Have you ever found yourself at a grocery store checkout and noticed an item scan in with the wrong price? Usually, the cashier will simply call the appropriate department and adjust the price accordingly, but this is against standard SCOP practices.
There are often signs in every grocery store – at the cash registers, on the front doors, on a sign at customer service, and various other locations – all announcing the Scanning Code of Practice or Scanner Price Accuracy Code.
This code states that when a scanned item displays the wrong price, the customer should either receive the item for free or get a $10 discount off the correct price.
Keep reading to find out more about this code and how it can benefit you.
- What exactly is the Scanning Code of Practice?
- When it applies
- How it works
- Participating stores
- Make yourself heard
- Tips for taking advantage
- FAQ
What exactly is the Scanning Code of Practice?
The Retail Council of Canada is the governing body that has set the regulations regarding the Scanning Code of Practice. There are 2 parts to the most important details of the SCOP:
When a customer presents a claim and where the scanned price of a product at checkout is higher than the price displayed in the store, or than advertised by the store, the lower price will be honoured; and:
- if the correct price of the product is $10 or less, the retailer will give the product to the customer free of charge; or
- if the correct price of the product is higher than $10, the retailer will give the customer a discount of $10 off the corrected price.
Basically, if the scanned price of a product at checkout is higher than the price that’s displayed or advertised, the item becomes free of charge if the correct price is $10 or less. If the correct price is more than $10, the cost of the item is reduced by $10.
The code applies to all scannable items with a Universal Product Code (UPC), bar code, or Price Look Up (PLU) items, with the exception of merchandise not easily accessible to the public and individually marked items. These could include prescription drugs, behind-the-counter cosmetics, etc.
When does SCOP apply?
SCOP applies to one item, and the others will be charged at the corrected price. So if you’re prepping for a big family brunch, are buying 4 cartons of eggs, and one of them scans in wrong, you’ll only get that one item for free.
According to the website, SCOP only applies after final sale price has been displayed, including discounts and coupons. Technically then, you should hold your tongue until after the cashier presses “Total” on your purchase while wearing your best poker face.
The product must match the product description on the shelf tag, and can’t be used where the law dictates a set or minimum price or when a reduction in cost is illegal for the retailer. Examples of prices dictated by law include certain drug prices (like insulin), hunting and fishing licenses, etc.
Products that have a sticker label indicating the price are also not eligible for SCOP, which usually includes clearance items.
Examples of how the Scanning Code of Practice works
If you found an item with a label on the shelf advertising it at $8.99, but when scanned it rings up at $12.50, you’d end up getting the item for free because the lower advertised/correct price of $8.99 is less than $10.
In another situation, if you found an item advertised in a store flyer for $45, but it rings up at $60 when scanned, you’d pay $35 for the product after SCOP is applied because they’d subtract $10 from the advertised/correct price of $45.
Let’s say you discover an item with a shelf label of $12.50 and it rings up at $8.99. Here, SCOP doesn’t apply at all because the price is lower at the checkout than advertised. You’d most likely pay the scanned price of $8.99, not the $12.50.
Finally, if you found an item with a price sticker affixed to the item itself for $8.99, but it rings up at $12.50, SCOP wouldn’t apply because it doesn’t cover products that are individually labelled with a price. You’d most likely pay the lower price of $8.99.
Which stores adhere to SCOP?
SCOP is a voluntary code which the following companies have agreed to follow:
| Best Buy | The Home Depot Canada | PriceSmart Foods |
| Bulkley Valley Wholesale | Home Hardware (2 franchisees only) | Rona |
| Canadian Tire Corporation | IGA | Safeway |
| Co-op Atlantic | Lawton Drug Stores | Save-On-Foods |
| Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. | Loblaw Companies Limited | Shoppers Drug Mart |
| Federated Co-operatives Limited | London Drugs | Sobeys |
| Fresh St. Market | Longos Brothers Fruit Markets | The North West Company |
| Giant Tiger Stores | Lovell Drugs | Thrifty Foods |
| The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company of Canada Limited | Metro Inc. | Toys “R” Us |
| The Groupe Jean Coutu (NB and ON only) | Overwaitea Foods | Urban Fare |
| The Harry Watson Group | Pharmasave (BC only) | Walmart Canada |
All of these retailers, plus another 1,374 independent locations, have agreed to adhere to SCOP regulations.
Make sure you ask for SCOP
In most cases, the cashier will not automatically invoke SCOP when you mention the item has rung in incorrectly. The majority will simply apply the lower price request payment. You need to ask for SCOP to be applied most of the time.
Even though this policy has been in effect since June 2002, many cashiers – perhaps even most – will react in 1 or 2 possible ways. They might look at you as if you’ve just spoken in a foreign language they don’t understand, then tell you they’ve never heard of such a thing (at which time you can show them the large white sticker prominently displayed).
Or they’ll dutifully apply SCOP without any argument.
We’re not really sure why SCOP is not offered unless you ask, but it really is worth asking, especially if you get that blank stare from the cashier, indicating they’ve really got no idea what you’re talking about.
Consumer complaint process
If you are dissatisfied with the cashier's decision, you can ask to be directed to their supervisor or the store manager. If either of these individuals can’t resolve the issue, you can ask to be directed to a company representative. SCOP suggests that disputes should be resolved no later than 1 month after the error has occurred.
If the dispute still cannot be resolved, either party can appeal to the Scanner Price Accuracy Committee at 1-866-499-4599.
Example situation
Let’s say you have an issue resolving an SCOP item.
