Would You Pay A Membership Fee to Use Self-Checkout?

LChiyoko on 08/05/2024 - 11:03
Last edited 08/05/2024 - 12:27 by 1 other user

Hmm, it seems like overseas people are going to start paying for the luxury of using self-checkouts.

Walmart+ is being introduced whereby you pay $98 per annum for access to self-checkout machines. Is it possible that in the near future one of the perks for Everyday Xtras will be access to self-checkouts? Coles and other supermarket players will likely follow with their own Smart Shopper programs geared towards time-poor customers.

I suspect what will happen is that this will become another revenue stream for the supermarket giants.

What the industry has done is accustom the shopper to having less attendants, and basically I suspect if you do not pay then you will be standing around in line for a very long time. This will basically coerce a majority of the shoppers to pay for usage of self-checkouts as time is money…

When checkout access is limited, some stores are designating self-checkout lanes for Walmart+ customers, who pay a membership fee of $98 a year.

Source
Note: This is no longer fake news, old fact check articles are now redundant and incorrect.

Mod: Alternate link without paywall

Would you pay to use a self checkout given those circumstances?

Poll Options

  • 652
    No
  • 9
    Yes
  • 4
    Yes but only if the lines are long
Food & Grocery

Comments

  • mskeggs on 08/05/2024 - 11:06
    +29

    It probably depends on how many avocados are scanned as onions to see what the unattended checkout is valued at.

    • bargaino on 08/05/2024 - 13:36
      +2

      The problem of criminals may lead to a membership system, with a token fee so that serial thieves can be identified and blocked.

      The Walmart $98 story is fake clickbait.

      • Some Human on 09/05/2024 - 02:08

        Sounds like a good idea in theory, but I once watched a woman hand her overloaded trolley to her 10 year old daughter and they just walked out of the store without paying. I assume the thieves will just resort to that.

        • SlickMick on 09/05/2024 - 08:24
          +3

          I once went to use a self-checkout, but the previous customer hadn't paid. They were still walking towards the exit when I called the assistant, but she just reset the machine. I was surprised by her indifference.
          I expect that stores would rather recover thier losses with fees than deal with thieves.

          • try2bhelpful on 09/05/2024 - 08:29

            @SlickMick: I was in a Supermarket where a customer hit one of the employees and then took off with the goods. The security guys took pictures but didn’t stop him leaving. I suspect the staff have been told to avoid confrontations so people don’t get hurt. However, I also suspect that this sort of issue is why the gates are in place. You want to leave then you abandon the trolley of goods you haven’t paid for. If you make a fuss we call the cops and wait at a safe distance.

            • Some Human on 09/05/2024 - 11:14
              +8

              @try2bhelpful: They're not allowed to try and stop them in any way, because the lost goods are not nearly as damaging to the company as worker's comp would be if the employee was hurt.

            • Ozymandias on 09/05/2024 - 21:57

              @try2bhelpful: I had a complete mind blank the other day when I went through the self-checkout at Woolies - scanned everything up then just didn't hit 'go to payment' and walked out with my groceries. Five minutes later I suddenly realised what I'd done, went back to Woolies and redid the transaction properly. Also apologised to the self-serve attendant and he said 'oh, yeah, I just cancelled it when you left, it's fine'. I was surprised that he just let me walk out but then I realised - as you said - that they're obviously trained not to confront people.

              • try2bhelpful on 09/05/2024 - 22:31
                +1

                @Ozymandias: I live in Fitzroy, and love it, but we do have our fair share of “characters”. If I felt I could help I would intervene to try to protect someone from getting hurt but I would never confront someone directly about a property theft. It is just stuff.

                Good for you going back to pay. We all have brain fades at times.

    • stickingly on 08/05/2024 - 14:30
      +4

      The last time I went to Coles it actually automatically detected what fruit/veg item it was and got them all correct - even got the type of apple correct (pink lady in my case)

      • EightImmortals on 08/05/2024 - 14:35
        +9

        Well done, the last time I went to woolies it detected an empty shopping bag in the trolly and wouldn't let me proceed without the approval of the employee on duty.

        • FiDad on 08/05/2024 - 15:44
          +3

          Both of above things happened to me at woollies today lol

      • casho on 09/05/2024 - 09:07

        wow serious!?

