Costco has plenty of deals and discounts to love. Everything from delicious rotisserie chickens to bulk household essentials, and a satisfying food court. But one thing they don’t offer? REAL IDs.
Of course, no one expects a wholesale club to issue government identification but that hasn’t stopped some travelers from trying to pass off their Costco membership cards as valid IDs at the airport. Yes, really.
It’s gotten so out of hand that the Transportation Security Administration had to step in and debunk the myth on X (formerly Twitter).
“We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not,” the post read.
Naturally, fans went wild in the replies with some even insisting the confusion is understandable. Why? Because both a REAL ID and a Costco Gold Star membership card feature, well, a gold star.
“I beg to differ,” one user wrote. “REAL ID is denoted by a gold star. A basic Costco membership is a Gold Star. Which makes Executive Membership TSA Pre.”
Another chimed in, “It should [count as a REAL ID]. Costco verifies everyone’s true identity.”
And just like your ID, many say their Costco card is must-carry status. Or, as one user put it: “I never leave the house without my Costco card. Not going to get caught unprepared for a rotisserie chicken. Priorities.”
All jokes aside, while your Costco card will get you access to samples and a ton of savings, it won’t get you through airport security. So if you want to skip the lines (and the TSA side-eye), bring a real ID please, not your membership card.
