A growing number of U.S. consumers say they’re turning to self-checkout not just for convenience, but for opportunities to walk out with unpaid items, and many blame rising prices for the behavior. According to a new LendingTree survey of 2,050 adults, 27% of self-checkout users admit they have intentionally taken an item without scanning it, up sharply from 15% in 2023.
The increase comes as Americans continue to navigate high prices on everyday essentials. Nearly half of intentional self-checkout thieves (47%) say unaffordable necessities motivated their actions, while 46% cite tariff-related price increases and 39% say prices generally feel unfair or too high.
Self-checkout remains widely used, with 55% of Americans favoring it for speed and convenience. Still, 69% of users believe the technology makes theft easier. That belief is strongest among older shoppers, including 77% of baby boomers and 70% of Gen X consumers. Many shoppers say they’ve seen the problem firsthand: 35% have witnessed self-checkout theft, including 23% who observed it within the past year.
Generational differences also emerged. Millennials (41%) and Gen Z shoppers (37%) are the most likely to admit to intentional theft. And beyond deliberate actions, accidental slip-ups are common; 36% of users say they’ve unintentionally left with an unscanned item, and most who do so (61%) keep the item.
Retailers appear to be tightening oversight in response. Among those who have intentionally stolen, 42% say it has become harder in the past year, pointing to increased employee monitoring, more cameras or AI-supported systems, and more sensitive weight-verification scales.
Still, tougher systems don’t guarantee a deterrent. Of those who admit to intentional theft, 55% say they expect to do it again, even though 46% report having been caught at least once.
