Ease of walking off without paying by accident at self checkouts?

[Bletchleyite]

My company is currently rolling out new till software which will include a message on the card reader saying “please wait for confirmation when paying contactless”, so hopefully once we get the update the number of walk offs will reduce.

I usually wait for either a receipt to be printed or to be asked if I want one. But it not being 100% clear when the payment has worked is a symptom of not just giving a receipt by default - when one was always issued you knew you'd paid when either a machine or the till operator gave you a receipt.

I have on occasions walked out of a shop then checked my Monzo to make sure I did pay as I was doubting myself, and I'd never deliberately not pay - so confusion here is quite understandable! (Thus far I haven't failed to do so).

 

[najaB]

I'm not going to say that it's impossible to accidentally walk off without paying, it does require one to be operating on autopilot since you'd have to miss both the absence of a beep from the card reader, and also the fact that the machine doesn't give you the "Thank you for shopping with..." message.

 

[Vexed]

I always wait for the card reader to say approved, but yesterday I was at an independent cafe and paid by card. I couldn't see the screen easily (sumup reader) and the staff immediately said thank you. I was a bit off put that they hadn't waited and I was half expecting them to call me back saying it had declined! I do currently have my main card as a Trading 212 debit card for cashback, so it needs manual topping up from my current account which means there is a risk of it declining.

I was also in Tesco twice yesterday and both times the card reader said unsupported card after tapping my phone. Both with a Mastercard and Visa cards. Luckily I had physical cards with me.

 

[Trackman]

I just look at the screen and wait until it says 'Do you want a reciept?' and always click 'Yes'

 

[Egg Centric]

It can take 10 seconds or more for the payment to be authorised, if you've no reason to think it won't be then I can totally see how someone will get into habit of walking off especially with Applepay/Googlepay where there's no reason to expect to enter a subsequent PIN. I do tend to stay but I honestly feel like I'm hanging around like some kind of lemon who isn't sure if I'm "good for it" cause why else am I hanging around... so I can imagine someone else thinking like that wandering off immediately on some sort of principle.

 

[johntea]

I'm by no means an 'eco warrior' but I'm more than happy to not require a receipt if I'm just popping in to somewhere for a meal deal or whatever - however the geniuses at my local Lidl have recently introduced self checkouts with a gate at the exit that require you to scan a code on a receipt before letting you out!

The retailers can make mistakes too - I once bought a 4 pack of beer from B&M alongside some other shopping and usually try and keep a rough total in my head of what my total spend will be before even reaching the checkout only for it to turn out cheaper than expected, thought nothing of it until I got home and clocked on that they had obviously priced the 4 pack at the same price of 1 can!

 

[172007]

I'm not going to say that it's impossible to accidentally walk off without paying, it does require one to be operating on autopilot since you'd have to miss both the absence of a beep from the card reader, and also the fact that the machine doesn't give you the "Thank you for shopping with..." message.

I have heard the card reader beap and an audable annoucement saying transaction sucessful only walk away look back and realise it was from the self service checkout next to me.

Awaiting the often slow promt then a receipt is often tricky in central london when the next customer has already pre-empted you moving out of the wayand nearly barged you sideways.

 

[JamesT]

I'm by no means an 'eco warrior' but I'm more than happy to not require a receipt if I'm just popping in to somewhere for a meal deal or whatever - however the geniuses at my local Lidl have recently introduced self checkouts with a gate at the exit that require you to scan a code on a receipt before letting you out!

Though if you’re using their app to get electronic receipts, it only prints a short summary with the barcode to get you through the gates, rather than the full receipt.

 

[contrex]

they had obviously priced the 4 pack at the same price of 1 can!

I am by no means a plaster saint, but I would worry about that, if it happened to me, until I had contacted the retailer. Since starting to use Ocado for grocery deliveries, we have had a couple of over deliveries, and one case where they refunded more than the cost of a missing item, and I emailed them each time. The latter incident elicited a cheery e-mail and a £5 voucher 'for being honest'.

In the 1980s, I lived in a seedy part of Bristol, and one day the shopkeeper gave me change for 50p when I had given him a pound. He would not be convinced. I went away seething (it was a short time for me financially) but a few weeks later, I accidentally dropped a 20p coin and it rolled under the counter (which was on stubby legs, there was a gap of about three or four inches). The same (oldish guy) said he couldn't bend over to get it so I'd have to. I got down and peered under the counter. I saw my 20p and, covered in varying amounts of dust and fluff, several pound coins! I managed to retrieve the lot with one motion of my hand, and brandished the 20p happily.

