Aldi has removed its £10 ‘pre-payment’ fee on its app which charged shoppers entering the store, after some could see the payment deducted even if they didn’t walk in. In the past Aldi’s Shop & Go app prompted shoppers to ‘get code’ and if they tapped the prompt it would automatically deduct £10 from their payment card with no further warning.
The "pre-authorisation" payment was taken from customers before they passed through the store's barriers and then deducted from their shop's cost when they left. And if you don’t buy £10 worth of shopping you would get a refund. Aldi's terms and conditions say: "If they spend less than £10 – or nothing at all – the difference is refunded but “the timing of such reversal is controlled by your card issuer."
This refund could take five to seven working days to process, leaving some Brits strapped for cash.
The feature was implemented at the supermarket's Greenwich store in south London. Opening in 2022, the supermarket stands out among Aldi's other UK sites. It is a checkout-free store, meaning customers don't have to scan their goods before leaving.
However, according to The Grocer the supermarket’s app now issues a QR code instantly and only deducts the payment when the code is scanned as shoppers enter Aldi’s only Shop & Go store.
The budget brand's only "Shop & Go" store uses cameras to track what customers choose to take from the shelves. Then, it takes payment automatically when they leave.
The revolutionary site opened in January 2022 and initially required customers to download the Aldi Shop & Go app.
It is not the first store in London to issue an entrance fee. Opening in 2023 a Market Express supermarket at the ExCeL Centre also charges £10 before someone can come in and shop.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology detects what is picked up from or returned to its shelves and when visitors have finished shopping they simply exit the store and their payment method is charged for their items.
Upon entering the store shoppers tap their payment card or mobile wallet.
