This checkout trick at Costco could save you lots of time

I have a Costco membership, just like it seems everyone in Jersey does. It’s a good way to save money as long as you’re buying in bulk the items you really will use a lot of. Those 10-pound jars of walnuts, maybe not so much.

It’s convenient, the one I go to has wide aisles, and who can beat that $1.50 hot dog soda combo?

But when I get to the checkout lanes, that’s where I feel claustrophobic. The faster I get out of there at that point the better, but it’s always longer than we’d like it to be.

Costco testing “pre-scan” checkout to speed up lines

Well, here’s a nice hack they’re starting to try out in certain Costco stores and I hope it spreads to all of them.

It’s called “pre-scan,” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. They scan your stuff before you even get to the register.

While you’re standing there inching forward in line, a Costco employee comes up, scans your membership card and everything in your cart right then and there. So by the time you finally reach the front, you’re basically done already. You just scan your card again, tap your payment, and you’re out.

Will Costco bring this to New Jersey?

We’re talking potentially as little as eight seconds to finish the transaction once you hit the register.

Costco has been testing this out in different parts of the country, including stores in places like North Carolina and even near their headquarters out in Washington state. Early feedback has been pretty strong, with the company saying it’s improving the flow of traffic and moving lines faster.

Now here’s the part that matters to us in Jersey. Will it remain only a pilot program, or will they roll this out to Costco locations across our state? Let's hope, because early returns have so far been positive.

Is it perfect yet? Not exactly.

Some people say there are kinks, like missed scans or confusion in line. But even if it just shaves a few minutes off that end-of-trip bottleneck, I’m all in.

Honestly, the only thing standing between me and that sweet parking lot escape is the checkout line. And if Costco really can turn that into an eight-second goodbye, then I say bring it!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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