Walmart customers are voicing frustration after a pricing change left some shoppers so upset that they abandoned their carts and walked out of the store.
The reaction began when a shopper posted a photo online claiming a clothing item had no visible price on its tag, requiring customers to scan it in the Walmart app to see the cost. The shopper strongly criticized the move.
“So now I’m supposed to burn my own data and battery just to find out if a hoodie is $12 or $28? Absolutely not,” they wrote. “I’m not an unpaid Walmart intern. I left the cart in the aisle and walked out. If you have to hide prices behind an app, you don’t deserve my money. Put the price on the tag or watch people keep leaving.”
The post quickly fueled debate online. Some shoppers agreed that the change went too far, while others dismissed the concern.
One commenter responded, “I be scanning in the app even when the price is listed hoping it comes up cheaper.” Another added, “I actually love scanning everything in the app. I found so much hidden clearance items at Walmart today. Had I not scanned in the app I probably would not have gotten most of those items.”
The debate underscores a broader retail tension between convenience and added effort for customers.
What Is Walmart’s Scan and Go?
Walmart created its Scan and Go system to speed up shopping by allowing customers to scan items as they shop, pay within the app, and skip long checkout lines.
Customers download the Walmart app and enable location services. In Store Mode, they select Scan and Go, scan each item as they place it in their cart, and track purchases digitally. When finished, they review their cart, proceed to a self-checkout kiosk, scan a QR code at the register, confirm payment, and exit the store.
Some shoppers view the system as efficient and modern, while others feel it shifts more responsibility onto customers.
Several online users speculated that removing visible price tags might give retailers greater flexibility to adjust pricing more frequently. Walmart has not confirmed that claim and had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
What remains clear is that shoppers are divided. Some welcome the app-based convenience and the chance to uncover hidden deals. Others argue that basic information like price should always be clearly displayed without extra steps.
As more retailers adopt app-driven systems, customers must decide whether they see the shift as innovation or obligation.
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