      • Gravy on 09/05/2024 - 11:09
        +17

        My wife ran her hand under the scanner and we got charged for 4 lady fingers (and a thumb).

        • jonkvh on 09/05/2024 - 11:31

          That's funny.

      • Chandler on 10/05/2024 - 10:57

        Yeah I commented on this when I noticed one day at the shops that the initial list of fruit/vegetables shown changes and always seemed to have the one I needed. Staff member responded that it was due to the cameras at the POS figuring out what fruit/vegetable it was likely to be and those results being the list of options when you told it you were buying an item by weight.

  • bobbified on 08/05/2024 - 11:06
    +22

    Aussies seem to hate the self-checkouts. The supermarkets would be lucky to be able to pay people to use it, let alone trying to make people pay for the "privilege" to use it! lol

    • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 11:13
      +36

      You, obviously, don’t shop where I do if you think Aussies hate self serve checkouts.

      • SnowDragon on 08/05/2024 - 11:43
        +7

        I find it's the older demographic and those who only use cash who I see standing in line for the one open checkout. The majority of self service machines in stores around me are card only. Occasionally there'll be someone holding up the queue waiting for a cash machine.

        I also know people who are sternly against the machines because they "take away jobs". I can kind of sympathise with that, but I also want to spend the least amount of time possible in a supermarket.

        • 1st-Amendment on 08/05/2024 - 12:32
          +8

          I also know people who are sternly against the machines because they "take away jobs"

          Do they own a car? That took away most of the horse industry jobs… why the double standard?

      • pharkurnell on 08/05/2024 - 13:53
        +1

        they hate them here too, and at my old suburb.

      • ColtNoir on 10/05/2024 - 06:40
        +1

        I like self serve because I don’t need to worry about my stuff getting damaged by a cranky person.
        To pay a subscription (do we need any more?) for the pleasure. Not a chance in hell

    • 1st-Amendment on 08/05/2024 - 12:37
      +5

      Aussies seem to hate the self-checkouts

      Who are these 'Aussies'? Let's see your survey results.

      • bobbified on 08/05/2024 - 13:13
        +1

        A quick google search will bring up many articles on how they are disliked.

        Supermarkets have shut down most of their staffed-registers so you'll see lots of people using the self-service checkouts. But that doesn't mean they like it.

        • 1st-Amendment on 08/05/2024 - 13:16
          +5

          A quick google search will bring up many articles

          Oh right… many articles said so…

          But that doesn't mean they like it.

          Doesn't mean they hate it either. Me personally I hate queuing so the self serve at Aldi is a massive improvement.

            • 1st-Amendment on 08/05/2024 - 14:40
              +1

              @pharkurnell:

              https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/more-retailers-ab…

              Lol did you even read that piece of junk that passes for news?

              Which part of that article did you find the most convincing?

            • boomramada on 08/05/2024 - 15:12
              +2

              @pharkurnell: You haven't read it correctly, it says retailers abundant due to shoplifting, not customers lol

              • bobbified on 08/05/2024 - 17:12
                +1

                @boomramada: I remember a while ago, I read that it's thought that one of (the many) reasons that customers steal is because they justify it as a way of getting back at the supermarkets for 'forcing' them to use the self checkouts.

                • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 17:14
                  +5

                  @bobbified: Sounds like people trying to justify doing something illegal.

                • buckster on 09/05/2024 - 18:43
                  +1

                  @bobbified: It's a convenient 'excuse' even if totally invalid, but those people are stealing not to get back at being forced to use self checkout, but they steal because they don't think they'll be caught and are scummy.

        • Willy Beamish on 09/05/2024 - 17:05
          +1

          if you're basing your information off article results in google then you're doing it wrong.

          you know that majority of articles are actually advertisements and the rest are just clickbait shit.

    • djsweet on 08/05/2024 - 14:48
      +1

      Agreed. Self checkouts are a scourge

    • Some Human on 09/05/2024 - 11:17

      I have mixed feelings about self checkout. On one hand, I hate them because they are significantly slower than having a cashier scan them. On the other hand, I don't have to make small talk with the machine.

    • Chandler on 10/05/2024 - 11:00

      The issue for me isn't the self-serve checkout - I like it, personally - it's the erosion of service from the supermarkets with no perceived saving/s.

