Are you legally required to show your receipt when leaving a Walmart? | VERIFY 

I worked in retail loss prevention once and can attest the majority of theft is from employees more so than customers.

According to Walmarts own policy, AP-09, you don’t have to stop and they cannot physically detain you. I know this because I was a Walmart Asset Protection Associate.

I never stop, I tell them no thanks. I'm not wasting my time so someone can check my receipt. There are two issues, if I was checked out by an employee, if something was missed, go deal with your employee. If I had to check myself out, then my mistakes are your problem. If Walmart wants to save money by getting free labour out if the customer, then mistakes are a part of that. I'm always honest and don't scam the system, but I'm also not going to be treated like a criminal as a paying customer.

Employees at virtually every retailer are told never to confront anyone at the exit doors even if you know they have shoplifted. It's a matter of employee safety.

If the attorney you spoke to said not stopping is probable cause, get a new attorney. The one you have is incompetent.

After being stopped at walmart every time i shop there to show receipt i finally just stopped shopping there Problem solved

Not stopping for the check is NOT probable cause for theft any more than refusing a search is probable cause to be searched.

I showed my receipt at Walmart one night. I had over $200 worth of stuff in my cart. The woman proceeded to scan my items and started comparing the prices on my receipt. I took my receipt out of her hand and told her if she thinks I stole something, call the police. She told me she was doing her job. I told her I didn't have time for their nonsense. I no longer show my receipt and tell them if you think I stole something call the police.

Walmart: Bag your own groceries Walmart: Stop did you pay for all that?

Everyone should NOT STOP.

I look at them and tell them "have a good day". I'm not gonna wait in line to exit a store

I had a careful of groceries that I paid for at a cashier register and still got called to check my receipt. Felt embarrassed and then they said ok everything is paid for. I said great now you can put all these groceries back and I want a refund! The lady who was waiting behind me was waiting to be checked too and she said she wanted a refund too! Both of us left the store laughing. No more Walmart for us!!

Sir you literally watched me walk to the exit from the register. If you want to see my receipt go ask the cashier.

When I worked at Walmart they told us NEVER physically detain or chase anyone for shoplifting.

WalMart policy does not live above the law. Whenever I go to Wally World and they ask to see my receipt, I simply say "No thanks. I'm good.". On 1 occasion the door greeter grabbed my shopping cart. I told this guy that the first thing he should do is take his hand off of my cart and the second thing he should do, is to learn the law before he finds himself eating a bullet. Yes, I carry concealed. They decided to call the local Sheriff's Office and when the deputy arrived (actually 3 of them), the cops checked my concealed carry permit and then told the door greeter that he had no right at all, to even speak to me. Even the deputy sheriffs never asked to see any receipt. Yes, they did tell me that this all could have been avoided, had I simply complied with the worker and showed my receipt, but my life isn't lived to comply with anything that is not written law. Fun fact, when they put their hands on your shopping cart, it is the same as them putting their hands on your physical body and that, is illegal, unless they have active probable cause to believe that you are stealing. They are responsible to prove this probable cause. To this day, I have never shown my receipt to any Wally World door greeter and I have never been arrested or barred from returning to the store. Know your rights. There is no law, in any of our 50 states, that requires you to prove that you DID pay for your merchandise. This only applies to public access retail and grocery stores. If you are in a membership only store, the law is much different. The contract that you sign when buying that membership, has a lot of legal speak and that legal speak states that you are required, upon being asked to provide proof that you actually paid for everything you are removing from that establishment, you agree to do so. Simply tell these door greeters that if they want to see your receipt, they will have to legally detain you. If they do, then they are effectively placing you under arrest and you are not free to continue with your life. If you haven't stolen anything, this is called "false arrest" or "false imprisonment" and you can take home a pretty nice payday. For me personally, I never go into any Wally World, without someone else with me and they know that if I do get stopped, detained or arrested, they will instantly pull out their phone and record the entire event.

