I have no experience either, but from watching a few reality crime TV shows, there is not much difference in the penalty. Offering to pay for the item after th

I have no experience either, but from watching a few reality crime TV shows, there is not much difference in the penalty. Offering to pay for the item after the fact is not accepted by mall security. The pain of the penalty (at least in the show I watched) was less about the crime & any charges, but that the shopping mall was banning them from the mall for a year. It was a bigger deal to them that they would have to find another mall and drive further away to buy their groceries to feed their kids.