Checkout speed has become a competitive focus across warehouse clubs and big-box retail as chains invest in new tools to reduce line congestion. Costco is now drawing attention for a checkout test that moves part of the scanning process out of the register lane and into the line itself.
Costco says a pre-scan pilot can cut the final checkout step to seconds
Costco confirmed the test during its second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call on March 5, when Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said the company was seeing “meaningful improvements” in checkout speed from several in-warehouse technology changes. He specifically cited employee pre-scan technology and automated pay stations as part of those gains. The company did not announce a nationwide launch date during that call.
Under the pilot, employees use handheld devices to scan a shopper’s cart before that member reaches the payment terminal. When the customer arrives at checkout, the remaining steps are typically limited to scanning a membership card, reviewing the total and paying. Coverage in Inc., NBC Chicago and other outlets described Costco’s internal benchmark for the final payment step as less than 10 seconds in some cases.
That is a notable operational change for a retailer where full carts, bulk items and weekend traffic can create long waits. Costco has more than 900 warehouses worldwide, including roughly 640 in the United States, according to recent reporting on the pilot and the company’s own investor materials. The scale matters because even small time savings per transaction could affect thousands of shoppers in a single busy warehouse.
What shoppers are seeing in warehouses, and what Costco has not publicly detailed
The most visible change for customers is that scanning may begin while they are still standing in line rather than only once they reach a register. Reports from Food & Wine, Delish and NBC Chicago said employees in some locations are scanning member cards and items in carts before shoppers arrive at the payment station. That means some customers are spending less time unloading merchandise at the front end.
What Costco has not released publicly is a comprehensive list of warehouses participating in the pilot. The company also has not published a state-by-state rollout map or a count of how many U.S. locations are currently using the pre-scan system. Public reporting has referenced tests in select warehouses, and some social media posts have pointed to stores in places such as Washington and Nevada, but Costco has not confirmed a full location breakdown.
That leaves a mixed picture for shoppers depending on where they live. Some members may already notice handheld scanners and a faster payment step, while others may still see the conventional process at staffed or self-checkout lanes. For now, the confirmed change is the existence of the pilot itself, not a chainwide conversion at every Costco warehouse.
Why Costco is changing checkout, and what members should expect next
The main reason for the test is straightforward: checkout lines remain one of the most persistent friction points in the Costco shopping experience. Industry coverage of the pilot has consistently framed the pre-scan system as an attempt to reduce bottlenecks without fully eliminating staffed checkout. That approach differs from Sam’s Club’s app-based Scan & Go model and BJ’s ExpressPay system, both of which have pushed warehouse retail further toward digital self-service.
Costco has tied the checkout pilot to a broader modernization push. On the March 5 earnings call, Millerchip said the company was improving speed and employee productivity through mobile wallet enhancements, pharmacy pay-ahead tools and the rollout of pre-scan technology. In recent months, the company has also continued tightening membership verification and investing in warehouses, digital tools and operations, according to company statements and investor updates.
For customers, the practical takeaway is limited but clear. Shoppers in some warehouses may encounter an employee who scans their cart before they reach the register, which can shorten the final transaction. Costco has not said when or whether every U.S. store will receive the system, but the company has publicly positioned faster checkout as part of its ongoing effort to improve the in-store member experience.