They tried at my area Wally World. I looked at him and politely said, “no thank you”, then kept walking. I went through a Wally checkers line. I’m not wasting my time again. When I was security in Illinois we had no right to stop anyone we didn’t physically see take product AND walk past the final point of payment. You had to have both to initiate a stop per our guidelines.

When asked for my receipt I simply say, "No thanks, I'm good." and keep walking. Nobody ever comes after me, and I love the looks I get from all the people waiting on line to be treated like thieves. I hope they learned something!

I've had Walmart people shout at me to stop. I just keep walking. Getting loud & belligerant with me will get you nowhere!

It's not so much the showing of receipts, but their stopping you from leaving after you've paid. Unless they have evidence of you stealing, it can be considered as unlawful detention.

The fact that they stop 99% of shoppers means they believe 99% of shoppers are thieves. Solution. Put these "door greeters" on a cash register to physically check people out and get rid of self check outs.

Fact: Once the transaction at the register is complete, your items and receipt are your property. You do not have to show them. Simply walk past and ignore the request.

Sure, just stop and obey and continue like good little robots, your rights do not matter to you

Walmart does single people out to check their receipts. I've experienced this first hand. A couple years ago I was walking out after checking out amongst a group of people and I was the only one stopped. The woman even said she stopped me because I didn't look at her as I was walking out. This was after she clearly saw me at the register. It foes happen. Now if they try to stop me, I tell them no and have a good day and keep walking. If they touch you or try to detain you further, it's assault and they know it.

I occasionally use the pickup for groceries, but I avoid going in the store if at all possible. Wasnt in a walmart for over a year during the covid nonsense, then ran in for something I couldn't wait to be delivered. Rediscovered what a truly unpleasant experience being in one of those stores is. Only reason I did that day was because no one else in the area had what I needed in stock, and I got the only one they had at that store.

The supreme court has ruled that once you make a purchase, those items are considered your property. Once they try to stop you from leaving, get them on a false imprisonment and kidnapping charge, especially if they keep you detained for longer than the allotted time shopkeepers privilege allows

They don't check every receipt. They do profile people.

I once called Walmart corporate and asked and never got an answer. I don’t feel like I should have to prove my innocence every time I shop. And is is frustrating when some get stopped and not others.

Once a lady in front of me had a cart full of dog food and they did not ask to see her receipt. They asked me and I said “I know you’re not asking to see my receipt when you didn’t ask the lady in front of me for hers.” I didn’t show it.

One of the employees at my Walmart said she gets in trouble if she doesn’t check the receipts and people walk away. If this is true, shame on you Walmart! Why are you forcing your employees (many of whom are seniors who hold this certain receipt-checking position) to act as security? What are they supposed to do if we walk away? Chase us and risk getting hurt? Not only do they treat their paying customers as potential thief’s, but the employees may take the fall if WE don’t put up with it.

It's up to them to prove I stole something, not up to me to prove I didn't

The lawyer is lying. It's already been proven in court that the burden of proof is on the store itself. Meaning... that you don't have to wave your 4th amendment rights to prove your innocents. A reasonable suspicion of theft must be obtained! Simply not willing to show YOUR receipt is not reasonable suspicion.

I have shopped at many walmarts in nevada and california. Usually only customers who have electronics or larger items or full baskets. I usually only have 1 bag of various small items and am waved on my way.

I have personally had a lawyer tell me that simply not showing a receipt is not enough for probable cause.

I was told by a manager at Walmart that they cannot make you show a receipt when you exit.

Since my walmart only has self chekouts and no cashiers i refuse to let them check my receipt. Cause usually they have a long slow moving line to exit

Not stopping does not give a store the probable cause they need. I worked asset protection for Walmart and we were taught that you had to have 3 things in order to stop someone. 1. You had to witness them select an item. 2. You have to see them conceal an item. 3. You have to see them walk past the point of sale without paying for the item(s) (which is typically the door to leave) And you must have a visual on the individual THE WHOLE TIME after seeing them select and conceal the item. If someone does not have ALL three things, along with constant visual they can and should not stop an individual because that person can file a lawsuit against the store for a wrongful stop.

