i have a costco card w/o a photo on it. i am sure my friend can use it to go in, but would he be able to purchase? or do they compare credit cards to i.d.s to costco cards? thanks in advance.

It all depends on the cashier.

The card our family has is in my Mom's name. I usually go with her to Costco since I always figured that they would make sure the person who has the picture on the card is actually purchasing.

I usually am the one who charges the purchase since it's easier for me to get my cards out than Mom. Only once did the cashier ever question why the name on CC was different than the Costco card. (In my mind I was thinking, "Well it's about time you guys checked to make sure that a member wasn't using a stolen credit card." as they use those self swipe terminals and most of the time they never checked the signature on the card at all.)

So in summary, it will depend on whether the cashiers at Costco are very vigilant or not.

you probly won't have a problem. but every once in a while you'll get a cashier with a bug up her butt about the rules and they'll take your card and make you get a picture on it. in which case, your shafted.

If your not sure if they are going to check perhaps you can discreetly watch the various checkout lines and pick one that is likely to work best for you.

Shouldn't have a problem if they pay with cash. My card doesn't have a pic (my sister added me to her account for no extra charge) and only 1 time in about 25 visits have they asked to see a picture ID.

Pay with cash, assuming you are the same gender.

Incidentally, you don't need a Costco membership to buy alcohol there (or at Sam's, or any other membership club). Try it, take some alcohol to the cashier and tell them that you aren't a member (and if they balk, ask to talk to a manager, clerks are usually clueless). There is a federal law which prohibits stores from requiring a membership to buy alcohol. I buy alcohol at Sam's (without a membership) once a month or so.

Of course your local Costco, BJ's or Warehouse club has to carry alcohol which not all of them do. (The ones near me do not carry alcohol at all.)

Also if you wanted to be picky a clerk certainly would have to allow the purchase of the alcohol, but could refuse to sell you any other merchandise that you may be trying to purchase at the time.

WiccanPagan, I just remembered that when I was at Costco I was reading the back of their "Costco Cash Cards" (giftcards) and remember reading that members can give these to non-members and the non-members will be allowed to shop at Costco in order to use their cards. They just need to stop at the membership desk for a "one-day shopping pass." It's a hassle but if your friend wanted to give you some money to put on a card and then when he went to the Costco he could get a shopping pass and if he bought more than he put on the card he could just pay for the rest with another method of payment.

If you decide to do that, just check to make sure that the GiftCards aren't different in your area and they do indeed mention the same thing.