      It used to be multiple lanes of attended checkouts and usually a couple of "express" checkouts.

      Nowadays you're lucking if they've got more than one attended checkout open or any of the express ones, many of which got physically removed to put in the self-serve ones.

      And I'm not even that old!

  • teacherer on 08/05/2024 - 11:06
    +9

    That seems insane as self-checkouts are a labour cost cutting measure (I think) and this would decrease their use?

    • Settero on 08/05/2024 - 11:13
      +4

      is that not the purpose of this, to combat theft via reducing who uses them.

      • Chandler on 10/05/2024 - 11:07
        +2

        No. This is pure money-grabbing.

        Everyone's after recurring revenue. SaaS, streaming services (Spotify, Netflix, et al), Apple Care. Hell even Google now is suggesting "upgrading" from their free "Google Assistant" to their new "Gemini". How could supermarkets get in on this actiont? Costco led the way for Australia being a supermarket with paid memberships, but I don't think Colesworth would get away with shutting their doors to non-members.

        Colesworth already have a corral of freeloading "members" through Flybuys and Everyday Rewards, and have added paid tiers to that in an attempt to move people onto a paid membership.

        This is just a way to try and "force" shoppers into this system.

    • 1st-Amendment on 08/05/2024 - 13:17
      +3

      That seems insane

      This is the purpose of clickbait headlines. To suck you into the BS vortex…

    • siresteelhell on 08/05/2024 - 22:04
      +2

      The price of using manned checkouts is already included in the price of the items…(same with the bags we now pay extra for)..the audacity of the shops actually expecting people to pay a second time to use them is amazing…they should actually be offering a discount for people to use them…

    • Chandler on 10/05/2024 - 11:10

      No, because customers won't have a choice.

      You either wait for the attended checkouts (1 or 2 off) or the free self-serve (which will probably be 1 or 2 off only also), or you pay to access the "premium" self-serve, which will likely have many lanes, potentially some sort of self-scanning system (RFID or similar), less hassle ("please put the lotion in the basket"), and probably more "member" deals, points, or other BS like that.

  • Baysew on 08/05/2024 - 11:07
    +22

    Fact Check: Walmart is not charging customers $98 to use self-checkout lanes

    But don't let that stop you having feigned outrage.

  • 87percent on 08/05/2024 - 11:08
    +2

    I'm going to guess that Walmart will open 1 register only in stores

    • AngusD on 08/05/2024 - 11:43
      +1

      Yep that's how it works. 50 self serve checkouts, 1 actual human checkout. So you can stand in line with a hundred people for an hour there, or pay extra to go through the self serve.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 08/05/2024 - 11:13
    +6

    You made a new account just to post this?

    • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 11:31
      +1

      I suspect the account won’t last long.

  • capslock on 08/05/2024 - 11:25
    +4

    In most Aldis you always have to queue for a checkout and most people don't seem to mind given how successful Aldi is.

    • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 11:34
      +4

      Our local ALDI has a self service checkout and so does the ALDI near South Melbourne Market. People are, certainly, using them. The only reason to use the manned checkouts is if you are buying booze. ALDI’s bizarre way of opening and closed manned checkouts was why I refused to shop there for a long time.

    • Gdsamp on 08/05/2024 - 11:58

      Aldi also has a surcharge for contactless payments & their self-checkouts are card only. So unless you insert card, you will generally pay to use the self checkout at Aldi anyways.

      • payless69 on 08/05/2024 - 17:01
        -1

        Nah! Learn to set up your app!

        • kiitos on 09/05/2024 - 07:39

          What do you mean by this?

        • try2bhelpful on 09/05/2024 - 08:02
          +4

          You might need to explain this. Apparently you can remove the fee if you select savings rather than credit on the checkout machine. Not sure how an app would help.

          • cyan00FFFF on 11/05/2024 - 15:32

            @try2bhelpful: If using Apple Pay with a supported card, you can choose between eftpos or Visa/MC before you tap.

      • whatgift on 10/05/2024 - 08:30
        +1

        Which is ridiculous because Aldi could easily use Least Cost Routing and it would use the EFTPOS system where possible, without using the credit card system.

