Costco Ban Over Checkout Confusion: Shopper Claims It’s Impossible to Prove Innocence

Published On: July 25, 2025

A shopper in the US says they were banned from shopping at Costco—and it all started with a little-known issue at the self-checkout counter.

The shopper, who works for Instacart, was shocked to learn that they were no longer allowed to fulfill orders at Costco, despite claiming they followed all the rules.

Now, they’re speaking out about how hard it is to prove their innocence—and many other shoppers say they’ve faced similar problems.

What Happened at Checkout?

The shopper explained the situation in a Facebook post, saying they received an “important notice” email from Instacart. The message said there were multiple times when their customers’ membership barcodes were not applied properly during checkout at Costco.

According to Instacart, this violated the company’s Account Access Guidelines, and the shopper was told they can no longer shop at Costco, even though they can continue working on other orders through the Instacart platform.

The shopper was given the option to fill out a dispute form and send in proof or context to support their side. Instacart promised to review the case and respond within 24 to 48 hours. But there was one major rule: “Do not return to Costco about this issue—doing so could lead to more restrictions.”

The Shopper’s Side of the Story

The Instacart shopper said they were confused and upset by the ban. According to them, scanning the customer’s membership is a required part of checking out—so they don’t understand how the issue happened.

“I try to scan everything correctly,” they wrote, “but I guess I moved too fast.”

They had already submitted the appeal form, but they weren’t hopeful. “It’s impossible to show proof, and customer support didn’t help,” the shopper added.

Reactions From Other Instacart Shoppers

Other Instacart users shared mixed opinions in the comments section. One user said the same thing had happened to them but suggested the ban might not be permanent and could be lifted after three months.

Some said it was likely just a warning, while others were more negative, claiming that Instacart rarely approves appeals.

“Appeal Shameal. Their answer is always NO,” wrote one person.

Another said Costco was trying to reduce the number of Instacart shoppers because they “disturb employees constantly.”

Costco’s Rules Are Strict

Costco is known for having strict membership policies. Members must scan their valid cards to shop, and the company has a history of cracking down on violations. This includes:

Revoking

memberships for misusing the store

Enforcing

self-checkout scanning rules

Restricting

Instacart shoppers over system misuse

Recently, Costco was also criticised for price increases and some controversial new store policies, which led to frustration from long-time members.