Costco recently updated its iOS app to add a Digital Membership Card for the first time, allowing customers to enter the store and make purchases without the need to have a physical card.

Costco has long had an iOS app, but the app did not include support for adding a digital version of the Costco membership card, instead requiring customers to present their actual cards for purchases.

costcodigitalmembership
According to a Reddit thread from May, Costco began testing the new Digital Membership Card in October with employees, and announced its upcoming rollout in the spring.

To use the Digital Membership Card, Costco customers can download the Costco app and sign into their Costco.com accounts to verify their membership. Once that's done, the Digital Membership Card is available through the new "Membership" tab in the app.

Along with offering a QR code that can be scanned at Costco, the Membership section of the app allows Executive Members to view their two percent reward balance and renew their memberships online.

The Costco Digital Membership app can't be added to the Apple Wallet app at this time unfortunately, but because Costco does accept Apple Pay, the addition of the Digital Membership Card to the Costco app allows customers to shop with just a smartphone. The Digital Card can be used to verify membership, while ‌Apple Pay‌ can be used for purchases.

(Thanks, Errin!)

Tag: Costco

Top Rated Comments

RVijay007 Avatar
83 months ago
Great! Now just tell me where stuff is in the store via the app! I hate it when they move staples I always get!!!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F1Turbo Avatar
83 months ago
But still need physical card for gas pumps?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
travoose Avatar
83 months ago
They key is being able to add these cards to the Wallet app. Sheetz and others are the same way, I can scan a code in the Sheetz app and then pay with Apple Pay, but I still need my phone, because of this...I’d rather have it all on my watch, so I can carry less.

If you have seen how Panera implements this then you know it can be done, and Panera even has it setup that it automatically pulls up the rewards card when you go to pay. This should be forced on developers when submitting these category apps.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Böhme417 Avatar
83 months ago
The only credit card you can use at Costco is specifically the Costco Visa. Other than that, you're limited to debit cards.

Back when the Costco card was affiliated with American Express, I was able to use both Visa and Mastercard branded debit cards (my bank switched from one to the other)... so I'd expect that to still be true. But nowadays I just use the Costco Visa and just make sure I pay it off every month, since their interest rates are stupidly high.
This is not true. US stores take any Visa card or any debit card by PIN when inserting.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icaras Avatar
83 months ago
Not a Costco member myself but this is great news.

come on DMV....driver licenses next please!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
83 months ago
The proof of insurance thing is just an excuse to write another ticket anyway. All modern police departments punch your license plate into their mobile data terminal before they get out of the car and it checks DMV records right then. It also tells them if the car is associated with a wanted murderer or child abduction. Some even have ANPR cameras that do it completely automatically. Same thing with scanning your driver's license, any warrants will pop up.

I remember about 10 years ago, the local cops had to do all this over voice radio, so it was up to them to decide whether it was worth running your plate and license or not.
I jinxed myself, I literally was leaving the office after typing all of this and got pulled over! Doh!!!
[doublepost=1564011015][/doublepost]
Agreed. I am looking at the "Membership" section of the Costco app and all it has are:

* Member Number
* Since Date
* Expiration Date
* Member Portrait
* Member QR code

The Wallet app can easily accommodate all of these fields.
Screenshot the QR code. Wait a few hours or a day, re-open the app. You’ll notice the QR code is different. I’ve uploaded what happened with mine.

They do this to prevent you from sharing screenshots of your card to your friends, requiring they pony up for their own membership.

Notice the top of the QR code is different. In the screenshot version vs the regular version.

Attachment Image
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...