Eight seconds. That is the average transaction time Costco is achieving with its newly piloted automated pay station technology — a figure announced by CFO Gary Millerchip during Costco's Q2 2026 earnings call on March 5 and immediately celebrated by both the financial community and the millions of Costco members who have spent a portion of every warehouse visit queuing in checkout lines. Eight seconds from pre-scanned cart to payment complete. For a retailer that processes h