Shoppers at Asda and other major UK supermarkets are growing increasingly frustrated after discovering they are being charged more at the till than the price displayed on the shelf. The issue, described by customers as 'annoying' and 'a mess', appears to be a recurring glitch linked to recent changes in pricing systems.
Widespread Complaints from Frustrated Shoppers
The problem was highlighted by 73-year-old Sheena from Norfolk, who contacted consumer champion Sarah Davidson after repeatedly encountering discrepancies at her local Asda store. She is far from alone. On forums like Reddit, user cr00sevelt64 reported experiencing the same issue multiple times a month, noting it also happens at different supermarket chains.
Numerous other shoppers have shared similar stories online, with some even questioning whether the overcharging is intentional. Sheena's understanding, after raising the issue with Asda customer services, store management, and Trading Standards, is that this is not an isolated error but a recognised systemic issue that began after alterations were made to the supermarket's pricing technology.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
In response to enquiries, an Asda spokesperson explained: 'Updating price labels in store is a manual process, carried out alongside changes to systems such as Scan & Go and online, so occasional anomalies can occur at all supermarkets.'
The core of the problem seems to be a lag between digital and physical price updates. Supermarkets adjust prices frequently, often daily. While staff manually change shelf labels, the barcode pricing at the till does not always update in sync, leading to mismatches. This issue is not confined to Asda; similar complaints have been made about Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-op, and Lidl.
What Do the Regulators Say?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted a review of in-store pricing accuracy in 2024. Their inspections found 'few concerns' with price marking and good compliance at checkouts for most supermarkets. Specifically, no errors were found at 57% of stores inspected, and just a single error was found at 20%.
However, the CMA expressed concern that some retailers might not be prioritising legal compliance. They stated clearly: 'All retailers must ensure they comply with the law at all times, or risk enforcement action being taken against them.' Despite this warning, as we move into 2026, the errors persist.
Regional Trading Standards teams in England and Wales have conducted their own checks, corroborating the CMA's general findings, though they were unable to provide specific comment on recent Asda cases.
The moral of the story for shoppers is vigilance. In an era of contactless payments where receipts are often declined, it is easier than ever to miss an overcharge. Consumers are advised to check their receipts and, where a discrepancy is found, to immediately alert staff and request a refund. While supermarkets are not legally obliged to honour the shelf price if it is an error, most will do so as a gesture of goodwill.
If you believe you have been consistently overcharged, you can report the issue to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer service.