You went to the store, specifically to buy a product listed on the front page of the flyer, but the shelf price listed last week’s price. When the item is scanned, the price matches last week’s higher price. You then ask about SCOP and the cashier states that SCOP doesn’t apply because there was a system glitch that didn’t allow them to change the pricing.
The manager confirms the glitch was chain-wide and that the signage hasn’t been changed so that they can still comply with the SCOP wording. According to him, the “display” price isn’t higher than the scanned price.
The “system glitch” exception isn’t listed on the website of the Competition Bureau of the Government of Canada or the Retail Council of Canada. But if you phone the head office of the store and they confirm the glitch, they’ll likely credit you with $10.
In a situation like this, the lower price was advertised in the flyer and the SCOP rules specifically mention the price “advertised by the store,” not just “displayed in-store.” You are fully within your rights to expect a credit or discount.
Tips for taking advantage of SCOP
For those savvy shoppers looking to score deals whenever possible, here are some tips for using the SCOP to your advantage.
Generally, the first morning of the advertised sale week is the best time to look for SCOP items. Some stores may not have changed over all the shelf prices from the previous week or their system may not be fully updated with the new prices yet. As a result, you could stumble upon some good deals.
Some retailers have in-store price scanners for consumers so you can determine the price of your purchases before you reach the checkout. Using these, you can find out before you proceed to the checkout if you have a SCOP item in your cart.
If you return to the store on a different day (or after the staff changes over) and the price hasn’t been corrected yet, you can get another SCOP item for your efforts. The purpose of the code is to get retailers to quickly update and correct their prices after all.
Shoppers have used SCOP to get freebies on everything from food to baby items, to household goods and home improvement construction materials. Saving more than you expect on items you have to buy anyway can leave you with quite a feeling of satisfaction – and leave your bank account looking rather satisfied too.
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Did you already know about SCOP practices in Canada?
Have you encountered a mispriced item and mentioned the SCOP to the cashier? What was their response?
We’d love to hear about your experiences, so feel free to leave a comment below.
FAQ
What is the scanning code of practice in Ontario?
The SCOP in Ontario is the same as in all other provinces and territories in Canada – these practices are not dictated by province, but by membership in the Retail Council of Canada. If an item in a participating Ontario store is scanned and displays a different price than what is advertised or displayed in the store, the cashier/store is required to do one of 2 things. They must either give the customer the product for free or provide a $10 discount.
Is Walmart’s scanning code of practice different than other retailers?
Walmart is a participant and member of the Retail Council of Canada, and therefore adheres to the same SCOP practices that govern all other participants. Therefore, the Walmart store must offer their shoppers either a free product or a $10 discount when the item scans in with the wrong price.
How does the scanning code of practice for multiple items work?
When a shopper has multiple items of the same product and one of them produces the wrong price when scanned, only one of those products is eligible to be discounted as per the SCOP. The shopper isn’t entitled to get a discount for multiple items of the same product.
What is the scanning code of practice in British Columbia?
In BC, the scanning code of practice is the same as in all other Canadian provinces and territories. It’s up to the individual retailer to join the Retail Council of Canada and participate in SCOP practices. Therefore, if you’re shopping in BC and discover at the cash register that an item is scanning with the wrong price, you’re entitled to either a free item or a $10 discount.
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Comments
Have you experienced this at multiple SDMs or just the one?
There's no app - and this article should give you most of the information you need to start using it.
I've had it go both ways when their is a date. I think they should still honour it but I don't hassle them if they point to the fact that there is a date clearly marked on the tag.
The first step would be to contact their head office and tell them your story.
Good suggestion Rob. I was at a Shoppers Drug Mart recently where I caught a price error. The manager happened to be there helping with the transaction for other reasons so I told her about it. I could see her hesitate when telling the cashier what to do with the price adjustment. In my mind, she visibly made the decision not to offer SCOP.
I was in a hurry so almost didn't want to bother with it anyway. However, the person who was in line behind me went to another cash so I decided to bring it up. She had no problem giving it to me when I asked. As usual, cashier had no idea what it was about. Not trained on purpose :)
This sounds like it would be out of scope of SCOP to me. Unit price should only be applicable to units. You can sell a case for a different price than you can sell the units for. Also nothing stopping them from making the case more expensive than the individual units. As long as labeling is correct for both case price and unit price, there is nothing really for them to correct.
That's a complicated question. Usually if the tag is still up even if the dates are wrong they should still honour. Some stores will try not to though. They should go take the tag down right when they give you the price adjustment and free item.
I can't imagine them giving you both for free though.
Sounds like you made out really well in the end darren although it was a bit of a hassle for you I'm sure to do all that back and forth.
I believe the store owner is correct here Charlie. The point of the policy is to prevent retailers from misleading consumers with inaccurate pricing. That can be considered a sort of bait and switch. However, if you encounter a product without a price it becomes the consumer's choice to either find out the price or not purchase the product.
Ultimately, one would hope that stores would display prices for all their products to make a better shopping experience for consumers - otherwise people just won't shop there. However, that isn't a requirement by SCOP or any other policy or law that I know of.
Hi Mary - I'm not sure what you mean by "it only applies AFTER the transaction has been completed". If you mean you are supposed to go to customer service after you've already paid the incorrect price and get it adjusted - then no I don't think that is the case. They can/should be able to adjust the price right at the register.
However, you may have more luck going to customer service after the fact because chances are that all those employees will be much more knowledgeable about SCOP so you should get fewer blank stares.
Well, it's nice to see stores committing to quality and accurate prices. I definitely prefer to shop at those stores that make that commitment.
That's excellent, great work!