Overcharged at Checkout? Scanner Price Laws by State

If a store's scanner charges you more than the price on the shelf tag or in the ad, most states let you get the difference back, and a few make the store pay you a bonus or give you the item free. Michigan, Massachusetts and Connecticut have some of the strongest rules. In most other states, the store owes you a refund of the overcharge, and the state or county weights-and-measures office enforces it.

This guide covers what each rule gives you, how to claim it, and what to keep so you can prove the price you were shown.

Laws reviewed November 8, 2026 from state statutes and agency pages linked below. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check your state's agency before relying on a specific remedy.

Scanner price laws at a glance

What counts as a scanner overcharge?

A scanner overcharge happens when the price charged at the register is higher than the price the store displayed for the same item: on the shelf tag, a sign, a sticker or an advertisement. The laws in this guide are about that gap, not about whether a price is fair or competitive.

Not every difference is an error. Before you ask for money back, check that:

• The tag matches the item. Same brand, size, flavor and count. A tag for the 12 oz bottle doesn't cover the 16 oz bottle next to it.
• The sale was still running. Many tags print an end date.
• You met the conditions. Loyalty-card prices, "2 for $5" deals and "with coupon" prices often require something at checkout.

For the most common causes, see our guide to why the same items carry different prices.

Michigan: refund plus a bonus of up to $5

Michigan's Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, often called the Scanner Law, has been in effect since September 1, 2011. According to the Michigan Attorney General, if a scanner charges you more than the displayed price:

• Your purchase must be complete and you need a receipt showing the item and the price charged.
• You must tell the store within 30 days, in person or in writing.
• The store must refund the difference and may pay a bonus of 10 times the difference, at least $1 and no more than $5, within two days.
• If the store doesn't pay both the refund and the bonus, you can sue for your actual damages or $250, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees of up to $300, or file in small claims court.

Buying several of the same item in one transaction earns one bonus, not one per item.

Massachusetts: free item or $10 off on groceries

For grocery items at food stores, Massachusetts General Laws chapter 94, section 184C requires the store to charge you the lowest of the advertised, sticker, scanner and display prices. If the checkout price isn't the lowest price, or leaves out a discount you qualified for, the store:

• can't charge you for one unit if the lowest price is $10 or less;
• must charge the lowest price minus $10 for one unit if the lowest price is more than $10;
• must charge the lowest price for any additional units.

The rule doesn't apply in cases of willful tampering or to certain gross errors where the displayed price is less than half the checkout price. Massachusetts also runs scanner inspections through its Division of Standards, which accepts consumer complaints.

Connecticut: get the item free, up to $20

Connecticut's "Get One Free" law covers consumer commodities: everyday items you use up and replace, such as groceries, toiletries and paper goods. If one rings up higher than its posted price, you can get it free, up to $20. A 2012 update extended the rule to items sold by weight and to sale prices that don't match the scanned price.

Point out the error and ask for the item free. If the cashier doesn't know the rule, the Department of Consumer Protection suggests asking for a manager. Multi-buy deals count only if you buy the full quantity the sign requires.

New York: posted refund policies and county rules

New York Agriculture and Markets Law section 197-b defines an overcharge as a price above the lowest advertised, posted or marked price, and requires stores to post their refund policy for overcharges. Inspectors can fine stores for overcharges they verify.

Some counties go further. Erie County, for example, enforces a local law requiring that shoppers pay the lowest advertised price, and stores that have waivers from marking each item owe a larger "super refund." If you shop in New York, ask the store for its posted policy and check your county's weights and measures office.

Wisconsin: the difference, and a sign telling you so

According to Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, a store that scans an item above its posted or advertised price must refund at least the difference, and stores using scanners must post a sign telling shoppers they're entitled to a refund. Stores may offer more, such as the item free.

Wisconsin enforces these rules actively. In 2023 the department settled with Dollar General over 662 alleged price accuracy violations, with the company paying $850,006.11 in forfeitures, surcharges and fees without admitting a violation. (A separate 2026 federal case is covered in our Dollar General pricing lawsuit article.)

California and the rest of the country

California prohibits charging more than the advertised or posted price, and its state and county weights and measures officials inspect store scanners and bring enforcement cases. Like most states, it doesn't set a fixed shopper bonus, so your remedy at the store is usually the difference.

Everywhere else, start with the store's own policy: many chains voluntarily refund the difference or give the item free. If a store refuses, your state's weights and measures office handles pricing complaints. NIST, the federal agency that coordinates weights and measures, publishes a directory of state and local offices.

How to get your money back, step by step

1. Watch the screen at checkout. Fixing a price before you pay is faster than a refund later.
2. Photograph the shelf tag. Include the product, size, price and any sale dates or conditions in the frame.
3. Keep the itemized receipt. Michigan's bonus, for example, requires a receipt showing the item and the price charged.
4. Ask at the register or customer service. Calmly name the item, the displayed price and the charged price. In Michigan, Massachusetts or Connecticut, you can mention the state rule.
5. Escalate if needed. Ask for a manager, then file a complaint with your state or county weights and measures office or attorney general.
6. Report patterns. If a store overcharges repeatedly, you can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. A report isn't a refund claim, but it helps regulators spot problems.

How CartLens helps you catch and document overcharges

Every one of these remedies depends on evidence: the price you were shown and the price you paid. CartLens works before and after you buy, in any store and any category.

• At the shelf: scan a price tag to save the price, size and printed unit price. CartLens flags tags where the unit price doesn't add up, a common sign that a tag is wrong or out of date.
• After checkout: scan your receipt to get every line item, saved with the receipt image so you can review it later.
• Over time: your trip history keeps the receipt and tag photos together, so you have the record if you need to ask for a refund within a deadline like Michigan's 30 days.

Here is what scanning a receipt looks like:

CartLens helps you spot and document a difference. It doesn't decide whether a store broke the law, and it isn't a refund claim. For more on how receipt reading works, see how receipt scanning works.

Frequently asked questions

Do I get the item free if it scans at the wrong price?

Only in some states and some stores. Connecticut gives the item free up to $20, and Massachusetts gives one grocery unit free when the lowest price is $10 or less. Elsewhere you're usually owed the difference, though many chains voluntarily offer more.

How long do I have to report a scanner overcharge?

It depends on the state. Michigan requires notice within 30 days. In most places it's easiest at checkout or the same day, while you still have the receipt and the tag is still on the shelf.

Does the law cover sale and loyalty prices?

Often, yes. Massachusetts counts missed qualifying discounts, including loyalty discounts, and Connecticut covers sale prices that don't match the scan. You still need to meet the deal's conditions, such as buying the required quantity.

What if the store refuses to refund me?

Ask for a manager, then contact your state or county weights and measures office or your state attorney general's consumer protection division. In Michigan, you can also sue if the store doesn't pay the refund and bonus.

What evidence should I keep?

The itemized receipt and a clear photo of the shelf tag or ad showing the product, size, price and any dates or conditions. Note the store location and date.

A few seconds of checking at the register is the cheapest money you'll ever save. Keep the tag photo and the receipt, and you'll have what you need to ask for the right price.

Editorial note: CartLens reviewed the Michigan Attorney General's Scanner Law notice, Massachusetts G.L. c. 94 §184C, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection guidance, New York Agriculture and Markets Law §197-b, Erie County consumer protection guidance and Wisconsin DATCP materials on November 8, 2026. This article is not legal advice. The featured image uses illustrative prices and is AI-generated.