A Circle K customer says an AI-powered self-checkout added an $8.5 billion charity donation to their order when they only wanted a hot dog.
The shopper shared the bizarre checkout screen on Reddit, writing: “I just wanted a hot dog.”
According to the customer, Circle K had replaced two registers with AI-powered kiosks. With the store’s only employee busy, they decided to use one despite previously seeing it add random products, including lighters and food that were nowhere near the sensor.
“Yesterday, tho, it threw this little gem in thinking I wouldn’t notice an $8.5 Billion Donation to the Red Cross,” they wrote. “Don’t get me wrong, I like what they do and all, but this is a bit much.”
The photo showed several bottles of Gatorade alongside the enormous donation to the American Red Cross. The kiosk still offered the option to pay by cash or card, although the customer did not complete the transaction.
They said the employee behind the counter was also “astonished,” adding that the two laughed about the unexpected charge.
Circle K’s $8.5 billion checkout sparks debate
Circle K began rolling out its Smart Checkout technology in 2022, announcing plans to install more than 10,000 Mashgin systems across over 7,000 stores.
The machines use cameras and computer vision to recognize multiple products without scanning barcodes. Circle K said customers could complete purchases in as little as ten seconds, eight times faster than traditional self-checkout.
However, some Reddit users questioned whether AI was really responsible for the billion-dollar donation.
“Looks more like someone put their phone number into the donation screen rather than the membership screen,” one user suggested.
Circle KOthers saw the funny side, with one asking: “Would you like to round up to the nearest billion for charity?”
Circle K has not publicly explained what caused the incident.
The checkout mishap comes as self-service kiosks continue to frustrate fast food customers. Popeyes recently responded after one of its kiosks asked diners to leave a tip, confirming the feature was being tested at roughly 12 food court locations.
For those who want a hot dog without the chance of being charged an extra $8.5B, Costco’s famous glizzy is still just $1.50, and the store’s CEO has promised that it’ll remain that way as long as he’s around.