    • 87percent on 08/05/2024 - 11:59
      +1

      whats good about Aldi is that they actually open new registers when there's lines

      • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 12:30
        +1

        Yeah, but the “this checkout is opening and this is closing” announcement is just bizarre. Why announce both at the same time? Follow the bank teller system of funnelling queues to multiple registers if this is what they are trying to achieve. Then registers are opened as needed to reduce queues. Also it removes the need for the strange announcements.

    • Xistn on 08/05/2024 - 12:26
      -1

      If I wasn't standing at the end though, that kiwi Chicka would YEET my fruit rounds into orbit.

    • tasty-falafel on 09/05/2024 - 11:00

      Eww Aldi…

  • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 11:30
    +3

    Personally we don’t use anything but the self service checkouts. They aren’t perfect but their introduction has significantly increased the number of checkouts in a store. However, I think there also needs to be serviced checkouts for people who don’t want to, or can’t, use a self service checkout. Also the self service help people also need to be always available.

    I wouldn’t compare the overseas experience to here. Australians tend to be early adopters of technology. Coles has said that two thirds of its customers use self service checkouts. The biggest issue with self service technology is theft. Over time they will find AI solutions to stop people putting avocados through as potatoes.

    People might want to look into the typical Walmart shopper.

    • Platinum Card on 08/05/2024 - 11:40
      +2

      I prefer the self checkouts with hand held scanners (Coles, not sure about other places), I never see anyone else use them besides myself, but I can easily scan all my items in record time.
      The staff at serviced counters should use them, it would speed things up significantly.

      • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 12:34

        They use them at Costco as well so big items don’t need to be taken out of the shopping trolley.

        I can see with self service checkouts they might be concerned that not all items were scanned in the trolley.

        I like the self service ones that are like regular checkouts. You can spread everything out of the conveyor belt and then pack back into the trolly or bags as desired. You aren’t cramped into a small checkout area.

    • buckster on 09/05/2024 - 18:45

      It's a funny stat though, my local Coles is now 90% self checkout and only 10% manned checkouts, so the two thirds stat is kinda forced/manipulated in a way.

  • Platinum Card on 08/05/2024 - 11:34
    +12

    Paying to use self checkouts would be like paying ozbargain to see JV posts….🙃

    • MS Paint on 08/05/2024 - 11:43
      -1

      Username checks out

    • CrowReally on 08/05/2024 - 12:13
      +1

      You'd lose out on quality but in terms of quantity that sort of bulk buy can't be beat (quite literally, no one else is hitting those numbers)

      • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 12:25
        +1

        “Never mind the quality feel the width”.

  • El cheepo on 08/05/2024 - 11:37
    +1

    People already steal heaps at those checkouts and justify it.

    I feel like if they were to introduce paid use here it would just encourage a further justification for those who all ready dabble in the miss-scan or forgot to scan arts.

  • tsunamisurfer on 08/05/2024 - 11:43
    +2

    I had no problem with self checkouts.

    Its more efficient for me timewise than waiting for the 3 available manned check outs with lines 3 deep.

    I never subscribed to the notion that I am 'doing work for ColesWorth'.

    I do think that we are saving them some money though through reduced manpower. I don't expect reduced prices for this, but I also don't expect to be charged money to use self check outs.

    There will be a big outcry if they do this.

    It really should be the other way.

    Charge a premium to use the manned check outs if anything.

  • altomic on 08/05/2024 - 11:47
    +2

    OP - here's the source (but you can't access it)

  • djones145 on 08/05/2024 - 12:26

    68 no
    0 yes
    currently
    the ozbargain mob has spoken

    • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 12:37
      -1

      Except the premise is basically false to start with. The mob is being mislead.

      • djones145 on 08/05/2024 - 13:27

        but i read there was a Walmart+- membership, thats second tier where u dont get access to self service and a member of staff follows u and puts it through while u shop. thats 98 dollars a month

        and the third tier
        Walmart+-× thats 98 dollars a week. they implant a chip so just think what u want and it gets delivered.

        4th tier walmart +-×÷. thats 98 dollars a day, a shop opens in ur house.

        • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 13:31

          There is a link for the fact check. There are a few stores playing around with options around busy periods. This is not a Walmart blanket policy.

  • Drakesy on 08/05/2024 - 12:38
    +4

    Bahaha, imagine paying a supermarket money so they can save money.