A buddy of mine had one stand in front of him holding his cart until he showed it. He just kept going forward forcing him out of his way. They called the police on him. Police ended up leaving with the people greater in cuffs for false Imprisonment, for not allowing him to leave when he wanted to.

You can simply not shop at stores that treat customers like thieves.

I am a Walmart associate. No, you are not required by law to show your receipt, and as customer hosts, we have no right to prevent you from leaving the store; it's a violation of AP-09. The only people who are allowed to apprehend shoplifters are Asset Protection Associates. But even with them, they need evidence the individual was shoplifting before calling the police. Whenever I have a customer who refuses to show me their receipt, I simply say, "ok, have a good day, anyway."

When I worked at Home Depot we had theft constantly. They told us we were allowed at anytime to ask a customer to see their receipt however if they said no or did essentially anything other than hand it to us we were to end the interaction or they would fire us. I can’t imagine Walmart is much different.

Receipt check is stupid. A real shoplifter would usually have the items hidden on their person, not in the shopping cart.

I play like I can't hear. I don't even miss a step.

I live in a mid sized, relatively affluent, city in Texas (with minuscule minority and homeless populations), and shop at the local Walmart. I get the feeling that large-scale shoplifting isn't as big a problem here as in other locations you see in the news. They have the senior citizen (usually an elderly woman) receipt checkers stationed just prior to the exit, but their "searches" appear to be pretty random, as to both people they choose to stop, and the time of day. I've been stopped several times but have been struck by how cursory their checks are. They'll glance at the receipt for a split second, almost as if they're just verifying that it's a valid receipt, then glance into my cart for another split second, then thank me for coming in. They never look at the receipt, or into the plastic bags full of groceries, long enough to pick out a specific item to look for. Plus, they always look at the receipt first, THEN at the groceries?! Shouldn't it be the other way around? It's so cursory that I just don't see the point, but it's not that inconvenient (certainly less inconvenient than having to navigate my cart around all the large restocking pallets of bread and soft drinks that invariably block the aisles) and I don't really feel singled out as "looking dishonest", so I don't make a big deal out of it.

Respectfully, as a 40-year criminal defense attorney now retired, I can say that you exercising your Constitutional rights can not ever possibly provide probable cause to detain and/or search you or your possessions. BUT!! Then your refusal to cooperate as a practical matter could result in them excluding you from entry. They don’t have to invite the world into their store, but currently they do. It’s like the RV’s sleeping overnight. One argument used to be the store is open 24/7 so anyone could hang in their parking lot because the store is open. Obviously, once the spots fill up the store loses customers. Once folks’ trash starts getting strewn about, or folks start bothering others, the store can lose business….so they can change the signs again and notify all who enter that they are subject to being denied entry by the store. The only remedy there like this lady in the video, is to prove they are harassing a “protected class,” but again as a practical matter, it would be really difficult to find a lawyer willing to take the case because that kind of a case is not as likely to be “cost effective” from their point-of-view….

Being SEEN taking something, or acting in a suspicious manner is probable cause. Refusing to stop for an employee, in absence of any other factor, is NOT probable cause.

Bought a employee vest online, they didn't stop me when I got my big screen TV. They thought I worked there and was helping a customer.

My approach to this situation is quite straightforward; I handle it just like I would if I were confronted by strangers outside a store attempting to solicit unwarranted donations or hand out unwanted pamphlets. I don't break my stride, simply shaking my head or politely declining their offer with a "no, thank you", and continue on my way without giving them any undue attention. After all, it's only when you pause that people start to take notice. As someone who isn't on Walmart's payroll, I see no reason to allow some random grandpa to rummage through my property or waste my time when I’m leaving.

