Dec 11, 2025

Many survey respondents said they took items because of affordability concerns, while others stole because they were fed up with the machines.

A customer scans items in a self-checkout lane at a Home Depot store.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A growing share of Americans are stealing at self-checkout kiosks — 27% admitted doing so, in a survey from LendingTree. That’s up from 15% just two years ago.

Yes, the machines are finicky. But most Americans say they like self-checkout.

“And not just ’cause they can walk through without paying,” said Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst with LendingTree. “They like it ’cause it’s fast. They like it ’cause it’s convenient.”

For respondents who did admit to stealing, the top reason cited is that things are just unaffordable these days.

“We are not talking about people going through the checkout counter with a diamond necklace and a Nintendo switch, it’s much more likely to be a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk,” Shulz said.

Other consumers steal because they’re fed up with user-unfriendly machines, said Craig Le Clair, an automation analyst with Forrester.

“You would see an 80-year-old woman trying to read 4-point font on an avocado, trying to figure out how to scan it,” he said.

He said retailers are investing in improving those machines with AI. Better computer vision, for example, could mean no more fumbling for bar codes. Plus, Le Clair said, they could one day have some semblance of a real conversation.

“They’ll be able to answer questions to the consumer as they’re checking out, you know, ‘Did you find everything you need?’ You’ll get a much better customer experience,” he said.

Retailers hope that will make shoppers less likely steal, said Le Clair, even if price levels remain high.