How do self-checkout and scan-and-go work in Switzerland (Migros Subito, Coop passabene)?

As of June 2026. Self-checkout and scan-and-go are now everyday tech in almost every larger Swiss supermarket, but the systems work differently, and few people explain the rules (spot checks, age verification, trust levels) clearly. This guide breaks down the four main options: Migros Subito, Coop passabene, plus the self-checkout lanes at Aldi Suisse and Lidl Schweiz. Every procedural claim is backed by the retailers' official pages and Swiss news coverage, and dated.

Scan-and-go or self-checkout: what is the difference?

Both save time at the till, but they are technically two different things:

• Scan-and-go (self-scanning): you scan each item at the shelf with your own smartphone and bag it as you go. At the end you pay in the app or just scan a completion code. This is Migros Subito (inside the Migros app) and Coop passabene (a separate passabene app).
• Self-checkout (self-service till): you bring your basket to the terminal, scan each item there, and pay by card or Twint. Available at Aldi Suisse, Lidl Schweiz, and many Migros and Coop stores.

Migros Subito vs Coop passabene, side by side

Migros rolled out subitoGo gradually from November 2021 after a pilot in over 80 stores, and by spring 2022 all ten cooperatives offered the function (source: corporate.migros.ch, aargauerzeitung.ch). Coop has offered passabene for years, the system uses Scandit technology and runs through its own app.

Age verification: what happens with alcohol and tobacco?

Whether Subito, passabene or a self-checkout terminal: age-restricted items (beer, wine, spirits, tobacco) trigger the legally required age check. The system pauses the transaction, and a staff member quickly checks your ID in the checkout area (source: 20min.ch, coop.ch). The purchase cannot be completed without that check, and this applies deliberately to every payment route.

Spot checks and trust levels: the rule that surprises many

With self-scanning a spot check can happen at any time. Staff then rescan your whole basket and confirm everything was registered. Migros and Coop deliberately do not reveal what triggers a spot check or how often it happens (source: 20min.ch).

• If an item is missing: Migros assumes an honest mistake and asks you to rescan it. For repeat cases, larger thefts or suspected abuse, Migros can record your personal details and start legal steps (source: faq.migros.ch, 20min.ch).
• A clean spot check: at Migros you may get a piece of chocolate depending on the cooperative, at Coop a voucher for five times the Superpunkte (source: 20min.ch).
• Coop trust level: passabene has assigned each customer a trust level since launch. Fail a spot check and you drop a level and get checked more often, clean checks raise the level again (source: watson.ch, luzernerzeitung.ch).

Tip: scan carefully and watch multi-packs plus fruit and vegetables with a weighed label, those are the classic trip-ups.

Aldi Suisse and Lidl Schweiz: self-checkout at the discounters

Aldi Suisse rolled out self-checkout nationwide in 2025. By summer 2025 around 150 stores were equipped, with the goal of autonomous payment in all 247 Swiss stores (source: aldi-suisse.ch press release dated 12 September 2025, blick.ch). Lidl Schweiz uses self-checkout with a barrier system at many locations: to leave, you scan the receipt barcode at the gate, which Lidl says serves theft prevention and merchandise-flow control (source: nau.ch). At Bern station Lidl skips the gate because of the high foot traffic.

These systems are most useful for smaller baskets. For a big weekly shop a staffed till is often barely slower, and you have to handle age checks and spot checks yourself.

The point that matters: the app does not lower the price

This is the biggest misunderstanding. Subito, passabene or a self-checkout terminal make shopping more convenient, but the price stays exactly the same as at a staffed till. A pack of butter is not one centime cheaper at self-checkout. Saving comes not from how you pay, but from which store and which promo week you choose.

That is exactly what Rappn does: the app compares current prices and promotions across Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro and Otto's, neutrally and with no commercial agreement with any retailer. So you see before you shop where your weekly basket is cheapest this week, then scan with Subito or passabene with a clear conscience.

It depends on the week and the category, no store is always cheapest. Compare your weekly basket live in Rappn and then use self-checkout or scan-and-go just for the convenience, not in the hope of a lower price.