Why Sam’s Club Checks Your Receipt and What They’re Looking For

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Sam’s Club has a policy to check your receipt before you leave the store. Here’s why this policy exists and what the exit greeters look for. 

Sam’s Club warehouses have a huge selection of products, so shoppers often spend a lot of time there. Fortunately, the Sam’s Club app offers a convenient Scan & Go option for those who want to get in and out more quickly. But whether you get your shopping done quickly or take it slow, you’ll need to go through a receipt check as you exit the store.

While most shoppers don’t mind, some find these receipt checks inconvenient. And many wonder why Sam’s Club does this. There are a few reasons that every visit to Sam’s Club ends with a quick review of your receipt.

Here’s why Sam’s Club checks your receipt

When you exit Sam’s Club, the standard procedure is for an exit greeter to check your receipt and randomly scan three of your items. Here’s why it has this policy:

To ensure that you were charged correctly for everythingTo deter shopliftingTo have one more customer interaction

Sam’s Club isn’t the only store to have this type of policy. Costco is also known for checking receipts before customers leave, and some Walmart stores do the same. Now, let’s take a closer look at the reasoning behind Sam’s Club’s receipt checks.

To ensure that you were charged correctly

The official reason for receipt checks in Sam’s Club’s terms and conditions is to ensure that you’re charged correctly for your merchandise. Sam’s Club clearly wants to make sure you weren’t undercharged. Sometimes items get missed during the scanning process, like merchandise at the bottom of the cart.

Sam’s Club also wants to check that you weren’t overcharged. For example, an item may have gotten rung up twice by mistake. If so, a receipt check could catch that and get the correct amount charged to your credit card. For customer satisfaction, it’s better to catch this sooner than later or not at all.

To deter shoplifting

Retailers usually don’t mention this as one of the reasons they check receipts, but it is an effective way to deter shoplifting. Most shoplifters want to keep interactions with employees to a minimum, especially as they leave the store. Having exit greeters checking receipts can make thieves think twice.

To have one more customer interaction

Last but not least, a receipt check can be a good form of marketing for Sam’s Club. It provides the possibility of a positive interaction on the customer’s way out. The exit greeter can make sure the customer found everything they were looking for and mention upcoming sales for opportunities to save money.

Can you skip the receipt check at Sam’s Club?

You can’t skip the receipt check at Sam’s Club. It’s one of the terms that you must agree to as part of a membership. Here’s what it says specifically under Sam’s Club’s general membership policies:

“Receipts: To ensure that you are charged correctly for the merchandise you have selected, Sam’s Club may inspect or electronically scan your merchandise and electronic/phone or paper copy receipt(s) when you exit any Sam’s Club location.”

If you don’t let an exit greeter check your receipt, Sam’s Club could cancel your membership. Just like showing your membership card at the door, providing your receipt before you leave is something you need to do per the terms and conditions.

A receipt check may not be anyone’s favorite part of the Sam’s Club experience, but it normally doesn’t take too long. Considering the warehouse giant’s low prices, a receipt check is a small price to pay to shop there.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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