Receipt Rule at Aussie Supermarkets Sparks Confusion and Backlash

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Ever walked into one supermarket with groceries from another, only to be questioned like you’re trying to pull off a heist? That’s exactly what happened to one frustrated Aussie shopper, and it’s now sparked a bigger conversation around what stores can (and can’t) legally demand from you.

Sharing their experience on Reddit’s AusLegal forum, the shopper explained they had just picked up a trolley full of groceries from Aldi before stopping into a Coles in Victoria to grab a few more bits.

“I had a trolley full of items I had bought at Aldi, and popped into Coles for a few bits,” they wrote. “The lady at the self-checkout pointed at the 30-pack of Coke cans and demanded to see a receipt to prove I didn’t steal it.”

The shopper said they don’t usually keep receipts unless it’s for something expensive or refundable — and frankly, who does?

But apparently, that didn’t stop the staff member from insisting they should keep receipts from other stores just in case.

Feeling a bit miffed, the shopper turned to Reddit for answers. So what does the law actually say about this kind of situation?

We asked criminal defence lawyer Jahan Kalantar, author of Talk Your Way Out of Trouble, to break it down.

“The law does not give private retailers like Coles and Woolworths any legal authority to compel you to produce proof of purchase for goods that you bought somewhere else,” Kalantar said.

In short: you’re not legally required to show a receipt for something you didn’t buy from that store. And if a security guard or staff member tries to detain you over it?

“If the Coles worker keeps you there, there’s a possibility that it might be a false imprisonment claim,” Kalantar explained.

Of course, most people just show the receipt to avoid drama. But what if you didn’t keep it — or paid with cash?

Kalantar shared a story: “I had one where the guy didn’t have his receipt, but he just opened his bank account and said, ‘Here is the transaction. I couldn’t have taken it.’”

Still, he says, you have a right to your privacy.

“Just because you walk into a store and they have some assumption doesn’t mean anything. It’s very different if they’ve seen you on camera pocketing something, but there is no fundamental legal authority that a security guard can compel you to provide a receipt from a different store.”

So next time you’re rolling your trolley from one store to another, rest easy — you’re not legally required to prove your shopping history. But if you want to avoid the awkward chat at the checkout, it might not hurt to hang onto that receipt — just in case.

More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.