Aldi shoppers are being charged as much as a £10 “pre-payment” fee before entering the supermarket’s Greenwich store in south London.

The “pre-authorisation” payment is taken from customers before they pass through the store’s barriers and then deducted from their shop’s cost when they leave.

The Greenwich store, which opened in 2022 with the pre-payment feature, stands out among Aldi’s other UK sites. It is a checkout-free store, meaning customers don’t have to scan their goods before leaving.

However, according to The Grocer, customers may have to wait to receive their change from their pre-authorisation payment if they enter the Greenwich Aldi store and spend less than £10.

The trade outlet also reports that customers are not aware of how much the deposit to enter the store will be before they are charged.

The budget brand’s only “Shop & Go” store uses cameras to track what customers choose to take from the shelves. Then, it takes payment automatically when they leave.

The revolutionary site opened in January 2022 and initially required customers to download the Aldi Shop & Go app.

The app would ask them to register a payment card; then a QR code would be generated for them to scan to enter the store.

Last year, the supermarket allowed customers to tap their contactless card upon entering the store.

For those using the app, the QR code now automatically generates, and a warning that a deposit will be taken comes up.

However, it does not specify how much will be temporarily taken.

The message says: “We will authorise a small amount to validate your card. This will be used towards your final payment or refunded.”