It's widely known that using a Costco gift card allows non-members access to the warehouse club. That's a secret back door, but the reality is that most people who want to shop at the chain simply become Costco members.
There's really no reason to find a secret back door when the front door works so well.
Costco members and customers reveal gift card frustrations
Still, Costco gift cards remain popular both as a way to beat the system and as an easy gift for Costco members. The problem is that some members have reported massive problems with their cards.
This includes a number of issues.
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What's wrong with Costco gift cards?
Balances are simply disappearing
Physical cards arrive with a $0 balance
Wait times for physical cards