If you have ever been to a Walmart, then chances are you’ve noticed that they have quite a large self check out section. Occasionally, you may have seen the section closed. Walmart does not explicitly advertise their self check out hours. So, you may have wondered, when does Walmart’s self checkout close?
To figure this out, I contacted Walmart customer service to find out exactly when their self checkout opens and closes. Below is what their representative said about their self checkout hours.
What are Walmart’s Self checkout hours? According to customer service, Walmart self checkout hours are the same as the store hours. In other words, self checkout operates on the same hours as the store that it is in. The self checkout area at Walmart does not have separate hours.
With this being said, you may have been in a Walmart when their self checkout was closed. While this is a very rare occurrence, according to customer service, it does happen from time to time. Below are some reasons why the self checkout area may have been closed at Walmart.
Why Does Walmart’s Self Checkout Close Early?
There may be times where the self checkout section is closed before the store is closed. There are generally 3 reasons for this.
- Machine Maintenance
- Employees Saving Time
- Malfunctions
1. Machine Maintenance
One reason why Walmart’s self checkout may be closed early is because they are doing machine maintenance. Although the machines don’t require much maintenance there are times where they need to be updated, cleared, etc.
So, if they are being updated, then they can’t be used. Thus, the self checkout area has to be closed.
2. Employees Saving Time
This reason isn’t as concrete as the previous reason, however it does occur. Sometimes, when employees don’t want to stay late. They shutdown the self checkout area early so that they do not have to wait until after hours.
This only really occurs if you are shopping close to actual closing time. Otherwise this is likely not the reason.
3. Malfunctions
Believe it or not, technology does malfunction from time to time. It could be the software, the scanner, the weight scale, etc. If one part of the self checkout machine is not functioning correctly then the whole thing is effectively useless.
While Walmart routinely checks their machines, sometimes these things slip through the cracks, which means the self checkout has to shut down until it gets properly fixed.
This is probably the most likely reason why the self checkout is shut down. There are so many different moving parts to these machines that they are bound to have something broken.
Final Thoughts: Walmart Self Checkout Hours
So, in short, Walmarts self checkout hours typically follow the regular Walmart schedule. However there are instances where they may either be opened late or closed early. However, according to the Walmart customer service, this is a very rare occurrence.
So you will rarely run into a situation where the self checkout is closed at Walmart.