I had something similar to this happen at a Walmart. In my case it was a good thing because on all the items that I paid for there were something that was missed and not paid for it was a 12 pack of Sprite that was missed. I went back paid for the Sprite and left.

The last time they came up towards me and asked for the receipt and I just kept walking... This employee said, 'I am just trying to do my job!!!' I yell back, 'no, I used self-checkout, so technically, I did your job.'

Of course you aren't legally required to show a receipt. If they aren't accusing you of stealing with some evidence to back it up then they have no business stopping anyone.

Yes, it's true. You don't have to show your receipt. As soon as you pay, legally it becomes YOUR property. The store, police and everyone else legally NEEDS a search warrant or permission to search your property, just say "no". It's up to the store to prove you're guilty, not you having to prove you're innocent.

If Walmart wants us to use self checkout and do the work that should be done by cashiers, they should trust customers to be honest.

Whoever the lawyer was you asked needs to get another job!

I refused to show mine and will make a scene. I was really pissed when my wife told me she was walking past the receipt checker as she walk past them he grabbed inside a bag and took the receipt she yelled at him. I’ve served two tours in the service don’t give up freedoms even if it seems like no big deal just show it.

As someone who works for Walmart as a door greeter. I was told to only check receipts if an item, any item, is not placed in a bag and/or if the alarm goes off. If I ask for your receipt and you walk past without showing it to me, I call over a supervisor state the time and place(market or pharmacy side) and they tell security, who then proceeds to follow your every step throughout the store to make sure you didn't steal anything. If you did then they follow protocols to figure out your name, and address and follow steps from there.(that's beyond my knowledge now.)

I work for Target. At 1 time we were doing this and YES it works from people walking out without paying. People would actually give us their full carts no shame because we were just standing there. Mostly we were there because of big ticket items & our regulars receipt shoppers & such.

Something about being stopped and checked always makes me feel small, it's demeaning. Each time they stop me it's like saying " you may be a thief. " Would you go visit someone if they made you stop and be frisked each time you were leaving? Ummmm..... NOWAY! It's generalizing us all as lowly thieves. What a way to say thanks for spending your hard earned money here. NOT!

Last time I was stopped for a receipt, I asked if he had reason to suspect I had stolen anything and he responded with a 'no' so I simply said 'I guess we are done then' and walked away. I had only one large item in the cart - a sewing machine with the receipt taped (keep a roll in my bag) to the top of the box.

No, refusal of a receipt check is NOT probable cause to detain on suspicion of shoplifting, absent any other facts that provide cause. No judge would be convinced by this "Catch-22" as a valid invocation of PC 490.5. Any employees or agents that restrained and/or put their hands on a customer under those circumstances, absent probable cause, would be civilly and criminally liable. Attorneys would be lining up for what would prove a very profitable case.

I was at Walmart in Las Vegas to use Western Union but the Service I was asking for wasn't provided at that location, so I was standing in the corner, searching for other locations minding my business, one of the Walmart employee in plain clothes ( loss prevention) came and grabbed my Sun glasses from the cart and said is it ours, I was surprised by her actions and told her no it's not yours. I didn't purchase anything, nothing was in my cart besides my glasses . I was disappointed and felt discriminated. I went looking for the manager, waited almost half an hour and then approached by loss prevention manager and 2 other members of the team, they apologized and told me that they will take action. Not sure what actions were taken.

The fact that you decline a search is not probably cause to think you did. Your lawyer doesnt know what he is talking about and I suggest you pay for a better one. Sounds like he works in a shopping center.

I dropped $400 at self checkout because the cashiers were empty and got stopped by the person that checks the receipts that spent 2 minutes going over the receipt so I decided to go directly to customer service and get a refund for everything since they wanted to waste time. (just a fun FYI if you’re ever annoyed at them doing that and want to waste their time with it)

I was just at Walmart today. I always have my receipt in my pocket when I go to the restroom just in case. I heard a gal that checked out and her stuff was gone. She had the receipt with her. I always have my receipt with me. So far nothing been taken. I never had a receipt checked from a Walmart employee. I always do checked the items on the receipt to see if I forgot something or not before leaving.

