Pay with your iPhone at Walmart tested

[rpm]

Pay with your iPhone at Wallmart

Wal-Mart Stores Inc is testing a “Scan & Go” system that would allow shoppers to scan items using their iPhones and then quickly pay at a self-checkout counter.

[drukkie]

yeah i buy 1000 items and only scan 950... or scan the cheaper version and take the more expensive one?
not that i would do it
but people with iphones would hehehehe

[surfs-up]

Yes, that would work anywhere in Africa - yeah right

I was impressed on one of my previous trips to the USA 3 or 4 years ago. I walked into a Walmart Super store (open 24 hours) at 02.00 am (I couldn't get to sleep with jet lag so decided to browse the store). There were more self checkout tills than there were manned tills. You just do the checkout yourself - run your goods past a scanner, and then swipe your card. Obviously it would be really easy to bypass the scanner or run two or three items passed the scanner while only scanning one. But for the USA to have this system operating, they trust their customers and their customers have good morals and a conscience.

Now try that anywhere in Africa....

[Rosaudio]

Self checkout counters still have a long way to go. The ones ive used in the UK have been a nightmare to use.. Usually taking 3 times longer in the end.

This iPhone thing looks interesting but I don't think people will sway from the regular checkout process so easily.

[Rabbit7766]

Yes, that would work anywhere in Africa - yeah right

I was impressed on one of my previous trips to the USA 3 or 4 years ago. I walked into a Walmart Super store (open 24 hours) at 02.00 am (I couldn't get to sleep with jet lag so decided to browse the store). There were more self checkout tills than there were manned tills. You just do the checkout yourself - run your goods past a scanner, and then swipe your card. Obviously it would be really easy to bypass the scanner or run two or three items passed the scanner while only scanning one. But for the USA to have this system operating, they trust their customers and their customers have good morals and a conscience.

Now try that anywhere in Africa....

exactly...they only real "foolproof" self checkout scenario would be with RFID tags for each product/goods in the trolley (in my experience). each item will check itself out/in and all you have to do is swipe your card...no need to load/unload/load again...in theory of course...

[Garyvdh]

I would not trust Apple to handle anything regarding my cash, thank you very much!

[entrepr]

Self-checkout is cool - loved the experience. I agree it would lends itself to abuse in this country but then checkout staff can have scams of their own.

I hope Wallmart tries this out in SA soon - Apple-fans will go shopping at Game just to do the checkout.

[news24]

Yes, that would work anywhere in Africa - yeah right

I was impressed on one of my previous trips to the USA 3 or 4 years ago. I walked into a Walmart Super store (open 24 hours) at 02.00 am (I couldn't get to sleep with jet lag so decided to browse the store). There were more self checkout tills than there were manned tills. You just do the checkout yourself - run your goods past a scanner, and then swipe your card. Obviously it would be really easy to bypass the scanner or run two or three items passed the scanner while only scanning one. But for the USA to have this system operating, they trust their customers and their customers have good morals and a conscience.

Now try that anywhere in Africa....

That's far from the truth. Walmart don't trust their customers, they just don't want to employ cashiers. I'm living in USA and for every 4 self-checkout tills, there is at-least one person monitoring them. Walmart customers don't necessarily have good morals, so is their employees, they do shoplift from time to time, I've seen this at first glance, its not hearsay. Walmart store like other retail giants, atleast here in Texas, they are manned by atleast one uniformed police officer at anygiven time, not security guards.

Self-checkout could work in SA.

[Crowley]

Self-checkout could work in SA.

A few idiots tried their version of self checkout at Pick n Pay Honeydew last week.

[bwana]

Self-checkout is cool - loved the experience. I agree it would lends itself to abuse in this country but then checkout staff can have scams of their own.

I hope Wallmart tries this out in SA soon - Apple-fans will go shopping at Game just to do the checkout.

It lends itself to abuse in any country. According to this article a third of UK shoppers have admitted to shoplifting via the self-service tills.

That said I enjoyed using them when I was last in the UK. For some reason the queues were always shorter than at the manned ones. What did annoy me is that I had to wait for an assistant to verify my age when I bought some beer from Sainsburys.

[DuckieZA]

Wallmart? Should be Walmart. Doesn't ANYONE proofread these things? Especially when it's the headline!