TikTok creator Melanie, who goes by @mellocair, had her impression of a self-checkout machine get 804,600 likes as of publication. Commenters said they recognized the experience, with many sharing their own self-checkout frustrations.
The video, which was posted on Dec. 18, 2025, features the creator with an exaggerated checkout voice announcing everything from pregnancy tests to snacks.
The video's overlay reads, "self checkout be loud for no reason," and that is exactly what the joke is. The video captured the increasingly chaotic experience of a typical self-checkout interaction.
The skit also includes a declined card, a bagging area warning, and a customer satisfaction question at the end.
The skit begins with a cheerful welcome: "Please begin scanning." It then includes the kind of announcements shoppers may recognize from grocery stores and retailers. "Garlic bread, $4.99," the voice announces, followed by "pregnancy test, $69." Then comes "Party size Cheetos, $5.79." The machine repeats the Cheetos announcement and then, as a matter of comedic exaggeration, asks how many the shopper has purchased.
When the total is $792.83, the checkout takes another turn. "You want to remove something?" the voice asks. "Help is on the way," it continues, somehow escalating to "Unknown item in the bagging area."
The skit ends with a card being declined, with an "insufficient funds" announcement. The machine then asks the customer to rate their experience. Melanie's escalating delivery is what makes the impression work, commenters agree.
One such commenter sarcastically wrote, "DECLINNNEDDDDD!!!" Another joked, "YOU DONT WANT TO DONATE TO STARVING CHILDREN. IS THIS CORRECT?" The comment got 116,400 likes.
Other viewers complained about the machine's volume and timing. One wrote, "I tried muting it once, and it got louder, and I panicked." Another commenter said the machine was "airing out my business for all to hear." Several commenters repeated the standout "help is on the way" line. One even compared the creator's delivery to Mrs. Doubtfire's.
Some viewers shared their own checkout stories; for example, one said a machine had announced a pregnancy test. Another grumbled about being called out for buying only a brownie. Others named specific stores where they had encountered similar issues, including Kroger, CVS, and Costco.
However, the video also confused some viewers who weren't in the U.S. Several of them asked whether American self-checkout machines actually announce items out loud, so the experience is not universal.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the specific experiences described by commenters. The details above reflect the video as shared on TikTok by @mellocair.
