Are Arkansas shoppers legally required to stop and check receipts when exiting stores?

Veronica Catlin and Kyler Swaim

6 minutes ago

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24/FOX40.COM) — Retailers across Arkansas have employees stationed at store exits to check receipts when a person leaves as proof of merchandise purchase. But are shoppers legally required to stop?

Most notably, Walmart has asset protection associates, formerly known as doormen, at every entrance and exit to its stores. While some people choose to wait in line to have their receipts checked before leaving the store, others will walk by without stopping.

So, what does Arkansas law say about receipt verification? Although the law does not use “receipt checking” or “receipt checker” in the wording, it is more about shoplifting.

Here is what the law says:

AR Code § 5-36-116 (2020) says: “The knowingly concealment by a person, on himself or on the person of another, of unpurchased tangible personal property offered for sale by a store or business establishment gives rise to a presumption that he has took such tangible personal property for the purpose of depriving the owner of the store or business establishment or any other person having an interest in the tangible personal property.“

The law specifies that a person engaging in this behavior may be detained “in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable period of time by a law enforcement officer, the owner of the store or business establishment, or a employee or agent of the store or commercial establishment to ensure the recovery of tangible movable property.

It is never stated in the law that buyers must present their receipt when leaving, but merchants have the right to stop a buyer and verify their purchases, within a reasonable time and manner.

What about Costco and Sam’s Club?

Retailers that offer memberships typically require that an individual provide consent to have their receipts and other personal property verified upon request. Costco’s membership terms and conditions state, “Costco reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase or other bag upon entering or exiting the warehouse and to refuse entry to anyone, at our discretion.”

Additionally, Costco’s membership terms state: “To ensure that all members are properly billed for merchandise purchased, all receipts and merchandise will be inspected when leaving the warehouse.

“We do this to verify that items purchased were properly processed by our cashiers,” Costco said on its website. “This is our most effective method of maintaining inventory control accuracy, and it is also a good way to ensure our members have been billed correctly for their purchases.”

Sam’s Club uses almost the exact same verbiage as Costco in its general membership policies:

For the merchandise, “Sam’s Club reserves the right to inspect any container, backpack, briefcase or other bag of any person upon entering or exiting a Sam’s Club location and to refuse entry to anyone in our discretion .“

For verification of receipts, Sam’s Club policy reads: “To ensure that you are billed correctly for the merchandise you select, Sam’s Club may electronically inspect or scan your merchandise and electronic/telephone or paper receipts when you leave a Sam’s Club location.”

However, you may not have to show your receipt at Sam’s Club much longer, as the chain announced in January that it would use AI to scan carts, eliminating receipt checkers.

The retail giant rolled out the technology to 120 stores in April, including the one in Springdale, and said it hopes to have it in every store by the end of 2024.

Failing to stop to check a receipt or bag at Costco or Sam’s Club is not illegal, however, it would be a violation of store policy and could result in membership revocation.