‘One guy left his whole cart in line and walked out’ Walmart shopper says after ‘insane’ gift card incident at checkout

A WALMART shopper abandoned their cart at checkout after a gift card glitch caused chaos.

It is increasingly common to hear of people leaving their shopping in-store due to anti-theft measures and self-checkout issues, but the move is rarely sparked by gift cards.

A Walmart shopper recalled the ‘insane’ moment a fellow customer held up the line for the cashier for 20 minutes to rage at staff (stock image)[/caption]

The incident centered on Walmart gift cards which allegedly failed to work at checkout, but the long wait saw at least one shopper abandon his items and leave[/caption]

X user @lizzielulu detailed an “insane” moment at her local Walmart that saw shoppers wait in line for 20 minutes before some called it quits.

Lizzie explained how she was waiting in line at the manned checkouts when a woman was “almost hauled up by security.”

The fellow shopper had been “screaming at the cashier for about 20 minutes that her gift cards wouldn’t work,” according to the post.

“It. Was. Insane.” Lizzie said.

“One guy just said f**k [sic] it and left his whole cart in line and left.”

It is not the first time the big-box retailer has lost customers due to issues at the checkout.

A controversial payment method decision despite customer calls for change has left some shoppers “in tears.”

Walmart does not allow shoppers to pay using Apple Pay despite repeated calls from consumers for the service to be introduced.

The reason behind this has been detailed by Walmart CEO Doug McMillon on the podcast Stratechery.

It is primarily about the retail giant wanting to urge shoppers to use the Walmart app and Walmart Pay rather than use Apple’s payment service.

The Walmart app also allows shoppers to add gift cards to their digital wallet and pay using those.

BACKLASH

However, if the company continues to deny shoppers the convenience, it will lose sales and potentially loyal customers altogether.

“About to have a breakdown in @Walmart bc they won’t let me use my stupid app that I pay for just to use tap to pay for security reasons???” an X user said

“Literally just going to Smiths from now on f*** this greedy ass place.”

“I left a full cart of groceries at the checkout because of this. I never really go there anymore,” another replied.

“That’s what I had to do and I cried leaving,” the original poster said, adding that they had to travel an hour back home without any groceries.

“@Walmart I’m telling you right now! I was gonna buy a TV but I’m leaving just because y’all don’t have Apple Pay!” another shopper told the retailer.

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.

In the podcast, Walmart’s CEO said that “conversations are ongoing” about introducing Apple Pay.

Another shopper left her cart behind with $350 of groceries after feeling that she had been disrespected by a Walmart store manager.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to the retailer for comment.

It is not only Walmart dealing with abandoned sales as rival Kroger has apologized to a shopper who left a cart full of items worth $200 due to a checkout change issue.

They said that the lack of cashiers has been an ongoing issue for over a year and they blasted the retailer for putting all responsibilities on shoppers to ring up and bag their items.

Kroger has been hit with similar complaints from other shoppers.