More Than One in Four U.S. Self‑Checkout Shoppers Admit Taking Items Without Scanning, Survey Finds

Self‑Checkout Theft Rises as Shoppers Cite Financial Strain and High Prices

Self‑checkout lanes are meant to speed up trips through the store, but a growing share of Americans who use them say they have used the technology to leave with unpaid items. In a recent LendingTree survey, 27 percent of U.S. consumers who have used self‑checkout admitted they intentionally walked away with an item they did not scan, up from 15 percent in 2023.

Who Admits Taking Items?

The admissions were highest among younger shoppers: 41 percent of Millennials and 37 percent of Gen Z adults reported taking items without scanning. By contrast, just 2 percent of Baby Boomers said the same. Men were substantially more likely than women to admit the behavior (38 percent versus 16 percent).

Reasons Cited

Respondents pointed to financial pressure and rising costs as common motives. When asked why they had stolen, 47 percent said the current financial climate made affording essentials difficult. Nearly as many (46 percent) blamed higher prices — including increases some respondents attributed to tariffs — and 39 percent said prices simply felt “unfair” or “too high in general.” About a third of those who admitted to taking items said they felt no remorse, and 35 percent described self‑checkout as “unpaid work,” saying small unpaid items felt like compensation.

“Even though people know that stealing is wrong and most understand the risk they’re taking, tough times require tough choices, and lots of people are clearly willing to take a risk,” LendingTree chief consumer analyst Matt Schulz said in the report.

Unexpected Income Finding

Surprisingly, higher earners were among the most likely to report stealing at self‑checkout: 40 percent of respondents from households earning $100,000 or more said they had intentionally left with an unscanned item, compared with 17 percent of those in households making less than $30,000.

Retailers Push Back

Self‑checkout machines have become more common, but some major retailers have scaled back amid concerns about shrink (inventory loss to theft and other causes). In the Chicago area, shoppers noticed some Aldi locations removing self‑checkout stations; Aldi told Axios the change was made to “ensure we’re offering the best shopping experience possible while delivering exceptional value,” and said self‑checkout remains available at many stores. Dollar General removed self‑checkout from about 12,000 stores, citing ongoing shrink challenges. Target limited express self‑checkout to 10 items or fewer at most stores, and Amazon has largely pulled its Just Walk Out cashierless technology from many Amazon Fresh locations.

Despite the risk, many shoppers still value self‑checkout: 55 percent of respondents said they like it for speed and convenience. Among those who admitted stealing, 55 percent said they thought they would do it again.

Survey Methodology: The online survey sampled 2,050 U.S. consumers and was conducted in October.