Scan and pay on your phone

swingaloo

I was watching something on tv a couple of nights ago saying that a national supermarket were going to trial a new way of shopping by cutting out the need to go to the tills.

The idea is that you download an app on your phone then when shopping you scan the item you want to buy and its paid for instantly from your bank account. No need to get a receipt or go through the checkouts. It showed a few people using it and it was a case of just scan and walk out.

They said that there would be no cuts to staff, nor would there be an increase in theft. The reasoning was that they would not need staff cuts as because they were offering this additional faster way of shopping they would get more customers through the door.


I may be thick but how can this possibly work. Wont every dodgy so and so be picking things up, waving his or her phone at the barcode then walking out with an item.

jenniewb

Well, they do something similar at Waitrose where you scan your card and log it to a scanning machine, filling your trolley whilst scanning each item then at the end there are designated tills where you simply pay and go. I can't help wondering how many children put things in their mummy's trolley when mummy isn't looking...or similar, the items that were not scanned for whatever reason (accident or purposely). Apparently they do spot checks, but that doesn't mean people don't take their chances or make mistakes. All this is, is a phone version and I can't help wondering if the theft count will rise...


And the idea of not reducing staff to compensate is an absolute joke! I've heard more believable things from the current Government!

PLRFD

I saw the same thing it was being trialled in certain Co-Op’s.