A man says Walmart butter marked $3.98 rang up higher less than two minutes later, and the manager told him the computer updates

Grocery prices have climbed sharply in recent years, and shoppers are paying closer attention to what they spend. A TikTok user named Patrick says an item’s price at Walmart went up between the shelf and the register, as reported by The Daily Dot. He explained that he and his son were at the store to pick up butter and a few other ingredients for baking, and that he keeps a close eye on costs because of how high prices have gotten.

The issue arose when he reached the checkout line and realized the total didn’t match the shelf labels he had seen moments earlier. He asked a Walmart manager why the price had increased during the short trip from the aisle to the register. Patrick said the manager told him prices can change between the aisle and the register “because the computer updates.” He pushed back, noting that his walk took less than two minutes.

As the item was marked at $3.98, he argued the price could not have gone up in that time. He then turned the camera to vent directly to his audience. “Is this what we’re doing, Walmart? Like, are we serious?” Patrick said. He also questioned whether the retailer has the right to change a price after a customer has already picked up the product.

He said the manager blamed the higher price on a computer update

Some commenters suggested shoppers simply leave their items at the register when prices change, and one claimed Walmart can change prices based on who is buying. Patrick did not say whether anything like that happened at his store, and his account has not been independently verified. Walmart has denied using personalized pricing.

In a letter to customers, chief executive John Furner wrote that the company will not use a shopper’s income or shopping history to charge more, as that would break its everyday low price promise. He added that a shelf price should match what rings up at checkout. The letter did acknowledge that prices can change. Furner wrote that the company lowers them when it can pass savings along and raises them when an item costs more to buy or transport.

He added that Walmart prices the product, not the person. The complaint comes as shoppers pay closer attention to how companies set prices, with grocery prices climbing sharply earlier this year.