# Self checkout at grocery store **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2022, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589 "2022-01-11T14:28:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/61 "2022-01-12T15:45:15Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The app for the store where I work now lets you use your smartphone as a scanner. I tried that. Once. My phone has a lock-screen on it so it locks itself after about 30 seconds. I had to wake up the phone and enter my security code every damn time I had to scan an item. Done with that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/62 "2022-01-12T15:50:41Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > My phone has a lock-screen on it so it locks itself after about 30 seconds Can’t you adjust that on your phone? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/63 "2022-01-12T15:54:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Can’t you adjust that on your phone? You can for sure, but some people don’t feel comfortable futzing with their phone’s settings. This would be a case where it would be worth it to do so, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/64 "2022-01-12T17:04:21Z")
My phone locks because I use Google Pay and you don’t have to login each time to use it, but you do have to have a security lock on your phone. Maybe I could update the settings but it’s 5 times easier to just pick up the store’s scanner. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/65 "2022-01-12T22:09:55Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > These days, I typically scan items, fill a bag, and transfer that bag directly to my cart. Nothing is weighed at any point. The only safeguard I’m aware of is that now there is one employee monitoring four self-checkouts, and that employee is fairly close at hand the way it’s all set up. Could a clerk see you move the bag to the cart and clear the alarm? I’ve had things screw up and then seemingly be corrected automatically. I believe the clerk catches errors and clears them up at her station rather than come over to where I am checking out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/66 "2022-01-12T22:27:04Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > And really, if someone wanted to steal, having to weigh items wouldn’t really stop them. For instance, there’s the Potato Discount. Get a package of some expensive produce that’s sold by weight, put it on the scale, and tell the system that it’s a bag of potatoes at 25 cents per pound. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/67 "2022-01-12T23:06:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Could a clerk see you move the bag to the cart and clear the alarm? I’ve had things screw up and then seemingly be corrected automatically. I believe the clerk catches errors and clears them up at her station rather than come over to where I am checking out . Can’t swear this isn’t happening, but it’s never crossed my mind. I’m inclined to doubt it because I have checked out while the attendant was busy helping another customer for a spell. One day when I’m just buying a few items … I’ll go straight from the scanner to the basket and skip the bagging area altogether. See if anything happens. I expect nothing to happen, but we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/68 "2022-01-12T23:12:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For instance, there’s the Potato Discount. Get a package of some expensive produce that’s sold by weight, put it on the scale, and tell the system that it’s a bag of potatoes at 25 cents per pound. I’ve only done the reverse: type in the product code by (faulty) memory, thus paying a premium price for bananas. I’m then too embarrased to have a store employee correct it. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/69 "2022-01-12T23:27:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Could a clerk see you move the bag to the cart and clear the alarm? I’ve had things screw up and then seemingly be corrected automatically. I believe the clerk catches errors and clears them up at her station rather than come over to where I am checking out. That’s an interesting thought. The only grocery store I really use the self-checkout is Marianos (regional grocery chain). I get a weight discrepancy alert every once in awhile, but it clears itself after a few (10-20?) seconds or so. I assumed that this was automatic to keep things efficient, but it is possible that the employee watching over the 6 or so stations has to do a remote override and I just don’t know about it. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/70 "2022-01-12T23:51:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > For instance, there’s the Potato Discount. Get a package of some expensive produce that’s sold by weight, put it on the scale, and tell the system that it’s a bag of potatoes at 25 cents per pound. I believe that this is the most common theft with self-scanning. In UK stores we usually self-weigh loose produce and put a sticker on the bag. It would be relatively easy to tell the scales that the avocados on the platten are bananas. The problem is that the printed label will clearly say Bananas and there is always the risk of the random trolley check. It really doesn’t seem worthwhile for the small saving. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/71 "2022-01-12T23:52:51Z")
I have bought russet potatoes as red potatoes when I couldn’t find the @#$%! russets on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/72 "2022-01-12T23:53:58Z")
