7/11 Change Policy - whats the Deal ?

[pattayasnowman]

It seems that whenever I purchase something in my local 7/11 that costs say 42.5 baht , the counter staff round up the purchase to 43 baht and give change accounding to the rounded up figure.

Is this 7/11 Policy or just the ' Staff ' Policy at my local 7/11 ?

So If its 7/11 Policy, if they want say 43 baht for an item why don't they just price it that way and dispense altogether the 0.5 Baht sub pricing.

If its 'staff' policy , well 0.5 baht may be bugger all to most of us , but it certainly adds up over a few 10's of thousands of transactions.

OK I can already 'hear ' the cries "cheap Charlie" "tight farlung" etc - but as the old saying goes "Its not the money but the Principal"

[LennyW]

I wish they would all round up the .satang prices, cant stand that fiddly useless things, must be millions of them laying around in jars, bottles, ashtrays etc!

And no, it does not happen in any 7/11 i have been in - mores they pity!

[tolsti]

I asked the Principal at our local school and he promises that he had nothing to do with it.

[TaaSaparot]

Does not happen in the 7-11 that I use, I often come out of there with Satang.

[Jingthing]

I use such places to get change for the baht buses.

The other day I bought something for 21 with 40.

She asked for one baht.

I lied and said no have. (Surely I'll burn in hell for that.)

She charged me 20.

Drats ... no change!

[petercool]

I have had the opposite to the OP where 7/11 have rounded a bill to the nearest baht but in my favour rather than theirs.

[Jingthing]

I have noticed some places round. Don't even bother noticing if it is up or down. When I get satang change I rarely even take it home. I generally just leave it on the counter. Satangs are annoying to me. Don't recall ever paying with them for anything. Please abolish!

Edited March 29, 2015 by Jingthing

[Suradit69]

It seems that whenever I purchase something in my local 7/11 that costs say 42.5 baht , the counter staff round up the purchase to 43 baht and give change accounding to the rounded up figure.

Never had that happen in any 7-Eleven or any other shop I can remember. Usually I have a pocket full of change and add on the coins needed to avoid getting any more coins handed back to me.

The other day in a Family Mart my bill came to Baht 125 and I handed over Baht 200 & a 5 baht coin and the cashier handed me Baht 100 in change. She must have keyed it in wrong. I said that wasn't right and she got this stricken look on her face as if I was accusing her of cheating me. She pointed to what the cash register showed as the amount of change due me. I tried once more, but realized she was new to the place and her English was next to nil. She looked even more panicked so I said "OK" and exited with Baht 20 more than I should have. I hope it doesn't come out of her pocket. I've seen her twice since and she looks quite happy to see me. Not sure how often they reconcile what's in the till. I suppose errors either way balance out eventually.

[topt]

It seems that whenever I purchase something in my local 7/11 that costs say 42.5 baht , the counter staff round up the purchase to 43 baht and give change accounding to the rounded up figure.

Never had that happen in any 7-Eleven or any other shop I can remember. Usually I have a pocket full of change and add on the coins needed to avoid getting any more coins handed back to me.

The other day in a Family Mart my bill came to Baht 125 and I handed over Baht 200 & a 5 baht coin and the cashier handed me Baht 100 in change. She must have keyed it in wrong. I said that wasn't right and she got this stricken look on her face as if I was accusing her of cheating me. She pointed to what the cash register showed as the amount of change due me. I tried once more, but realized she was new to the place and her English was next to nil. She looked even more panicked so I said "OK" and exited with Baht 20 more than I should have. I hope it doesn't come out of her pocket. I've seen her twice since and she looks quite happy to see me. Not sure how often they reconcile what's in the till. I suppose errors either way balance out eventually.

The only place I know that sort of rounds up is True where the monthly bill is 640.xx and I always pay 641. Not sure if eventually all the odd satangs will ever add up to make any sort of difference.......If I pay the electricity bill at BIG C or 7/11 it goes to the nearest 25 satang.

I often try to give the odd extra baht to make change easier (in my mind) and it often seems to unfortunately throw the cashiers out. I have had several instances similar to Suradit69 and several the other way - where I obviously stood my ground

[SidJames]

In the States a lot of stores have a penny jar (small plate) by the till & people often leave their odd pennies of change there for anyone to use if they're short a penny or two on another occasion

[jamesjohnsonthird]

In the States a lot of stores have a penny jar (small plate) by the till & people often leave their odd pennies of change there for anyone to use if they're short a penny or two on another occasion

Good idea. But a jar of free coins would last about 2.4 seconds in Thailand.

[lust]

When I worked at Rogers video, a video rental was $5.95. When people would rent 2 movies, the total came to $11.91, (5.95 x 2 = $11.90). All those extra pennies being charged all over Canada for many years added up I'm sure.

[tolsti]

I use the 7-11 card most of the time. Solves the problem of change.

[maidee]

difference goes into their pocket, what else do you think ?

1000's customers a day = a nice side pocket money

[Don Mega]

I buy at many different 7/11's around Pattaya and have always got the satangs in my change.

