Recent online discussions have highlighted customer frustrations with MINISO Group Holding Limited (MNSO), where store staff reportedly insist on membership registration before allowing payment. The issue "MINISO requires membership for checkout" has trended on social media. Some consumers have also reported that after refusing to sign up, they found unfamiliar mobile phone numbers listed on their receipts.
Many consumers view membership registration as a personal choice and believe merchants have no right to make it a mandatory condition for purchase. Staff members, however, have indicated to media that these actions are driven by internal performance targets, with penalties for not meeting them. Some employees stated their stores have requirements for subscription, new member acquisition, and participation rates. Failing to meet a single target can result in a 50 yuan fine, and missing all targets means working a day for nothing. "We employees also dislike this; we get criticized from both sides," one said, even suggesting, "I hope everyone lodges a complaint."
Does this forced collection of user information infringe on rights? Lawyer Liu Yabo from Beijing stated that forcing membership registration for ordinary goods checkout constitutes adding unreasonable conditions to a transaction, potentially violating consumers' rights to choose and to fair trade. Using another person's membership information without consent also infringes on that individual's personal information rights, damages the authenticity and completeness of consumer transaction records, and could hinder future rights protection efforts.
The Mystery of the Receipt Phone Number
One shopper experienced being "enrolled as a member" without consent during checkout at a MINISO store. The consumer, who chose to pay directly without presenting a membership, later found a stranger's mobile number on the paper receipt. "Did the staff member just write a random number on my receipt to meet their quota?" the customer questioned.
The consumer expressed strong dissatisfaction, noting that MINISO offers rebates for member purchases. "I just found it troublesome and didn't want to sign up, but why is my purchase record attached to someone else's membership number without my knowledge, with the rebate going to that person's account?" The consumer accused MINISO of treating customers unfairly and engaging in forced transactions that violate the right to be informed.
Inquiries to MINISO customer service revealed that member rebates are processed through the brand's mini-program account. Simply registering a phone number is insufficient; users must log into the WeChat mini-program, complete real-name registration, and link their phone number to accumulate points and enjoy member benefits after purchases.
An insider explained, "The staff have no choice. Every customer must show a membership to check out. If a customer doesn't have one, they have to use another customer's membership." Registering another person's number doesn't yield a rebate but helps boost the store's participation rate, a key performance indicator. Staff face fines if participation rates are not met, which drives this behavior.
Industry commentator Zhang Shule views this as a commercial risk for a non-membership-based retailer to use membership barriers to infringe on consumer rights. While it might be an unofficial practice by some stores to meet KPIs, it exposes potential issues with MINISO's store performance management and daily operational oversight.
The Staff's Dilemma
The push for mandatory membership registration originated from a purchase limit policy. In December 2025, MINISO issued a nationwide rule specifically for popular trendy products like blind boxes, plush toys, MEGA collectibles, hanging cards, and BJDs. It stipulated that purchasing these categories required brand membership registration, with a limit of two sets per series per member per day. The stated goal was to prevent excessive hoarding by a few users and ensure fair access for genuine consumers.
However, this rule, initially meant only for trendy products, was reportedly extended by some offline stores to include everyday items unrelated to reseller activity. Customers found themselves required to scan a code and register as members to pay for ordinary goods, leading to widespread complaints. Shoppers described being stopped at the checkout after lining up to buy small items, forced to either register and provide personal information or return the goods to the shelf.
MINISO staff have become the direct targets of customer dissatisfaction, but many employees also express feeling caught in the middle.
"We employees also resent this; we get scolded from both sides. If our activity rate isn't met, we get fined. Now we're really afraid of working the cashier," one staff member shared. "When a customer was yelling yesterday, I really wanted to tell her to complain to the company, but I didn't dare speak up because the checkout counter has audio recording. It feels awful being silenced," another said, echoing sentiments found on social platforms.
"The daily new member acquisition rate needs to reach 10% to 12%," another staff member revealed, noting store requirements for subscription, acquisition, and participation rates. Failing on one metric incurs a 50 yuan penalty. "If all targets are missed, it's like working a full day for free. Customers don't like signing up, and we can't force them. But if you want to avoid being fined, you have to find other ways." "Every day the store manager posts the new subscription rates in the group chat. Our store is almost always at the bottom and we're told to keep up or face reprimands." Some staff have even stated, "We just ask as per the procedure. If they don't have a membership, we ask them to sign up. If they refuse, that's it. I hope everyone complains."
MINISO's official response has reiterated that for ordinary daily necessities like tissues, hair accessories, and home textiles—excluding blind boxes and limited-edition trendy products—consumers do not need to register as members or provide a phone number and can pay directly by scanning a code. The company stated that if offline stores illegally force customers to register, consumers can call the official complaint hotline.
Yet, caught between headquarters' policy against forcing membership for daily goods and the pressure of salary deductions for missing targets, store staff are left to navigate a difficult position, resorting to various methods to encourage customer registration.
Comparisons have been drawn with major membership-based retailers like Sam's Club and Metro. Sam's Club operates a paid membership system where consumers voluntarily purchase membership; those who don't wish to join can choose not to shop there. Metro offers free basic membership registration, with voluntary paid upgrades for PLUS benefits; shopping is possible without membership, and consumers are not pressured to provide information. This raises questions: Since MINISO has announced membership limits only for trendy products, why can't it control stores nationwide from altering the rules independently? Linking new member quotas to staff wages and using salary deductions to force employee-driven sign-ups—is this an unauthorized practice by franchisees or a customer acquisition tactic tacitly approved by the brand?
Lawyer Liu Yabo commented that implementing membership purchase limits for popular trendy items to prevent bulk buying and speculation by resellers is generally considered justified in practice and regulation, as a measure to maintain fair trading order. However, this cannot justify indiscriminately expanding forced membership requirements. Staff being pressured by KPIs to violate rules is an internal management issue and cannot serve as a legal defense against infringing consumer rights.
Industry commentator Zhang Shule believes that for a membership offering few real benefits, the best way to genuinely attract sign-ups is to provide differentiated products that increase shopping frequency and build store visit habits. Trendy products represent a new growth area for MINISO, but using membership as a simple defense against reseller hoarding is inadequate, as it doesn't stop determined resellers who can also stockpile memberships. This, he suggests, also reflects a degree of haste and uncertainty in MINISO's push into the trendy product market.
MINISO's Recent Financial Performance
MINISO Group Holding Limited reported strong first-quarter 2026 results. The company achieved operating revenue of 5.688 billion yuan, exceeding market and its own expectations, representing a year-on-year increase of 28.49%. Net profit attributable to shareholders was 1.251 billion yuan, growing approximately twofold.
However, analysts note that the first-quarter performance surge was largely fueled by early investments in artificial intelligence. MINISO invested in AI unicorn MiniMax, and this investment generated 875 million yuan in unrealized and mark-to-market gains in Q1 2026.
MINISO continues to expand its store network. As of the end of Q1 2026, the company had 8,565 stores globally, a net increase of 797 stores over the past year and 80 stores in the last quarter. Notably, the company's related expenses are growing rapidly. In Q1 2026, selling and distribution expenses reached 1.471 billion yuan, up 44% year-on-year, while general and administrative expenses were 297 million yuan, an increase of 22.8%.
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