Actual grocery store employee who sometimes works SCO checking in. We have a terminal called a RAP (Remote Access Point) at our desk which shows us what customers are ringing up in real time. If we can see that a customer is struggling with the bagging scale, we can override the alert by pressing a button. The scale is sensitive to changes of as little as .01 pounds. We can also use the RAP to turn off the bagging scale altogether for the current transaction, or to go into “assist mode” and fix more complicated problems, though we’ll usually go up to the checkout and do it there since we usually need to verify something close up. The overwhelming majority of times we need to get involved, aside from checking ID for alcohol and cold medicine, is because of people who just aren’t following the instructions. People who press “I don’t want to bag this item” and then put it on the bagging scale anyway. People who skip bagging for every single item, which requires an override for every 4th item. People who skip the “this machine doesn’t take cash” alert on the card-only machines and then try to feed their cash into the receipt printer. People with EBT cards who press the “Other” button on the payment screen (which is meant for things like Coinstar slips) instead of the “Card” button. People who yank their card out of the chip reader halfway through payment and then accuse us of double-charging them because pulling out the card doesn’t cancel the bank hold. I could go on. Occasionally we’ll get a call from the LP office where they’ve been watching someone on camera and know they’re going to try to sneak stuff out the door or ring in false prices. They’ll tell us to just ignore everything they’re doing wrong and override everything a d let them think they’re getting away with it, so they can bust them when they try to leave. Those are always fun to watch. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/73 "2022-01-12T23:54:11Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > If you were paying attention, you would notice that she was my client, so not all was well. Walmart store security watches those monitors from behind the curtain. When they noticed a person buying a bunch of individual Kool Aid packets, they then looked at the camera and saw a cart full of real items. Busted. I can only imagine how that conversation must have gone with your client. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/JHiFMJl.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/JHiFMJl) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/74 "2022-01-13T00:15:11Z")
Haven’t read the entire thread, but I feel that they’re for people who have a few items with bar codes, and NOT for a parent who has a cartful of produce that needs to be weighed, while corraling several small children. 🤦‍♀️ In the past, I would always have to call someone over while using self-checkout, so it would take longer than if I’d gone through the line in the first place. I did use it at Target a couple years ago when I had 2 or 3 small items, and EVERY.SINGLE.LINE was 10-plus deep, and that included the express checkout, but the self-checkout was open so I used it without an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/75 "2022-01-13T04:07:00Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > . . . but I feel that they’re for people who have a few items with bar codes, and NOT for a parent who has a cartful . . . At the stores where I shop, there are signs saying self-checkout is for about 15 items or less (same as at most “express lane” registers). I suppose most customers obey this, more-or-less, most of the time. The registers don’t enforce this rule. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/76 "2022-01-13T04:09:51Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I suppose most customers obey this, more-or-less, most of the time. The registers don’t enforce this rule. Per the store manager, we’re not supposed to tell people with full carts that they can’t use the SCO, but we are allowed to tell them “You’re going to get done a lot faster at a regular checkstand”. However, if I’m watching the SCO at 11:45 at night (the SCO closes at midnight) and someone walks up with a full cart, I will tell them they can’t use it, because I’m not going into overtime watching them struggle with the “I removed the item from the bagging area” button for an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/77 "2022-01-13T04:13:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I will tell them they can’t use it, because I’m not going into overtime watching them struggle with the “I removed the item from the bagging area” button for an hour. The limitation on these SCO stations seems to be the number of items you can pile onto the weigh station before stuff starts falling off onto the floor. If there’s a way to off-load some of that stuff in mid-sale, it’s not obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/78 "2022-01-13T04:16:27Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > If there’s a way to off-load some of that stuff in mid-sale, it’s not obvious. At our store, the “ITEM REMOVED FROM BAGGING AREA” alert has an “I removed the item” button on the screen that will clear the alert, usually without the clerk needing to override it. I believe that’s pretty standard. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/79 "2022-01-13T04:18:05Z")
Aha! So a customer would only know this feature exists _after_ removing an item. Thus, I would never have thought to try it because I don’t know what would happen. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589/80 "2022-01-13T04:20:00Z")
I hadn’t realized the weigh-scale bagging platforms were still prevalent with self-checkout stations. I remember those rolling out circa 2001-02, and then a lot of places abandoning them by 2005 or so. Was there perhaps a second generation of self-checkout stations that still weighed bags, but worked somewhat better than the early versions? Locally, at the places that do have self checkout, none of them weigh anything anymore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkout-at-grocery-store/957589.md?page=5)