They’re often treated like mall cops and met with eye-rolls — but Costco’s door receipt checkers may be doing more than just slowing you down on the way out.
Turns out, the employees many shoppers love to hate are actually saving people money.
Costco members are sharing surprising stories of how receipt checkers have caught errors and saved them cash — sometimes more than $40 in a single visit.
One viral Reddit post praised a worker who noticed a shopper had been charged for a three-pack of houseplants at $16.99 each, even though they only grabbed two.
‘At the exit when my receipt was checked, the employee hesitated and said, ‘You only got two plants but you paid for a 3-pack,’ the shopper wrote.
‘He called someone over, refunded the extra, and I got the third plant. THIS is why they check receipts.’
Other Costco members quickly piled on with their own examples: ‘They’ve caught accidental double scans before — saved me $45 last time,’ one shopper said.
Another wrote:’I missed an item and was about to walk out without paying — they sent me back and let me keep it free,’ another wrote.
A Costco member claimed they’re witnessed customers spending more money due to errors not spotted by employees
The Reddit user made their claims after another shopper praised Costco door receipt checkers
Even when mistakes slip through, shoppers said customer service is quick to fix them.
Some noted these errors are easy to miss in the moment — especially during big hauls where the final total already feels high.
While some still grumble that receipt checks feel nosy or unnecessary, many Costco regulars are starting to see them differently: not just as security guards stopping theft, but as a final line of defense against checkout mistakes.
Employees say that’s part of the point.
Receipt checks help prevent shrink, the industry term for lost inventory — whether from theft, mis-scans, or human error. And by reducing that loss, Costco keeps its famously low prices intact.
Legal experts also say the practice is all above board — membership terms include consent to exit receipt checks.
Not everyone is a fan.
Shoppers have been known to debate the practice online, with some arguing Costco should simply add more checkout staff instead of relying on exit policing.
Several Reddit users have shared their own experiences with Costco receipt errors
Costco is often in the news. Shoppers threatened to boycott Costco earlier this year after the chain swapped Pepsi for Coca-Cola drinks.
Other customers have complained about price hikes at food courts.
Slow-moving shoppers travelling around in groups is another of Costco shoppers’ biggest gripes.
Costco shoppers also debating new food court items or complaining about limits on gold bars.
Meanwhile, a little-known policy is also going vital. Costco shoppers have long loved the chain’s famous free samples — but few knew the real rules.
For years, the big‑box giant has lined its warehouses with stations handing out free bites of everything from frozen pizza to imported chocolates. Most members figured the perk came with an unspoken limit — maybe one sample per person.
But it has emerged Costco — which has standard memberships costing $65 and Executive memberships $130 — has no cap on the number of samples its members can take.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Costco for comment about the receipt error claims.
