Is Walmart Going to Charge Shoppers To Use Self-Checkout?

If you are a frequent shopper for Walmart, you need to know about this new change to self-checkout because it may just change the way you shop.

Walmart is changing the way they handle people paying for their purchases at self-checkout.

According to Today, Walmart shoppers have been complaining that some stores are closing self-checkout lanes or only allowing them to be open to Walmart+ members and Spark delivery drivers.

In fact, one reddit post even shared a sign with this exact issue:

And only people are noticing how often their Walmart self-checkout lanes are closed even when visiting different locations…

“This is the second time this week that I’ve gone to Walmart, and this is a different Walmart, and it’s been right about this time, and all their self-checkouts are closed and they’ve started to open up the regular lines again,” said one TikTok user.

Here’s the thing – I don’t think having cashiers – real human-beings with jobs – at checkout is a bad thing.

But I do think that Walmart spending all the money to install all these self-checkouts, basically removing cashiers and then trying to get people to PAY in order to use self-checkout, is insane.

Is Walmart charging customers to use self-checkout?

The rumors that Walmart is charging customers to use self-checkout is partially true. While this is not a company-wide thing and Walmart has no plans to entirely go all-in on customers needing to be Walmart+ members to use self-checkout, Walmart did confirm to USA Today that Walmart stores “adjust the use of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts” based on customer flow.

This includes stores that can also create designated self-checkout lanes that are only open to Walmart+ subscribers.

For context, a Walmart+ membership is $12.95 a month or $98.00 a year. While it does offer quite a bit of benefits, I could see someone who doesn’t need all the other benefits upset if they have to pay for it just to be able to use self-checkout.

Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Walmart told TODAY that customers may start to see changes to self-checkout lanes.

“From time to time, our stores adjust the use of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts. For example, a store might start or end the day with staffed checkouts. As the number of shoppers and associate staffing increases, these stores open self-checkout registers to manage the increased customer flow. This process isn’t new,” Kelsey Bohl said.

That all makes sense but if Walmart does ever try to push the “pay to use self-checkout lanes” that just seems crazy to me.

Kelsey Bohl also said that during times of limited access, some Walmart stores may designate select self-checkout lanes for Walmart+ customers and Spark drivers for faster access and deliveries.

Which again, would mean you’d have to be a paid member of Walmart+.

“This decision is intended to better manage checkout availability,” she said.

Kelsey Bohl, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Walmart

Now, if it has anything to do with people not being honest and stealing, I get it. Maybe hire additional employees to ensure items are being scanned correctly.

But I still don’t like the idea that you’d have to pay to use that service. Again, that is if Walmart decides to adopt this plan store wide but so far they haven’t.

And I am speaking from someone who does have a Walmart+ subscription. I also don’t see how this fee being paid helps possible theft? Unless it’s also required that Walmart+ members only can use the Scan and Go feature in the app.

For now, seems like they are allowing stores to test this change on as-needed basis. It will be interesting to see if this causes longer checkout lines or if we see more human-ran registers opened.

So, what do you think? Will this change effect you? Will you pay to use self-checkout at Walmart?