Woman wanted $1 bills so her kid could play the claw machine at Walmart. When the store refused to make change — she found a $1.40 gum loophole

Retail policies and customer service rules can test anyone's patience, but sometimes a little creative thinking is all it takes to turn a frustrating situation into a hilarious win. Picture this: you are out on a simple weekend errand with your kids to Walmart, expecting an easy trip to keep them entertained. Everything is going well; in fact, you've even found the perfect way to unwind — Asian claw games — until Walmart tells you they no longer open cash drawers to give customers change. This is what happened with a parent (u/neverendingmuthrfuk), who shared their story on Reddit on September 7, 2026. While most would've accepted defeat, this parent found a loophole to trick Walmart’s strict policy. Their post has received 13,000 upvotes. 

The $1 dilemma

The parent who'd taken their child to Walmart for some shopping spotted an arcade claw machine in the store. Wanting to play, they bought 3 tokens, each worth $1. However, the parent soon saw another section where they could redeem 5 tokens for a collectible figure. The parent only had a single $5 bill, so they went to the customer service desk to get five $1 bills instead. But the worker immediately refused. "I was informed that Walmart no longer opens their drawers to give change," the author said.

The parent strikes back

Instead of giving up, the parent came up with a better plan, a loophole that saved the day. They grabbed a cheap $1.40 pack of gum, waited in the line at customer service again, and bought it so the cashier had to open the register. When handing over the change, the cashier admitted that buying something is actually a trick management suggests when people need change. Taking that idea to the next level, the parent immediately said they wanted to return the gum. "You should have seen the look on this woman’s face. You would have thought I punched a baby and stepped on a kitten all at once based on her reaction," they said. 

The sudden return request completely shocked the cashier. When the shopper tried to hand back the $0.60 in loose change to swap everything for five clean $1 bills for the arcade machines, the cashier initially refused out of sheer disbelief. After the parent politely insisted, the worker finally caved and handed over the five $1 bills, though she angrily yelled that they could "never do that again" as the parent walked away victorious.

Cash gets tricky

This situation shows how hard using cash in retail stores is becoming today. In 2024, cash accounted for only 14% of U.S. consumer payments, as shoppers increasingly used cards and other payment options. In fact, credit and debit cards accounted for 35% and 30% of payments, respectively, according to the Federal Reserve’s Diary of Consumer Payment Choice report. This trend has made simple tasks, like breaking a $5 bill, an unexpected hassle. In the end, it took buying a $1.40 pack of gum, making a return, and swapping back $0.60 in change just to give five crisp $1 bills. 

'Walmart isn't a bank'

This story sparked a lively debate online, dividing the readers between those cheering for the parent's quick thinking and others pointing out the hidden side effects of store rules. For example, u/itslemontree86 commented, "It's a safety issue too. Some will just want to see what you have or try to trick you, saying they gave you 20, not 10. But often places that need a quarter for a cart will give change. Walmart is not a bank; some use it as such." Similarly, u/jford16 said, "I hate Walmart and won't shop there anymore because the last two times I was there, they wouldn't let me leave without checking my receipt. I'm not going to shop at a place that treats me like some kind of criminal."

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