AMERICANS in a major US state are set to face $10,000 fines in a self-checkout law.
To avoid the hefty fee, there is an easy way to make sure you are not making mistakes at checkout.
Self-checkout theft is so common in Texas that it has its own special name.
It even has different names for different types of self-checkout theft, which does have an impact on how much you could be fined.
The state has been hit with a wave of self-checkout theft, which occurs when a customer doesn't scan all the items that make it into their bags at self-checkout.
This form of self-checkout theft is known generally as “the pass-around”.
The other major form of it is a bit harder to pull off.
It happens when a customer is scanning an item, and instead uses a bar code for a cheaper item instead of something that is more expensive.
So instead of scanning the item you should be, shoppers might use a code for a cheaper product to save on costs.
This method is known as the “banana trick”, and is equally punishable by fining or even jail time.
For the pass-around technique, the fine is normally based on the total value stolen.
The value of all the items stolen is added together to determine the level of charge you will face.
FINE TIME
You will then be put into one of a few different groups, all of which charge you much more than the maximum amount you could have stolen to be a part of it.
For example, if you steal products that add up to less than $100, you will be hit by a maximum $500 fine.
If the amount ranges between $100 to $750, it is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine.
The punishment far outweighs the reward in this instance the reward being how much you stole.
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.
For this form of self-checkout theft, the maximum fine you can be hit with sits at $10,000.
The main thing that will change, depending on the overall item value, is the amount of jail time you could serve.
If the items add up to between $2,500 and $30,000, you will be hit with the $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail.
But if the items are worth more than $300,000, you could be hit with the fine and life in prison as a maximum.
BANANA SLIP
The fine you could face massively increases when you have been caught doing the banana trick.
The fine amount is the difference between the price marked on the item you should have scanned, and the price of the cheaper item you scanned instead.
If the difference between the marked price and the price paid is between $750 and $2,500, you will be hit with a Class A misdemeanour, for example.
The highest punishment you can receive is a first-degree felony for a $300,000 difference.
To avoid all of this, the best way is to make sure you wait for the beep noise when scanning items at self-checkout.
It is always better to be overly cautious in these cases given how much you could be hit with.
Hearing the beep noise when you’ve scanned an item is the best way to make sure everything is as it should be.