In the 1990s I was in my local corner shop in another part of Bristol and the guy gave me change for £20 when I had only given him £10. I told him at once and he got a little bit shirty, accused me of telling him 'how to do his job' and insisted that he had given me the right amount of change. I think there had been drink taken. Over the next few years we got quite pally and I told him about that incident, and he laughed and said he 'must have been on the beer'.

Happy days!

 

[SuspectUsual]

99.9% of my payments are credit card via Apple Pay, and I'd say 75% of the time I get a notification from the credit card company that the payment has processed before the till or member of staff informs me

 

[settlelad]

I can see that it's easy to think you've swiped your card/phone and everything's gone OK, when it isn't.
Personally, I always wait for a printed receipt (more for my own peace of mind, and/or checking that the correct amount has been charged etc for e.g. Bogofs).
A receipt is also pretty conclusive if you get stopped by the security staff at the supermarket exit claiming you haven't paid ...
Also, at supermarkets, I increasingly see gates at the end of the self-checkout area where you have to scan a receipt. Evidently that's a theft prevention measure, but I feel it's also a useful amnesia / payment glitch prevention measure (even if it does potentially use more paper than necessary)

 

[Yew]

I'm not going to say that it's impossible to accidentally walk off without paying, it does require one to be operating on autopilot since you'd have to miss both the absence of a beep from the card reader, and also the fact that the machine doesn't give you the "Thank you for shopping with..." message.

A beep from the card reader just means the card was read, not that the transaction was successful.

 

[dgl]

I believe M&S self-checkouts will add a red tinge to the main screen if the payment was not successful, maybe more retailers need to do that.

 

[Yew]

Also, at supermarkets, I increasingly see gates at the end of the self-checkout area where you have to scan a receipt.

I first saw these in Europe, and after checking my payment has been processed, make a point of not using them properly to discourage their spread.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I believe M&S self-checkouts will add a red tinge to the main screen if the payment was not successful, maybe more retailers need to do that.

Overuse of the angry sounding buzz on the Co-op ones when you take half a second too long to bag something is an issue - but that angry buzz would be ideal to be used solely as a "you haven't paid" warning.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

I first saw these in Europe, and after checking my payment has been processed, make a point of not using them properly to discourage their spread.

I have no issue with them. Like ticket gates they reduce theft, and that's in my interest because as supermarkets are not subsidised the only people paying for pilfered goods are the honest customers.

See also Aldi staff wanting to check your shopping bags. I've not stolen anything so why would I begrudge them a look? Everything about the Aldi/Lidl system is designed to keep cost and therefore prices down.

 

[Yew]

I have no issue with them. Like ticket gates they reduce theft, and that's in my interest because as supermarkets are not subsidised the only people paying for pilfered goods are the honest customers.

See also Aldi staff wanting to check your shopping bags. I've not stolen anything so why would I begrudge them a look? Everything about the Aldi/Lidl system is designed to keep cost and therefore prices down.

I don't want to live in a "guilty until proven innocent" society. Nor to I want my time wasted.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't want to live in a "guilty until proven innocent" society. Nor to I want my time wasted.

Then you presumably accept paying more for your shopping to cover the cost of increased pilfering?

 

[Bald Rick]

Never done at self checkouts.

Have done it, twice, at the same local independent cafe. First time I realised about 5 mins later so went back (so embarrassed) and paid. Second time the owner mentoned my aberration on my next visit, but when I asked to pay back my debt (having already paid for this latest visit), she point blank refused! I do know the owner though and she’s lovely

 

[Bletchleyite]

Never done at self checkouts.

Have done it, twice, at the same local independent cafe. First time I realised about 5 mins later so went back (so embarrassed) and paid. Second time the owner mentoned my aberration on my next visit, but when I asked to pay back my debt (having already paid for this latest visit), she point blank refused! I do know the owner though and she’s lovely

I nearly did it at my local Indian takeaway. I quite like having my curry on chips (bit of a Scouse thing maybe, or at least "arf n arf" and so I go in, order the curry and then go to the chippy for the chips, by which time the curry is usually ready. I tend to pay straight away and he likes cash so it's one of the few places I use that. On one occasion he didn't have change so I said I'd get the chips first and so when I went back for the curry with change from the chippy I did have to be reminded that I hadn't paid. I hadn't left the desk when he pointed it out though.

 

[Yew]

Then you presumably accept paying more for your shopping to cover the cost of increased pilfering?

