Recent social media posts have seen numerous users complaining about being forced to register as a member to complete a purchase at MINISO Group Holding Limited (ASX: MNSO) stores. The phrase "MINISO won't let you check out without being a member" has even trended as a hot search topic. Some consumers have reported that after refusing to sign up, they were able to pay, but later found an unfamiliar member's phone number printed on their receipt.
Many consumers view membership registration as a personal choice and believe merchants have no right to make it a mandatory condition for purchase. However, some MINISO staff members have indicated to media that this practice is driven by internal company performance targets, with penalties for failing to meet them. One employee stated that their store has requirements for subscription, new member acquisition, and participation rates. Failing to meet any single target results in a fine, and if all targets are missed, it equates to a day's wages lost. "We employees dislike this too, we get criticized from both sides," the employee said, even suggesting, "I hope everyone files a complaint."
Does this forced collection of user information constitute an infringement? Lawyer Liu Yabo from Beijing commented that for ordinary goods, making membership registration a mandatory condition for checkout constitutes adding unreasonable terms to a transaction, potentially violating consumers' rights to make independent choices and to fair trade. Using another person's membership information without consent also infringes on that individual's personal information rights, compromises the authenticity and completeness of the consumer's transaction record, and could hinder future rights protection efforts.
One consumer's shopping experience involved becoming a member without consent. This shopper reported that while checking out at a MINISO store without presenting a membership, they paid directly. However, the paper receipt contained a strange member's phone number. "Did the staff member just write a random number on my receipt to meet their quota?" the consumer expressed frustration, questioning, "I know MINISO now offers cashback for member purchases, I just didn't want the hassle. But how can they record my purchase under someone else's member account without my knowledge, with the cashback going to that stranger?" The consumer accused MINISO of treating customers foolishly and pointed out this violates consumer知情权 and constitutes forced trading.
Inquiries to MINISO customer service revealed that member rebates are processed through the mini-program member account. Simply registering a phone number does not qualify for rebates; users must log into the MINISO WeChat mini-program, complete real-name registration, bind their phone number, and accumulate points from purchases to enjoy member benefits. An insider explained, "The staff have no choice. Every customer must show a membership to pay. If you don't have one, they have to use another customer's membership." Registering someone else's number doesn't generate cashback but helps boost participation rates, a metric tied to staff penalties for non-compliance.
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 MINISO's somewhat lax management regarding store performance and daily operations.
The origin of the mandatory membership for payment was a purchase limit policy. In December 2025, MINISO issued a nationwide rule targeting popular trendy products like blind boxes, plush toys, and collectible series, requiring brand membership for purchase and limiting members to two items per series per day. The stated goal was to prevent hoarding by a few users and ensure fair access for genuine consumers. However, this rule, originally for trendy products, was expanded by some offline stores to include everyday items unrelated to resellers, forcing customers to scan and register as members at checkout or be unable to pay.
This has led to widespread complaints from consumers who, just wanting to buy small items, find themselves at the register being asked to register, feeling trapped between compromising their information or abandoning their purchase. MINISO staff have become the direct target of customer dissatisfaction. Yet, many employees express their own grievances. "We employees dislike this too. We get骂 from both sides. If participation rates aren't met, we get fined. Now we're really afraid of working the register," one said. Another mentioned wanting to tell a complaining customer to report the company but feared speaking out due to audio surveillance at registers.
Staff have shared their pressures on social media, noting daily new member acquisition targets and fines for missing any of the subscription, acquisition, or participation rate goals. "If a customer doesn't want to register, you can't force them. But if you don't want to be fined, you have to find other ways," one employee explained. Some staff simply follow the procedure of asking, and if the customer refuses, they drop it, with one even stating, "I hope everyone goes and complains."
MINISO's official response reiterates that for ordinary daily goods like tissues, hair accessories, and home textiles (excluding blind boxes and limited trendy products), consumers do not need to register as members or provide a phone number and can pay directly by scanning a code. It states that consumers can call the official complaint hotline if a store illegally forces membership registration. However, caught between corporate rules against forcing membership for daily goods and the pressure of salary deductions for missing targets, store staff are left in a difficult position, resorting to various methods to guide customers to register.
Comparisons have been drawn to membership-based retailers like Sam's Club and Metro. Sam's operates a paid membership system where consumers voluntarily choose to join or not shop there. Metro offers free basic membership registration, with optional paid upgrades for premium benefits, and does not force information collection or bar non-members from shopping. This raises questions: Since MINISO announced membership limits only for trendy products, why can't it control stores nationwide from私自 modifying the rules? Is linking new member targets to staff salaries, using fines to force registrations, an action by individual franchisees or a tacitly approved customer acquisition strategy by the brand?
Lawyer Liu Yabo noted that implementing membership purchase limits for热门潮玩 to prevent bulk buying by resellers is generally considered justified for maintaining fair trade秩序. However, this cannot justify无限扩大强制会员的范围. Staff being pressured by KPIs to violate rules is an internal management issue and cannot serve as an exemption from liability towards consumers.
Zhang Shule believes that for a membership offering few real benefits, the best way to attract registrations is to provide unique products that increase shopping frequency and build store habits. Using membership as a simple defense against resellers for trendy products, a new growth area for MINISO, may not stop determined resellers who can also stockpile memberships, revealing some haste and uncertainty in MINISO's push into the潮玩 market.
MINISO's Financial and Operational Context
MINISO Group Holding Limited's financial performance for the first quarter of 2026 appeared strong. The company reported operating revenue of RMB 56.88 billion, exceeding market and its own expectations, representing a 28.49% year-over-year increase. Net profit attributable to the parent company was RMB 12.51 billion, nearly tripling year-over-year. However, analysts suggest the quarterly performance surge was primarily driven by early investments in artificial intelligence, specifically an investment in AI unicorn MiniMax, which generated RMB 8.75 billion in unrealized and mark-to-market gains in Q1 2026.
MINISO's store network continues to expand. 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, sales and distribution expenses reached RMB 14.71 billion, a 44% increase, while general and administrative expenses were RMB 2.97 billion, up 22.8% year-over-year.
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