Overcharged at checkout? What to know about Canada’s Scanner Price Accuracy Code

Next time you’re at a cash register and a product scans up at the wrong price, an often-forgotten policy could help you get it for free or at a discount. Here’s everything you need to know about how the Scanner Price Accuracy Code works.

What is the Scanner Price Accuracy Code?

The code is a voluntary policy created in 2002 to give shoppers—in some circumstances—recourse when they’re mischarged. It is sometimes called the Scanning Code of Practice and is supported by three industry groups: the Retail Council of Canada, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, and the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada.

How it works

If an item is advertised as less than $10 and rings up incorrectly, the code dictates the purchaser should receive the item for free. If you’re buying multiples of the same item, the code says the shopper gets the first one free and all subsequent items at the price they should have been charged. 

If the incorrectly priced item costs more than $10, customers receive $10 off the displayed price. If more than one is being purchased, the customer receives $10 off the first item. Every subsequent item should be priced at the amount they should have been charged.

Buyers can receive their discount by flagging mischarges to cashiers or a customer service desk, said Kalie Belanger, a senior co-ordinator of membership engagement and services at the Retail Council of Canada. 

What it applies to

The code only applies to items with a bar code, Universal Product Code, or a Price Look Up. A UPC is the 12-digit numeric code that identifies products and is scanned at a cash register. The PLU is typically four or five digits long and identifies bulk produce items.

However, the code doesn’t apply to items priced by weight. That means if a grocery store is selling apples at a few cents per pound and you enter a code at the cash register to reveal the price, the code won’t apply. (For a pre-packaged bag of apples with a set price, and scanned with a barcode, the code can be enforced, said Belanger.)

The code does not apply to items with prices physically attached to them—merchandise with sale or clearance stickers, percentage discount stickers, clothing with hang tags or sewn-in price tags and electronics or books with printed price labels on them.

The code also doesn’t apply to government-regulated items such as tobacco or alcohol, or prescription drugs or cosmetics kept behind the counter.

Where it applies

The code applies across most of Canada but not in certain provinces or territories like Quebec, where legislation already offers recourse when customers are mischarged.

It’s only applied at retailers that sign the code, which include Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Costco, Giant Tiger, Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Metro, Rona, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sobeys, Home Depot Canada, and Walmart Canada. 

To find out whether the place you’re shopping has signed the code, look for signage at the front of the store or ask a cashier, said Santo Ligotti, the council’s vice-president of marketing and member services.

If a flyer specifically says a promotion is only available at certain locations and the store where you’re shopping is not listed, the code does not apply. However, if the location is listed, it applies. If there is no mention of which stores the flyer is applicable to, it is assumed to be effective at all stores and the code would apply.

An important caveat

Retailers can limit the quantity of items in a single transaction they apply the code to, Ligotti said.

He’s found this caveat has become increasingly important because retailers have noticed some shoppers scouring every shelf in the store to find mispriced items and report them to others online in hopes that they can take advantage, too, before the mistake is corrected.

“There are some times where they do deny the code because this is people’s hobby sometimes, but (that behaviour is) beyond the intent of the code,” Ligotti said.

FAQs

Can the code help me with a product that’s left on the wrong display which has a lower price?
No, the code only applies when the product matches the shelf label.

Will the code help me if I’m part of a loyalty program like PC Optimum or Triangle Rewards that offers discounts if my purchase rings up without the program’s markdown applied?
No, loyalty and membership-based pricing does not fall under the purview of the code.

What happens if I flag a mischarge and the retailer won’t help?
The organizations overseeing the code run an online complaint form shoppers can fill out if they feel the code was misapplied. Valid complaints are shared with the retailer and often a resolution is worked out, Belanger said.

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