ALDI shoppers are divided over new checkouts alerts: ‘This is the first time I’ve seen it pop up’

Aldi customers have been left divided over new ‘card-only’ alert on the German-owned retailer’s self-service checkouts.

The alert, which pops up on screen, and is prefaced with a card-only sign above each self-service register, was spotted by confused customers last week.

‘This is the first time I have seen this pop up,’ a shopper wrote, posting a photo of the alert on Facebook.

And it appeared to cause quite a stir with many long-standing Aldi fans revealing the change could see them take their business elsewhere.

‘No cash, no buy – so bye bye. Cash only here,’ one customer said.

‘I pay for everything with cash. Cash is king,’ added another.

Aldi launched self-service checkouts in nine stores last year, all of them are card-only.

‘I’d rather use a human being, thanks, and keep someone in a job,’ one woman said.

‘I used to get paid to do that job, now they want me to do it for free,’ said another.

Customers can still take their items through staffed checkouts, which accept cash.

But other shoppers appeared to be on board with the self-service checkouts noting it was ‘about time’ the company adopted the option.

‘Now I can go at my own pace,’ one customer said.

‘I love self-service, so this makes me so happy,’ said another.

‘I never have cash, I have almost forgotten it’s a thing, doesn’t everyone just use their phone to pay for stuff now?’ said a third. 

Aldi’s competitors, Woolworths and Coles, have had automated checkouts for years and adopted cash-only policies across many of them following the pandemic.