California woman removes a cherry from her Baskin Robbins ice cream. Then looks in shock at the order screen : ‘Baskin Robbins pls explain’

A woman in California removed a single cherry from her Baskin Robbins sundae while ordering at the kiosk, thinking she could save a dollar or two—but she didn’t. TikTok user Lile Khomasuridze (@flatchestedgirl) shows a self-service ordering screen at a Baskin Robbins location.

“That’s $7,” she says, showing the screen. She appears to be ordering a two-scoop sundae. The total is $7.59. “And then, no cherry,” she continues, removing the cherry from her sundae order.

After she removes the item, the price increases—from $7.59 to $8.58. “Baskin Robbins pls explain why it costs a dollar to REMOVE one cherry,” Khomasuridze writes in the video overlay text. In the caption, she adds, “No way that’s real cause why am I paying for less of something?”

Maybe it’s just a glitch in the system

In the comments section, users said they have also been charged for customizations, even when opting out of one ingredient. “Wait cuz I think Culver’s charged us 40 cents to remove the tomato last night,” one user wrote. “It’s costs $1.29 to take lettuce off my Carls Jr sandwich. WTH,” offered another. “Theyre out of hand charging for the cones too,” declared a third.

Still, some insisted it was likely just a glitch. After all, these charges can happen simply because of a programming error. A restaurant may mean to reduce the total price after removing an item. But due to incorrect coding, the cost is added instead of subtracted. Evidence suggests programming errors can cause customer prices to increase at random. “Definitely a glitch of some sort, the parentheses around the .99 usually means it’s taking that off the price,” one commenter stated.

Over the past decade, the cost of eating at restaurants has risen by about 51%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even if you’re just buying yourself a sweet treat, expect to pay more than ever—data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that candy and chewing gum prices have risen approximately 57% since September 2016.

No one else appears to be reporting this issue with Baskin Robbins, and efforts to replicate it through online ordering have failed. However, billing for omitting an ingredient is not uncommon. This practice typically happens at restaurants that prepare products in bulk, rather than custom-making every order. Nonetheless, it’s unclear why this would happen at a Baskin Robbins location.