[recom273]

What about when you fill your tank at the petrol pump. The guy never gets it on the nail and over runs by 0.1-0.3 even upto 1 or 2 baht.

Swings and roundabouts innit ? Have you ever been charged 25 satang at a pump ?

Edited March 30, 2015 by recom273

[klauskunkel]

In the States a lot of stores have a penny jar (small plate) by the till & people often leave their odd pennies of change there for anyone to use if they're short a penny or two on another occasion

Farang steals satang jar at 7/Eleven, incident caught on CCTV, goes viral on Facebook, prompts Prayuth to reinstate martial law.

[Eneukman]

This doesn't happen in the 7 - Eleven stores near me. I tend to leave any satang coins lying around the condo though they do eventually disappear. Over the almost 10 years that I've lived here, the total "lost" in satang coins is almost certainly less than 100 baht - not worth caring about.

Alan

[chris2004]

You should shop at Foodmart on Thappraya Road, they round the satangs DOWN.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I often try to give the odd extra baht to make change easier (in my mind) and it often seems to unfortunately throw the cashiers out.

I have that happen all the time, and it makes me wonder about what kind of education the people behind the cash registers received.

Buy something that costs 83 baht. Give the cashier 103 baht to try to make the change easier. Cashier is flummoxed,

Either can't do the math in (usually) her head, or she's already rung 100 baht as the paid amount into the register while I'm fishing out my extra 3 baht, and thus it says I'm due 17 baht in change, even though I've already given her the 3 to make it 20 baht change. Looks totally confused.

But then again, I've met Thais with "university" degrees who can't figure simple percentages, either on their own or even with the help of a calculator. And the girls working at 7-11s usually aren't univ grads.

[mathias67]

I wish they would all round up the .satang prices, cant stand that fiddly useless things, must be millions of them laying around in jars, bottles, ashtrays etc!

And no, it does not happen in any 7/11 i have been in - mores they pity!

I find across a numder of 7/11 that it is 50-50. Most round up sometimes but not every time but I say othing

[laislica]

I always spend notes. When I get coins in change, I give them to my wife.

She has a coins purse and is happy to have the change.

Dirty horrid things that make holes in your pockets LOL

[flyingdoc]

How do you get a 7/11 card?

I have requested one so many times, and always been met with a complete non commital answer! Makro, Big C , Asia Books and Tesco Lotus have got it sussed !

[Afook]

I can only think that at the time of cashing out, the 7/11 store doesn't have the .25-.50 baht coins avail? Regardless the situation, it should be in your favor, as it's not your fault that they don't have the correct change.......it's a matter of principle........never ran into this at my 7/11 :-)

[mercman24]

not getting any stamps for the last month at any 7/11 have they stopped, or are the staff pocketing the stamps, not a problem just wondering.

[kaorop]

I have noticed some places round. Don't even bother noticing if it is up or down. When I get satang change I rarely even take it home. I generally just leave it on the counter. Satangs are annoying to me. Don't recall ever paying with them for anything. Please abolish!

you want to see the looks i get when i get enough satangs

and i pour them on the counter

i say, "well you gave them to me"

what copper and bronze supplier is owned by a minister in the treasury/mint department?

could be the only reason they are still in circulation

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Foodland is definitely one of the worst for pricing in satangs. I don't think there's a bill that goes by without 25 or 50 satang on the end of the total. I toss them into the charity boxes.

As for clerks and math. I'm hardly accomplished but to watch, time and again, a clerk laboriously count out 2 or 3 1-baht coins plus a five baht coin is not confidence inspiring, when a glance should suffice.

However, I've never noticed 7-11 pricing in satang. I should maybe be more observant.

[Keesters]

Never had the experience that OP says. If I can I always give the satang coins. Sometimes the girls will ask if I have anymore and are willing to change those pesky small coins for larger denominations.

[ronthai]

The OP is lucky, wish my 7/11 did not bother to give me the little satangs back, nowhere to put them, but in the trash

[northernphil]

I often try to give the odd extra baht to make change easier (in my mind) and it often seems to unfortunately throw the cashiers out.

I have that happen all the time, and it makes me wonder about what kind of education the people behind the cash registers received.

Buy something that costs 83 baht. Give the cashier 103 baht to try to make the change easier. Cashier is flummoxed,

Either can't do the math in (usually) her head, or she's already rung 100 baht as the paid amount into the register while I'm fishing out my extra 3 baht, and thus it says I'm due 17 baht in change, even though I've already given her the 3 to make it 20 baht change. Looks totally confused.

But then again, I've met Thais with "university" degrees who can't figure simple percentages, either on their own or even with the help of a calculator. And the girls working at 7-11s usually aren't univ grads.

Yep, amazes me too. Checkout at Lotus give them a 1000B note , a handfull of change and they look confused, the wife is behind saying " OMG the ferlung is doing it again " Folk behind her are looking over her shoulder ,the CO lady is about to call the manager , she adds up my shrapnel I gave her presses send then Bingo ! she hands me a 500B note ,all around breathe a sigh of relief.