Costco is testing a new express payment method that takes less than 10 seconds

Costco is testing a new ultra-fast payment system in selected stores across the United States that promises to reduce checkout time to less than 10 seconds, as confirmed to Telemundo 51 by the company's CEO and president, Ron Vachris.

The system, known as employee pre-scanning technology, is currently in the pilot phase and is part of a broader strategy for technological improvements that also includes advancements in mobile wallets and upfront payment at pharmacies.

The process is simple yet innovative: while the customer waits in line, a Costco employee approaches the cart and scans all the items before the shopper reaches the checkout.

When the customer arrives at the checkout, the products are already registered in the system, so they only need to scan their membership card, confirm the items, and proceed to payment.

Costco is counting on this final process taking less than 10 seconds, with some reports indicating an average of just eight seconds per transaction.

In some cases, the pre-scanning will apply only to carts with few items and that are easily accessible for the employee, as the company specified. It is worth noting that regular Costco customers have reported waits of over 20 minutes at traditional checkout lines, which has made the queues one of the main points of friction in the shopping experience.

The new method has not been without controversy: some users have labeled it a ticking time bomb due to discussions about cutting lines, generating mixed reactions among regular customers.

Vachris announced the system alongside Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip during the second quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, held on March 11, in which the company reported net sales of $68.24 billion for the second quarter.

"In the stores, we are achieving significant improvements in payment speed and employee productivity, thanks to enhancements in the mobile wallet, advance payments at pharmacies, and the implementation of employee pre-scanning technology," the executive stated.

In fact, some customers have already reported that the new system has come into effect in their local stores.