[Hack] Save $0.02 at Self Checkout

triplezzb on 02/10/2018 - 22:29

Moved to Forum: Original Link

I thought gone were the days when I would save that $0.02 on rounding when I stopped carrying cash.

Accidentally stumbled upon this trick during self-checkout at Woolworths last week. I was $0.02 short on my Wishgift card and the transaction successfully went through.

Tried again tonight and the transaction was successful!

I assume that it will work at self-checkouts at all major retailers.

Hope someone finds this useful.

This might belong in the forum. Please move as appropriate.

General Discussion

Related Stores

Woolworths
Woolworths

Comments

  • 1000101BIN on 02/10/2018 - 22:30
    +17

    This is what I come on this site for. Thanks op!

    • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:49
      +5

      Sorry for hijacking your thread here, but in case anyone is interested this only works on machines that accept cash payment. Card only machines won't work. (both Coles & Woolies)

      • Neoika on 03/10/2018 - 19:05

        You were right,but not right now.It works on card payment only machine in both.

        Someone already shared before.

    • JoeyJoeJoe on 02/10/2018 - 22:58
      +4

      My 2c worth? This is a shitty deal.

  • knobbs on 02/10/2018 - 22:31
    +9

    You forgot to describe what you are actually doing

    • QuickdraW on 02/10/2018 - 22:34
      +1

      he's saving 2c, I mean it's right there in the title…

    • jv on 02/10/2018 - 22:35
      +21

      You forgot to describe what you are actually doing

      Posting rubbish…

    • johnyBgood on 02/10/2018 - 22:37
      +1

      He accidentally stumbled and found 2c.

    • ribbonsofnight on 20/09/2019 - 15:27

      split payment for $0.02 less than the bill pays the whole bill (may not work on all bills)

  • docians on 02/10/2018 - 22:34
    +2

    OP was it a coincidence that you were 2c short the second time?
    or meticulous planning?

    • [Deactivated] on 02/10/2018 - 22:40

      I noticed people doing this once and called them out

      • eug on 02/10/2018 - 22:51
        +25

        Did they come out?

  • [Deactivated] on 02/10/2018 - 22:34
    +1

    or do as the bogans do

    scan all your items, and when sole overseer of the self service checkouts is distracted, or has their back turned, just grab your shopping and walk off

    free groceries!

    • brongz on 02/10/2018 - 22:57
      +1

      and then without realising, you go straight to hell…..

      • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2018 - 00:23

        they don't go to hell. they go to holden heaven (which is otherwise known as hell)

    • P1xellat3d on 03/10/2018 - 08:43

      And the honest paying customers basically pay for your stole groceries, because the cost of theft is worked into their pricing …

      • Quantumcat on 03/10/2018 - 09:42

        It works out the same, they are saving loads of money on staff wages.

        • HighAndDry on 03/10/2018 - 09:47

          Or they cut staff because their margins get thinner.

          • Quantumcat on 03/10/2018 - 10:02

            @HighAndDry: Why would their margins get thinner? There's been no massive widespread disaster that would cause multiple types of food production to have problems (and thus cost rises), and we aren't in a huge recession where people are buying less and they have to cut their margins to get people to continue buying.

            The move to self checkouts only lines their and their shareholders' pockets. Theft is a cost for self checkouts that they have factored in, and even with that cost it is still more profitable to use self checkouts (otherwise they would have increased security or gone back to manned checkout lanes).

            • HighAndDry on 03/10/2018 - 10:47

              @Quantumcat: You're literally replying to a comment thread that says:

              and when sole overseer of the self service checkouts is distracted, or has their back turned, just grab your shopping and walk off

              free groceries!

              The supermarkets budget for a certain level of shrinkage, true. You're implicitly supporting someone encouraging more (they're joking - but you don't actually seem to be.)

              • Quantumcat on 03/10/2018 - 11:26

                @HighAndDry: My serious comment was in reply to your seemingly serious comment. If you were only joking about margins getting slimmer, I apologise that I didn't see the joke

                • HighAndDry on 03/10/2018 - 11:27

                  @Quantumcat: Yeah that's my bad. My sense of humour could do with improvement that's true. All good!

  • [Deactivated] on 02/10/2018 - 22:36
    +1

    So if the total is $20.02
    You select split payment (giftcard), pay $20.00
    and after tbat the transaction is marked complete and remaining $0.02 gets cancelled?

    • SnoozeAndLose on 02/10/2018 - 22:39

      rounded down and ask if you need a receipt.

  • Wiser on 02/10/2018 - 22:37
    +3

    Rubbish

  • mysterytal on 02/10/2018 - 22:38
    +6

    Yes yes…Can be done with petrol too.

    I can think of better ways to save money.

    When looking for savings I calculate my time at $18.00 per hour. If I can save 30 cents in one minute then it's a deal. This hack would take more than 4 seconds to execute so it's not worth it….in my opinion.

    • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:41

      Actually you don't need more than 4s to do that. Just split payment and enter the displayed amount with 2c less. 2s tops.

      • mysterytal on 02/10/2018 - 22:44

        You must type quickly. It would take me more than 4 seconds. Just saying..

        I'll try it tomorrow and time it see how long it really takes to hit split payment, pressing 4 numbers (I usually spend less than $100.00) which are 2 cents less than the amount required and pay.

        • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:46
          +4

          lol I bet you won't really earn 2c in that few seconds anyway. It is the satisfaction of beating supermarket chains counts, nobody is gotta make a living out of that 2c.

          • skinnywombat on 02/10/2018 - 22:54
            +1

            @truetypezk: … in the time you’ve taken to type this …

            Hang on, whilst I was typing this, what could I have been earning as Managing Director of the ABC?
            Kind regards, Michelle.

    • Sage on 02/10/2018 - 23:35
      +1

      How do you do it with petrol? OP isn't paying with cash.

      • mysterytal on 02/10/2018 - 23:37

        Split payment. Use Woolworths egift card to pay. You need a nice co-operative attendant who is willing to enter a figure 2 cents less than what you bought.

      • subywagon on 03/10/2018 - 01:11
        +1

        Just put in 2c of petrol? Does it get rounded down?

        • Gandalf the Thrifty on 03/10/2018 - 05:54

          There is a minimum fuel buy to avoid this.
          I don't think anyone at station would be happy if you were putting in 30L of fuel in 1L increments to save couple cents…

        • RockyRaccoon on 03/10/2018 - 07:50

          Hey if you are that clever you deserve it free. By the time I press and stop the bowser trigger, it’s at least 10c. A lot of practice would be needed to be able to stop it at 2c only. Then again someone here will work out a trick…😏

          • subywagon on 03/10/2018 - 11:39

            @RockyRaccoon: Haha I used to stop it at 2c over and pay with cash back in the day before shopper docket discounts etc

  • accessdenied on 02/10/2018 - 22:39
    +1

    What a load of tripplezz Crap

  • [Deactivated] on 02/10/2018 - 22:40
    +1

    Wow ozbargain account should be revoked

  • flyingmouse on 02/10/2018 - 22:40
    +4

    If you go cashier and pay cash, you can always save up to $0.02.

    • HuskyActual on 02/10/2018 - 22:59

      but that's if they even open up a non express cashier.

  • forumninja on 02/10/2018 - 22:40

    This used to lock up Coles self checkouts. Haven't tried it for a while to see if it still does.

    • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:43

      The new self checkouts work flawlessly. The old one wasn't really locked up, it just threw an unexpected error which goes away after about 5s.
      Another thing to remember is that this trick only works on machines that accept cash, for both coles and woolies. If it is a card only machine it won't round up/down.

      • JIMB0 on 03/10/2018 - 06:27
        +1

        It sat there for a several minutes doing nothing when I tried it. It asked for 2c so you had to put 10c in. Staff said it was trying to give me 8c change and froze from confusion. They reset it and gave me a 10c coin.

  • JetBombat on 02/10/2018 - 22:45
    +2

    Don't forget about 5% CashRewards!

    • mysterytal on 02/10/2018 - 22:47

      And paying for that egift card with a rewards credit card. I get reward points worth an extra 0.7% in cash.

  • squeeze on 02/10/2018 - 22:45
    +3

    Could this be the best deal that Ozbargain has ever seen??

    Step out of the way @tightarse

  • unifex on 02/10/2018 - 22:45
    -2

    No bargain
    Not described

  • wippy on 02/10/2018 - 22:47
    +2

    hold the phone…… initially I thought nothing of this, but it finally clicked for me…. so are you saying that if the total is $18, you would go and use split payment and use a gift card for a total of $17.98 so that you can save 2 cents on every transaction…… wow….. I'm impressed…. mind blown!!! :)

    • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:51
      +5

      If you got the time and enough woolies rewards/flybuys accounts, you can go n buy grapes pcs by pcs. You will get 2c off each grape and 15c from the bag bonus, essentially paid (cheaply though) to eat grapes.

      • wippy on 02/10/2018 - 22:53

        I can spend the whole day hanging around the self checkouts :)

        • Boodek on 02/10/2018 - 23:14
          +1

          Get a haircut and a real job!

      • braskic on 02/10/2018 - 22:55

        BYO bag bonus is once per day (both Coles and Woolies) and $5 minimum spend (Woolworths).

        • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:56
          +1

          That's why I said if you have enough rewards accounts. Yeah woolies new rule sucks.

      • wippy on 02/10/2018 - 23:02

        I wonder how much 1 grape would cost……

        • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 23:10

          It's just a "thought experiment", I wasn't cheap enough to try this but if 1 grape is not enough you can always buy 2 :)

        • CacheHunter on 03/10/2018 - 09:20

          It's not an entirely silly idea. Back when they first got rid of 1c and 2c coins there were people buying green beans one at a time to get them for free. That was back in days long before self serve checkouts and when most people still paid for everything with cash.

