Woman returns to Walmart for the third time over one pair of pants. Then the checkout scanner does something unbelievable: ‘rung them up as $1’

A woman said in a TikTok video that she went back to Walmart for a third time to test brown yoga pants after earlier purchases scanned for one dollar. Maddi Todd, who posts as @padditodd, described the first buy as something she thought was an accident. The video has received about 2 million views, 273,600 likes, and more than 500 comments.

Todd said she bought the pants and “rung them up as $1.” She said she returned because her sister liked them and wanted a pair, and those also scanned as a dollar. She explained that she has another sister and went back again to see if the same brown pants would scan at that price a third time.

The video shows Todd in the clothing section looking through racks of ribbed pants. She said the baby blue ones were cute but “freaking see-through” and that she needed the brown pair because those “keep scanning as $1.” She said she found them in her sister’s size, held up the hanger, and panned to a sign listing No Boundaries pants at $9.98.

Deal sites describe Walmart hidden clearance as in-system markdowns that may not match shelf tags

Todd said the brown pants were the ones that kept scanning at one dollar, unlike a black pair she already owned. At self-checkout, the video shows the screen displaying $1.00 for “Nb Rib Pant.” Outside the store, holding the pants on a hanger with a large American flag in the background, she said she had secured another pair of brown yoga pants for $1.

A post by Todd Hebert of Yes We Coupon, published on Money Saving Mom, describes Walmart hidden clearance as items discounted in the store system while shelf tags still show a higher price. The post states that shoppers may see one price on a tag and a lower price when they scan the item at a register or in the Walmart app.

Hebert wrote that employees often do not update every tag right away, especially in larger stores. The post says prices can differ by location because Walmart uses store-specific pricing tied to inventory. It states that a markdown in one store may not appear at another nearby store, so scanning in that store matters. Such pricing quirks can lead to surprising checkout totals, like when a woman walked out with dinner for five under $15 after being just 10 cents over budget. 

The post lists the Walmart app barcode scanner as the main tool. It says shoppers should turn on location services, set the app to in-store mode for that store, and scan tags while shopping. If the app price is lower than the shelf tag, the post says the lower price is what the customer pays at checkout.

Hebert wrote that many hidden clearance items stay in their regular departments rather than only in a clearance aisle. The post suggests checking top and bottom shelves, end caps, seasonal aisles after holidays, and departments such as clothing, toys, electronics, baby items, and home goods. It says items that look out of place, mismatched, or low in stock are worth scanning.

Viewers discussed the pants video in the comments. One commenter asked why someone who found one-dollar pants they loved would not go back and buy more pairs, writing, “why would u find $1 pants that you love and not go back and buy like 10 pairs ?!?”

Another commenter said the situation matched a known shopping pattern. They wrote, “It’s “Walmart hidden clearance” it’s a whole thing that people make entire pages about finding the deals!” For Walmart, price tag disputes can escalate, as one disagreement over a price tag led to a viral confrontation that many debated. 

A commenter pointed to the store app as a way to check prices on the floor. They wrote, “You can download the Walmart app and scan stuff in the store!” Another commenter described how markdowns can hit the register before a yellow clearance sticker appears. They wrote, “Employees push their price changes through without putting a yellow clearance price on the item. The brown could be discontinued if the other colors aren’t ringing up $1”

One commenter noted a split in how people talk about bulk buys of cheap items. They wrote, “people hate when people buy alot of a cheap product but is wondering why your not buying more pants?..”