further improve the member experience,” telling analysts and investors to be “on the lookout for several new technology pilots we are focusing on to help our members check out through our front end at a faster pace.” 

COSTCO SEES RECORD FUEL SALES AFTER EXTENDING GAS STATION HOURS 

Asked about “scan and go” during a past company’s earnings call in December, he said the company does hear about the technology occasionally.

He said at the time that self-checkout “has been a great option for our members, and we focus on that” but that the company was “going to keep an eye out there on technology and make sure that we’re doing our part to keep the experience as strong as we can for our members.” 

As of late May, Costco had 905 locations around the world that its over 142.8 million membership cardholders can shop at.

Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.