If a merchant were to tell me that in not showing my receipt it gave them probable cause to see my receipt, I would point out that *before* I was asked to show my receipt, the merchant had no idea whether or not I would show the document, thus proving that from the get-go, they never had probable cause to ask anything of me...

I went through this for the first time at my local Walmart yesterday. To make a long story short, after confronting the employee, I called their corporate office and they in fact backed up my claim that you do not have to stop and show them your receipt. I would like to add that the claim that you have to stop and show your receipt at Sam's Club or Costco might have some holes in it because you do not in fact have to be a member to shop there, by law if you sell alcohol, you have to sell to non-members. Also their pharmacy etc also sell to non-members so you might want to dig deeper into this. This is going to be one massive lawsuit coming their way and I can't wait to join it.

Wal-Mart's service has always been trash.

They definitely pick and choose who they stop. I went there easily 15 times in the last 6 months never had anyone stop me today. I walked from a self checkout register (in checkers view) I was immediately stopped. Being a former retail employee I cooperated because I know how much retail sucks. But I noticed I was there for 30 seconds to a minute while she thoroughly checked EVERYTHING down the list. Obviously I left but the couple with their shopping cart behind me was let go.

It depends what you have in cart I heard alot of that at airport check point as TSA, people always say they are targets. Plus, stores are closing because of theft.

Having to show your receipt is very insulting. No where else do I have to show my receipt.

Walmart checking the receipt is such a farce. You have all your stuff in bags and the employees just glance at your bags for a few seconds, then check off on it. Happens to me. Bigger stuff (like electronics or homewares in boxes) is obvious to spot, but when you're only buying small necessities and they're all bagged, they can't determine if the stuff is stolen in the 4 seconds they look.

I've seen it more used if the alarms go off or if it is a unbagged item.

The walmart in my hometown only check items that are too big to put in a bag..

I work at Wal-Mart you don't have to legally show you're recite. It depends on the items outside of bags then they might stop you but you can still refuse to show it and Wal-Mart can't do anything about it

Don't go to Walmart to begin with

When they ask me if I have a receipt. I say yes I do and just walk away.

I appreciate this reporter using a normal voice instead of that phony exaggerated voice so many TV reporters use

Walmart: May I please see your receipt? Me: Show me your receipt first Walmart: (puzzled look) Me: You know, the one showing where Walmart bought my rights from me Walmart: We need to see your receipt before you can leave with these items Me: One of two things are going to happen. One, I walk out of here right now with my purchased items without showing my receipt. Two, I walk back inside right now and show my receipt at Returns. Either way, I’ll shop at Target because they don’t pull this crap.

I tell them I left the receipt in the self scan machine and that they could go get it if they wanted to check it. If they ask me to go back and get it -I walk out, if they go look for it-I walk out. I usually have it in my pocket, but they don’t need to know that lol

You don't need to show a receipt when leaving a public store. You are only obligated to when it is a membership store like Costco or BJs.

How ironic. Calmly push your bagged items from the register to the exit? "Thief!" Run out with loose merchandise under your arms? "Have a nice day, sir!"

Your lawyer needs to go back to law school and re-read the Constitution. He's full of $hit.

You are not obligated to stop and show receipt to a greeter or a rent a cop. They have to show a reasonable suspicion that you are committing theft. It's time people stand up and quit letting corporate America to continue to push the public around.

When they asked to see your receipt, all you have to ask them is if you are being detained or if you are free to go if you are not being detained, you can walk out

When I questioned the person who was checking receipts as to why I was stopped, but some people weren't, I was told it was because I had an item that wasn't in a bag (it was too large for any of their bags). Checking bags isn't something new, it hasn't started since self-checkouts have been in place (I hate them and never, ever use them...nor will I ever). I will say, though, that the checking the receipt is really somewhat of a joke...they do not look in every bag to verify every item; it would take hours to do that in some cases. As for me...I've pretty much given up Walmart shopping. With only one manned register in use every time I go there, it's no longer a convenience to shop there. I now purchase almost everything from Amazon and I do my grocery shopping at my local Aldi's.

