The Bunnings checkout rule catching shoppers out

Since their rollout in the early 2020s, Bunnings' self-checkouts have become a staple for DIYers looking to skip the queue.

Designed with enough room to manoeuvre even large and bulky items, they seemed like the ultimate convenience,

That was until I realised there's one thing you can't do at them: pay with cash.

I stumbled upon this during a recent supply run for cat food and litter.

My partner and I headed straight for the nearest kiosks, wallets ready.

Luckily, before we could even scan the first item, a sharp-eyed staffer spotted the notes in my hand and told us that if we wanted to pay with cash, we'd have to head to a staffed checkout.

Having never tried to pay with cash at a self-checkout before, the restriction caught us completely off guard.

READ MORE: Trend in Coles' latest results spells trouble for Aldi

READ MORE: Australia's most trusted brands revealed

READ MORE: Australia's best supermarket butter of 2026

It wasn't until a follow-up trip that I realised the signs were there all along. Right there on the screen, in bold, unmistakable capital letters, was the reminder: CARD ONLY.

While many retailers have moved toward cashless kiosks to speed up maintenance and reduce security risks, it remains a point of friction for shoppers who prefer physical currency.

Everything else about the Bunnings self-checkouts have been designed with convenience in mind, including scanner guns so it is easy to scan bulk and heavy items without removing them from trolleys.

You can even use gift cards to pay at the self checkout including split payments between gift cards and debit/credit cards.

Bunnings was recently included on the 2026 Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Survey, landing at number four on the list, only after Dettol at number one, Panadol at number two, and Toyota at number three.

According to Reader's Digest, the brands than proved to be the most trusted this year had all intensified their efforts to "support customers through shifting economic pressures" thereby "retaining trust during a cost-of-living crisis" by their "relentless focus on relevant innovation, genuine value-for-money, and, above all, authenticity".

Bunnings certainly ticks all those boxes and has done since it first launched its current, highly successful "big-box" warehouse model in Australia in 1994.

This was the work of Wesfarmers which purchased the brand that same year.

Wesfarmers also owns Kmart, Target, and Officeworks, as well as safety product repairer Blackwoods and health brands such as Priceline and InstantScripts.

Bunnings solidified its connection with local communities via their iconic fundraising sausage sizzles run by local community and charity groups.

Bunnings also operates discreet in-store cafes at which they are currently selling Tasmanian Bakeries iconic Cheeseburger Pie for a limited time only.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.