Cashierless stores are popping up at gas stations, stadiums and even Dunkin':
Pretty soon you might find Amazon Go-like concepts just about everywhere.
Mastercard on Friday said it's joining the effort to create more of these kinds of cashierless stores, unveiling a platform it calls Shop Anywhere. It teamed up with retail tech company Accel Robotics to create a handful of new test concepts that let customers check into a store, grab what they want and walk out.
[...] For instance, the team created a new self-service Dunkin' store that allows people to check in at a kiosk, get doughnuts and coffee, and leave without stopping at a cashier. The store will be staffed with workers to restock items and provide customer service, but there won't be a register.
[...] The payment network pitched these concepts as more flexible than Amazon Go, with Shop Anywhere capable of going into all kinds of locations and being retrofitted into existing stores -- something Amazon Go hasn't yet done. Both Shop Anywhere and Amazon Go are powered by a series of cameras that are kitted with computer vision and AI.
Customers will no longer have to interact with proprietors or employees.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 29 2020, @02:10AM (1 child)
In the US, you're not "paying" yet when you swipe your card at the pump to start the process - you incur a hold of like $100 that clears in a few days. Once the pump turns off again, the purchase goes through on the card.
If you pay inside with cash, you hand money to the cashier who then turns on the pump, which will automatically stop dispensing once the deposit has been used up. If you didn't use all, you get your change from the cashier.
As for people driving off, I think the industry has made arrangements with the state governments to cancel their driving licenses.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Saturday August 29 2020, @06:22AM
Pay-at-pump card payments work just the same in the UK. But if you plan to pay at the cashier's desk, the cashier activates the pump remotely (once they're happy that numberplate cameras have noted your car's details, in case of a drive-off).
Oh, and service pumps are practically unheard of here: it's all self-serve.