Here is what you do. When asked say: Sure you can see my receipt for $50. You did not refuse to show it so there is no probable cause to stop you. If they refuse to pay, they refused not you and you are home free. If they are dumb enough to pay you the $50 you are even better off. Never forget your receipt and merchandise belong to YOU not Walmart. You can charge them to look at or touch your stuff. Just like they charged you to remove their stuff fro the store.

I've been pulled aside, and *every single item was removed from my shopping bags,* 3 out of the last 5 times I shopped at Walmart while dozens of other people walked past me. I'm officially done with that company.

I expect this from Sam's and Costco. It is part of the agreement you sign when getting a membership, at Walmart, I tell them if you don't trust me to ring up the merchandise correctly then put the cashiers back at the register.

Walmart can kiss my you know what. First, I gotta check myself out, but they’ll pay an employee to make sure I didn’t steal while I had to check myself out. Bite me…I’ll shop elsewhere

How can someone who isn't law enforcement physically detain someone? Put your hands on me see what happens lol

I don't shop at Walmart. I do all my shopping at local family-run businesses that actually treat their customers with respect.

Over a three week period I have had to take my receipt back for errors of over charge. Two of the items were over twenty dollars on each item on two different shopping trips. I did get credit back for the items and the answer was sometimes the scanner will do that. I said really, how do you explain each item on my slip was the only high dollar amount, of all the rest of my items were much smaller, and were error free. I say always check your slips, I check all of them now. This was kind of ironic that the only over charges were on the large items out of many other items on the two different trips to the walmart. Kind of wonder about that. I do not stop for door checkers, I just say have a nice day and keep going.

Great info!! Thank you!!

I stopped shopping at Walmart anyway. I have a lot of fun and positive memories there (when i was in the Navy and working night shift, it was the only thing open so believe it or not we would hang out and play with the skateboards and stuff, always careful not to damage anything), but it's not worth how unethical the store is. I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter and most of the homeless people I talked to were regular people who lost everything when Walmart moved in and their stores were all forced to shut down.

Any lawful activity can not be considered suspicious by law. Leaving without showing a receipt in and of itself can not be deemed suspicious.

Correct. You don't have to follow any rules that stores have in place. They are not laws. They can tell you to leave and then you can get charged with trespassing if you don't. If you steel, that is a crime. If you touch someone else, that is a crime. If you break something, that is a crime. If you expose your self in public, that is a crime. Walking away from someone and leaving a store with something you paid for is not a crime. In fact, If they ever put their hands on you and try to stop you from leaving, that is a crime they committed unless they know you just comitted a felony. They can call the police but nothing will happen because you comitted no crime. I always decline because they see me at the register and still stop me. They have no legal authority and can not force you to stop or force you to show them anything. I always tell them no and keep walking as it is my right to not be detained or have unreasonable search and seizure when comiting no crime.

I was stopped at Walmart when I was leaving. I had numerous bags on my cart and could not find my receipt quick enough for the Walmart employee and he started to pull my cart from me. I pulled my cat from him and as I walked away told him to call the police. I then drove home and called the manager at Walmart . I proceeded to tell him my experience and to pull the tape of this incident . He called me back and apologized. Since this incident this Walmart does not stop customers to look at their receipts.

They always seem so bored, so I run at full speed out of the store and let them freak out. I feel I'm doing them a service by putting some color in their day.

Theft has ruined our shopping experiences, my hometown was ruined & closed down Ghost town ghetto now. It was beautiful 25 years ago.

You have to have probable cause before you decide to stop the customer! Not after! Get new layer

I just say "I'm good" or "no thank you" and keep going, the look on their face is priceless.