9 Precautions West Virginians Should Take When Shopping at Kroger

Say “yes” to a substitution on your Kroger Pickup order, and you’ll pay whatever the swap costs.

It’s an easy point to miss, and it’s not the only Kroger detail worth watching.

Here are the precautions West Virginians should take when shopping at Kroger, online or in the store.

1. Card Skimmers at the Pump

Kroger has 33 gas stations across 25 cities in West Virginia, from Weirton to Beckley.

West Virginia’s Division of Labor uncovered 10 skimmers in fuel dispensers from December 2016 through the first week of April 2017.

The finds came from Charleston’s East End, Marmet, Morgantown, Parkersburg and Nitro.

It told drivers to pay inside the station when it has a cashier instead of at the pump.

It also told them to use the pumps nearest the building, where cashiers are more likely to notice suspicious activity.

If a card reader looks or feels off to you, don’t put your card in it, and report it by calling 304-558-7890.

2. Expired Sale Tags

Consumer Reports sent shoppers to 26 stores in the Kroger family across 14 states and Washington, D.C., from March through May 2025.

Expired sale tags led to overcharges on more than 150 grocery items.

The average overcharge was $1.70 an item, or 18.4 percent.

At about half the stores, the report found dozens of pricing errors, and it lists West Virginia among the regions where those stores are.

Kroger disputed that picture, saying the cited errors were a few dozen examples across several years out of billions of transactions a year.

Complaints and shoppers the researchers spoke to say Kroger employees work quickly to correct pricing errors when they’re pointed out.

So check each sale price on your receipt against the tag before you leave, and tell an employee about any gap.

3. Recall Alerts

Kroger’s October 2025 recall of two deli pasta salads named West Virginia among the states where the items sold.

The recall followed possible Listeria contamination of a pasta ingredient.

If you bought those salads, the release said not to eat them and to return them to a store for a full refund or replacement.

For that recall, Kroger alerted customers who may have bought the salads through register receipt tape messages and email alerts.

Look over your receipt for a message like that, and keep the email on your Kroger account current, too.

4. Points Expiration Dates

Most Kroger Points expire on the last day of the month after the month you earned them.

Points earned in May, for instance, expire on June 30.

Points earned with the Kroger credit card are the exception, since they don’t expire while the card account is active and in good standing.

So check your balance in your Kroger account before the month ends, and redeem the Points that are about to lapse.

5. Coupons Loaded Before Checkout

Kroger says most offers can only be loaded one time per household, even onto a different Shopper’s Card.

A coupon is available as soon as you load it to your card, so load yours before you reach the register.

Connectivity or network issues can keep a load from going through, so confirm each coupon shows under My Coupons before you pay.

6. Boost Free Trial

Kroger has offered a 30-day free trial of Boost, its paid membership for delivery and extra points, that needs a payment card.

When the trial expires, Kroger charges your credit or debit card for an annual membership unless you cancel before the 30 days are up.

Kroger’s Boost page now leads with a separate promotion, three free months with no credit card required, that ends on its own instead of renewing.

Read which offer you’re enrolling in before you tap Enroll, and set a phone reminder to cancel if it asks for a card.

7. Pickup Substitutions

When you accept a substitution on a Kroger Pickup order, you pay the price of the substituted item.

So decline any swap you won’t use, since accepting it means paying for it.

You also can’t change your pickup time or location once you place the order, so check both before you submit.

8. Use-By Dates Before You Buy

Check the Use-By date on anything you plan to keep for a few days before it goes in your Kroger cart.

A Use-By date is the last date recommended for peak quality, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it isn’t a safety date except on infant formula.

A Sell-By date, by contrast, tells the store how long to display a product for inventory management.

Kroger’s Freshness Guarantee covers produce with a freshness problem and Kroger Brand, Simple Truth or Private Selection items that don’t meet your expectations.

Bring the item back to your store for an immediate replacement.

9. Tampered Gift Cards

At Kroger or any other store, scammers might remove the protective stickers from gift cards on display, the Federal Trade Commission says.

Scammers might also scratch off the back of a card to steal its number and secret code.

Kroger sells gift cards in its stores, and its Points page offers 2x Points on qualifying ones.

Check the back of any card before you buy it, and if it looks scratched or a sticker is missing, tell a cashier or manager.