Aldi Trials £10 Entry Charge at Checkout-Free Store – Shoppers Frustrated

- Aldi’s Greenwich store now requires a £10 pre-payment before entry
- Charge is deducted from the final bill, with refunds for those spending less than £10
- Customers report delays in refunds and accidental multiple charges
Aldi has introduced a controversial £10 pre-authorisation charge at its checkout-free store in Greenwich, leaving some shoppers frustrated. Customers must either tap their card or use the Aldi Shop & Go app to enter, with the fee deducted from their final bill. Those spending under £10 or leaving empty-handed face potential delays in receiving refunds, depending on their bank.
Some customers have also reported being charged multiple times if they accidentally tap the app more than once before entering. Aldi says the pre-authorisation is necessary to verify payments and ensure smooth transactions, but shoppers have complained about a lack of clear warning before the charge is taken.
The Greenwich branch, which opened in 2022, is Aldi’s only checkout-free store, using AI-powered cameras to track purchases. Initially, an app was required, but in 2023, Aldi introduced a contactless payment option.
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented: “While checkout-free shopping is a great innovation, unexpected pre-payments can be frustrating. Clearer communication and faster refunds would help build shopper confidence.”

I am hoping for people boycotting this store using Al-powered camera and pre-payment nonsense.

I wouldn't be against this is in every store if it meant it would deter shop lifters who couldn't gain entry because they don't have a debit or credit card. Personally I think supermarkets should all run membership schemes and such memberships automatically prevent anyone with a criminal record from being a member.

Well that would put me off visiting for sure, I understand it's only a temporary charge but I can imagine it would be a nightmare getting through to anyone to rectify stuff if there was an error.
I don't really see the point in stores like this either, if this sort of thing becomes commonplace, what do all of the checkout workers do for jobs then?