Costco membership required? To make a food court purchase you may soon need to be a member

Is the Costco food court becoming a members-only club?

Or will only some locations bar the public from buying a cheap slice of pizza or $1.50 hot dog and soda combo without proof of membership?

Signs have been spotted at some Costco stores across the nation indicating a change is coming to food courts, which also sell churros and ice cream.

The Costco Deals Instagram account, a fan account not affiliated with the wholesale club, posted a photo of a sign Thursday that says a membership card will soon be required to partake in food court offerings.

“Effective March 16, 2020, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court,” the sign reads. "You can join today. Please see our membership counter for details."

But whether the change will be rolled out to all clubs nationwide was unknown Friday. Costco officials did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

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San Diego television station 10News, which spotted a sign at a California store, reported that a Costco representative told the station that "management has no comment at this time.”

Costco membership cards went digital last summer with clubs giving members the option of showing a digital membership card on the app instead of pulling out a plastic card. Gas stations still require using a physical card.

Instagram user 420foodie posted a photo Feb. 16 of a sign that didn't reference a date when the change would start. The sign reads: "Coming Soon ... Your membership card will be required to purchase food court items."

Twitter user @Astonish13 posted a similar photo of a the sign Feb. 15.