Crowcery
If an item scans at a higher price than the shelf tag in a Canadian store, you may be entitled to get it free, or $10 off (in Quebec a separate law makes it free up to $15; see below). Most shoppers have never heard of the rule, and it only pays out if you actually check your receipt. Here is how it works, as of August 2026.
The Scanner Price Accuracy Code (everyone calls it the Scanning Code of Practice, or SCOP) is a voluntary code administered by the Retail Council of Canada since 2002. When the price that scans at checkout is higher than the displayed shelf or advertised price in a participating store:
| Correct price of the item | What you are entitled to |
|---|---|
| $10 or less | The item free. |
| More than $10 | $10 off the correct (lower) price. |
Buying several of the same mis-scanned item? The adjustment applies to the first one only; the rest ring in at the corrected price.
The code applies to items that scan by barcode and take their price from the shelf tag or advertised price. It does not apply to:
| Not covered | Why |
|---|---|
| Items with their own price sticker | The printed sticker price governs; there is no scanner-vs-shelf gap to correct. |
| Weighed items (produce, deli by weight) | Priced by the scale, not by a scanned shelf price. |
| Prescription drugs and behind-the-counter items | Excluded by the code itself. |
| Member-only loyalty pricing | The code is about the displayed price everyone pays, not discounts conditional on a loyalty card. |
| Quebec stores | Quebec has its own, stronger law instead; see below. |
Participation is voluntary, but the Retail Council's participant list covers thousands of stores, including major grocers this site writes guides about (the Loblaws banners, Walmart Canada, Sobeys and Safeway) plus chains like Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire, Giant Tiger and Home Depot. Because participation is voluntary and the list changes, the reliable checks are the SCOP decal stores display at the entrance or checkout, and the current participant list on retailcouncil.org.
The receipt is your evidence, so the habit that makes SCOP pay is comparing the receipt against the shelf price before you leave:
If the shelf under that pepperoni said $9.99, that is a SCOP case: the correct price is $10 or less, so the item should be free. Point out the discrepancy at the checkout or customer service desk and, politely, mention the Scanning Code of Practice by name; front-line staff sometimes only know it once named. One important check first: the shelf tag must actually be for the item you bought (same product, ideally the same code printed on the tag). An item another shopper abandoned above the wrong tag is not a scan error, and claiming it as one goes nowhere. If the store refuses and you believe it participates, the escalation path is the manager first, then the Retail Council of Canada's Scanner Price Accuracy Committee (they run a toll-free line, listed on retailcouncil.org).
Two practical notes. First, the comparison is against the displayed price: a photo of the shelf tag settles any argument, so snap one when the price matters. Second, sale prices count: if the tag advertises a sale and the register charges the regular price, that is exactly the situation the code exists for. (Member-pricing deals that need a loyalty card scan are outside SCOP: the code covers the displayed price everyone pays. If your card was scanned and the member discount did not apply, that is a customer service conversation, not a SCOP claim; how member discounts normally print is covered in the discounts guide.)
Quebec does not use SCOP. Its Consumer Protection Act makes price accuracy a legal obligation for stores that use shelf pricing instead of stickering every item, and the compensation was raised on May 7, 2025: if the scanned price is higher than the advertised price, the item is free when advertised at $15 or less, and $15 off when advertised above $15. The rule applies as soon as the wrong price is claimed at checkout, even before you pay.
Scan errors only cost the store money when someone notices. Most go uncaught because nobody reads the receipt in the parking lot. If you want to check yours faster, the other guides on this site decode everything the receipt prints: Superstore/Loblaws, Walmart and Costco formats, the tax letters, and the discount math.
Available in Canada; English-language receipts; not offered in Quebec. Or try the read-only demo first, no signup needed.
All receipt guides
Grocery receipt discounts and promo math
Superstore & Loblaws tax codes (H, MRJ, HMRJ)
Weighed items: kg prices, Gross/Tare/Net