More than one in four Americans who have used self-checkouts said they have intentionally taken an item without scanning it, according to a LendingTree survey of 2,050 consumers.
The share of Americans who admitted stealing from self-checkouts rose sharply from 2023, when 15 percent said they had done so.
In the 2025 survey, men were twice as likely as women to steal using self-checkouts. Just 2 percent of baby boomers admitted to intentionally not scanning items, compared with 41 percent of millennials.
Additionally, 36 percent of consumers said they have unintentionally left with an unscanned item. Of those, 61 percent said they kept the item without paying.
RELATED STORY | Why self-checkout has become controversial
The top reason respondents cited for stealing was that the current financial climate makes paying for essentials unaffordable (47 percent). Other leading reasons included price increases tied to tariffs (46 percent) and the belief that prices are unfair or too high (39 percent).
About one in three people who stole said they were not remorseful, and more than half said they would likely steal again.
Many consumers also recognized the risk of getting caught. The survey found that 46 percent of those who said they purposely stole were caught. In addition, 42 percent of self-checkout users said stealing at self-checkouts has become more difficult, while 10 percent said it has become less difficult.
“Largely unattended self-checkouts provide a potential opportunity for folks to help themselves,” said Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief credit analyst. “Even though people know that stealing is wrong and most understand the risk they’re taking, tough times require tough choices, and lots of people are clearly willing to take a risk.”
About 14 percent of self-checkout users reported they had been accused of not scanning an item even though they did.