It seems that you are someone that does not place a value on your time and labour.
You seem to be taking it at face value that these are a cost-effective way of reducing theft, given the number of barriers that I see have been abandoned and left open, that doesn't seem conclusive. Then there is the assumption that the savings get passed on to us, and not simply to shareholders. Finally, that there are no other ways of reducing theft, that don't rely on inconveniencing and delaying customers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It seems that you are someone that does not place a value on your time and labour.

The amount of time and labour required to scan a receipt at a barrier is to all intents and purposes zero. Like tapping in on a bus I can do it without even breaking stride.

If you're that bothered about it why do you even use the self checkout rather than a staffed one? So therefore why is it a concern? Outside of Germany and cash and carry places I've not seen anywhere that has these gates on anything other than self checkouts.

You seem to be taking it at face value that these are a cost-effective way of reducing theft, given the number of barriers that I see have been abandoned and left open, that doesn't seem conclusive.

I think it's conclusive that if the business is willing to spend money on them they are probably worthwhile. Businesses don't spend money for a laugh.

Then there is the assumption that the savings get passed on to us, and not simply to shareholders.

If you reverse that and say "who pays for added pilfering" it seems clear the answer is that it would be passed on. The industry is highly competitive and other than in high-service supermarkets i.e. Waitrose, Booths and M&S none of them could afford to be pocketing it all.

Finally, that there are no other ways of reducing theft, that don't rely on inconveniencing and delaying customers.

The delay and inconvenience is absolutely tiny. And back to the thread title, like ticket gates it prevents accidental non-payment.

 

[Yew]

I think it's conclusive that if the business is willing to spend money on them they are probably worthwhile.

If they are so effective, why are most of them that I see left wide-open and disused?

Businesses don't spend money for a laugh.

It's easier than you think to put together a slick slide deck promising the moon on a stick, that will look good on some middle-managers promotion bid.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

The delay and inconvenience is absolutely tiny. And back to the thread title, like ticket gates it prevents accidental non-payment.

It is one way, but early detection of issues is the ideal when it comes to optimising throughput, surely the gold standard is to detect that at the till. I feel that the leading cause of mistakes is that the "beep" of a card machine usually signals a successful payment, but sometimes does not, as it just signifies a that the card was read.

 

[Bald Rick]

If they are so effective, why are most of them that I see left wide-open and disused?

That’s your experience of course, and may not be representative.

Certainly the shops I use that have such barriers are always in use, any time of day. (That is my experience, of course, and may also not be representative. I reckon only about 25% of the supermarket the shops I use have such barriers).

 

[Bletchleyite]

If they are so effective, why are most of them that I see left wide-open and disused?

Perhaps they are unreliable. That will be resolved.

It is one way, but early detection of issues is the ideal when it comes to optimising throughput, surely the gold standard is to detect that at the till. I feel that the leading cause of mistakes is that the "beep" of a card machine usually signals a successful payment, but sometimes does not, as it just signifies a that the card was read.

Hence this discussion

A clear "thankyou for shopping at X" coupled with a loud and unpleasant buzz and red on screen message if a payment fails* would probably do the job to be honest.

* Some may find that embarrassing if they're low on money though.

 

[najaB]

A beep from the card reader just means the card was read, not that the transaction was successful.

I tend to shop at Tesco more than anywhere else so I'm most familiar with their card readers but the beeps for a successful and unsuccessful transaction are different.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I tend to shop at Tesco more than anywhere else so I'm most familiar with their card readers but the beeps for a successful and unsuccessful transaction are different.

You sure? In my observation all terminals give the same beep when a card is tapped and before the authorisation is done so that can't affect the beep issued. There might be a different beep for "card not read properly" though on most in my observation they don't beep at all in that case.

 

[najaB]

You sure? In my observation all terminals give the same beep when a card is tapped and before the authorisation is done so that can't affect the beep issued. There might be a different beep for "card not read properly" though on most in my observation they don't beep at all in that case.

Card not read / auth required gives three soft tones rather than the one long beep. I'm pretty sure that if the payment is declined it gives extra beeps as well.

Edit: I'm not so sure now - I'll need to try a transaction with my prepaid card to see what the card reader does.

 

[barringtoncem]

I assume it is the same in all Lidl's with self scan checkouts but in mine you have to scan your receipt to open the barrier to exit

 

[najaB]

I assume it is the same in all Lidl's with self scan checkouts but in mine you have to scan your receipt to open the barrier to exit

I think it is now, yes.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The amount of time and labour required to scan a receipt at a barrier is to all intents and purposes zero.

It's a shame that there isn't any joined-up thinking though. The self-checkout will ask if you want a receipt and will let you select no. You then need the receipt you didn't get in order to leave the shop.