    Although OP was just going down the news.com outrage route.
    No one really bit.

    • altomic on 08/05/2024 - 12:51
      +1

      why won't anyone think of the shareholders!!!!

    • Ughhh on 08/05/2024 - 14:36

      imagine paying a supermarket money so they can save money.

      This is akin to Costco membership. Except non Costco membership holders can shop too, and membership holders have a priority lane for fast checkout.

      Walmart+ was launched years ago. Op is too angry to read.

      • JimmyF on 08/05/2024 - 14:52
        +1

        This is akin to Costco membership. Except non Costco membership holders can shop too, and membership holders have a priority lane for fast checkout.

        Kinda but not. Costco does generally have better pricing, unlike colesworth, that crazy prices. Costco is a member only store, not a pay to use the self checkouts ;)

        This Walmart+ in the article is a optional membership. If you don't have it, you can still shop at the store.

        • Drakesy on 08/05/2024 - 15:42

          Going to be the devils advocate and say costco is giving you the privilege of paying retail to buy in bulk.

          Everytime ive been then colesworth has been on par with their pricing.

          • JimmyF on 08/05/2024 - 17:01

            @Drakesy:

            Everytime ive been then colesworth has been on par with their pricing.

            For sure, specials they are better most of the time than Costco. Also for fresh produce too.

            But Costco carries a lot of things the others don't at decent pricing. So you do get that from them.

            But Costco is a optional place to shop, so don't want to pay the membership, don't.

          • try2bhelpful on 08/05/2024 - 17:47

            @Drakesy: It depends on what you are trying to buy. There is also a matter of quality as well.

        • Ughhh on 08/05/2024 - 21:47

          It's akin to, not the same as Costco…

          This Walmart+ in the article is a optional membership. If you don't have it, you can still shop at the store.

          Yes, as I had said on my comment. Difference is if you pay for the membership, you get a priority lane along with other perks that come with it. The membership program wasn't created just for paying to use self checkouts, program exist way before.

  • pharkurnell on 08/05/2024 - 13:05

    No.. just no

    • JimmyF on 08/05/2024 - 14:50
      +1

      Oh come on, these stores are doing it tough with all these mega profits. How many yachts do you think these CEOs can own and use at one time!!!

  • AustriaBargain on 08/05/2024 - 13:08
    -2

    I just want Amazon to deliver groceries. Or for Colesworth to start delivering like Amazon.

  • Switchblade88 on 08/05/2024 - 13:37

    This is no longer fake news

    So… fake news became real news? Was it never fake?? GASP

    /s

    • FireRunner on 10/05/2024 - 18:22

      Walmart: That’s not what we’re doing! But it’s not a bad idea…

      • Switchblade88 on 10/05/2024 - 22:01

        A vote for Bart is a vote for anarchy!

  • EightImmortals on 08/05/2024 - 14:33

    "and basically I suspect if you do not pay then you will be standing around in line for a very long time. "

    Not too long. If enough people leave the groceries in their basket and just walk out because the wait times are too long then colesworth will soon get the message.

    • pharkurnell on 08/05/2024 - 14:50

      that would be nice.. 20 checkouts and 2 open…

    • CrowReally on 08/05/2024 - 16:22

      The message being: "I've just spent 20-30 minutes or so picking out some very specific groceries and based on the 10-15 minute line wait time, I'm going to abandon them now and walk out of the store with nothing to prove a point"

      Wait sir don't you need these things?

      "It's fine, I have some stuff in the pantry, I'll come back tomorrow to repeat this procedure until you learn how valuable my time is"

      • JimmyF on 08/05/2024 - 17:04

        The message being: "I've just spent 20-30 minutes or so picking out some very specific groceries and based on the 10-15 minute line wait time, I'm going to abandon them now and walk out of the store with nothing to prove a point"

        Oh there is a point, now the store needs to put the items away. If they don't act quick enough, the frozen stuff will have to be tossed. So if enough people do this, they will open more check outs.

        "It's fine, I have some stuff in the pantry, I'll come back tomorrow to repeat this procedure until you learn how valuable my time is"

        While I get your point, you think its totally ok to wait 20 mins for a checkout while paying top dollar for the items?

        Or even more ok to pay a yearly membership to get service? That you have to do yourself.

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