Why Costco Employees Actually Check Your Receipt When Leaving - Tasting Table

"Some customers think the receipt check at Costco is just performative, and others assume it's a security measure to catch thieves. Neither of those is the main reason for the receipt check. Checking receipts is to ensure that everything was scanned properly and you were charged correctly. Human error can occur, and it's possible a cashier could scan an item twice and double-charge you."

"As one Redditor explained, after checking their receipt, an employee asked, "Did you really mean to buy two?" Another poster said, "They caught an item that had been double scanned, so it was in my benefit." That's also why a receipt check seems so fast. The employees aren't comparing the receipt against every item in your cart to ensure it was all paid for. They are mainly looking for signs that something may have been double-scanned by mistake."

"Receipt checkers do look for unpaid items in your cart, but the process is not a complete item-by-item breakdown, and it doesn't automatically mean they suspect theft. Cases of water or large items on the bottom of the cart are easily missed, and both you and the cashier may have overlooked them."

"On the Costco subreddit, several employees have explained the nature of the receipt check and how it works. As one Redditor explained, "99% of the time it's to check if our cashiers scanned everything properly." In one case, it just came down to an item count."

Costco shopping includes a receipt check before leaving the store. The check is not primarily performative and not mainly intended to catch thieves. Receipt checks help confirm that items were scanned properly and that charges match what was intended. Human error can lead to items being scanned twice, which can double-charge a customer. Employees typically do not perform a full item-by-item comparison of every cart item. Instead, they look for signs that an item may have been double-scanned or otherwise misprocessed. Unpaid items can be missed, especially when items are placed on the bottom of the cart or overlooked by both customer and cashier.

Read at Tasting Table