  • dvd107 on 02/10/2018 - 22:50
    +1

    Split a basket of 20 items into 20 separate transactions with each item 2c off = 40c saved with 5% egift card?

    • truetypezk on 02/10/2018 - 22:54

      No you are wrong, if you wanna do it on a large scale, the time you spent on entering egc number completely eliminates the 5% benefit. Just use paywave/paypass, amex plat edge is the best.

  • Penalty boxer on 02/10/2018 - 22:54
    +1

    This needs to go into some sort of OzBargain hall of fame.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/10/2018 - 22:58
    +3

    Do this 7.5 times and you can afford a bag!

  • windowshopper on 02/10/2018 - 23:00

    Everyone has a right to their two cents.

  • TheDukeOfNukem on 02/10/2018 - 23:03
    +1

    If you go to buy something that is X.97, and pay with card, you save THREE cents, EVERY time.

    (profanity) wizard!

    • Bren20 on 02/10/2018 - 23:15

      Ahhh, does someone want to explain how rounding works

      • TheDukeOfNukem on 03/10/2018 - 00:11

        60% of the time, it works every time.

  • brongz on 02/10/2018 - 23:03
    -3

    i know some people from certain backgrounds will get upset if they (by mistake) get short change of 5 or 10 cents. but you, op, is a masterpiece. hail op!!

  • nauter on 02/10/2018 - 23:06
    +5

    Heres a better pro-tip:

    1. Weigh about 3 grapes.
    2. Weight rounds down to $0.00
    3. Free grapes
    4. Repeat.
  • Froot Loops on 02/10/2018 - 23:07

    Not a bargain. This is simply paying for an item. Always been this way with cards

  • cj3 on 02/10/2018 - 23:08
    +2

    Few months back, used the self payment machine at the PO.
    Bill was $93X.XX. Paid using all $50 bills.
    Counted as the notes went in, everything hunky dory.
    Printed receipt and got correct change back.
    Walked away, lady goes up to use the machine and says "hey you forgot your change".
    Looked back and there was $50 in the change slot!
    Don't know why it happened, but if only I could replicate it. :)

    • nickxau on 02/10/2018 - 23:16

      Ummm… 2 x $50 notes stuck together and you hadn't realized?

  • ilovefullprice on 02/10/2018 - 23:11

    Perhaps the threshold is DOUBLED at $0.04!!!

  • Eeples on 02/10/2018 - 23:19

    Fake news.

    2 cent pieces no longer in circulation :/

    • Sage on 02/10/2018 - 23:38

      banks hold money to the cent. we're not talking about physical currency.

  • Sage on 02/10/2018 - 23:33

    So only good if you use gift cards.

    This was posted a couple weeks or so ago.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2018 - 01:17

    I just made some adjustments to my home budget spreadsheet. It predicts I can save 8 cents per annum using this technique. Thanks op.

  • ysco on 03/10/2018 - 05:31

    In Brisbane this hack works at Coles stores as well but don’t enter $0.03 less at both Coles or Woolworths if you do the self serve register will crash

  • JIMB0 on 03/10/2018 - 06:33
    +1

    To make the most of this "deal" buy all your items separately. Buy each peace of fruit/veg individually and weigh them without a bag as it takes off 4g for the bag. Finally go home and marvel at how you saved 52c for wasting 20 minutes of your life.

  • Gandalf the Thrifty on 03/10/2018 - 07:33

    Save more by weighing everything and scan as potatoes

  • [Deactivated] on 03/10/2018 - 09:03
    +2

    They must have fixed this, because I had a total of $20.02 and a $20 card and it was still asking for 2 cents after I applied the card. Did I put 5c in, NO! (I didnt have 5c piece anyways), I got the cashier and told her to fix it, she stared at me blankly, so I said, just get your manager. I explained to the manager it should have rounded off my 2 cents and I was not breaking a note, but I was taking my groceries home now, he could put the 5 cent in if he pleased.

    • Ughhh on 03/10/2018 - 09:57
      +1

      I had something like that before, asking for the last 2c. I put in a 20c, it completed the transaction and spat the 20c back out. Nbd

    • Ryanek on 03/10/2018 - 10:20

      Do you have this haircut?

  • HeWhoKnows on 03/10/2018 - 16:58

    Is all this worth the 2c? Really?

    A better deal is taking bottles back for a 10c refund on each in NSW and SA

  • AlienC on 06/10/2018 - 20:41

    anyone else feel like they are wondering what they are doing with their life at this exact point? no? just me? ok hehehaha

  • ribbonsofnight on 20/09/2019 - 15:26

    I found out trying to do a 2c payment to do the 5 payments for my westpac choice $50 promotion. Seems like you'd need to be desperate to need to do this but it's still pretty tempting just for the fun of it.

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