More than one in four Americans who have used self-checkouts said they have intentionally taken an item without scanning it, according to a LendingTree survey of 2,050 consumers.

The share of Americans who admitted stealing from self-checkouts rose sharply from 2023, when 15 percent said they had done so.

In the 2025 survey, men were twice as likely as women to steal using self-checkouts. Just 2 percent of baby boomers admitted to intentionally not scanning items, compared with 41 percent of millennials.

Additionally, 36 percent of consumers said they have unintentionally left with an unscanned item. Of those, 61 percent said they kept the item without paying.

The top reason respondents cited for stealing was that the current financial climate makes paying for essentials unaffordable

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