Checkout and/or ordering systems and methods

摘要

Methods and apparatus are disclosed provide various enhancements and/or improvements to the conventional shopping process used by brick-and-mortar stores. In some embodiments, a customer may use a mobile computing device, such as a smart phone, to select and pay for items in a brick-and-mortar store. Such shopping process may permit the customer to purchase numerous items without the using of shopping basket or a wheeled shopping cart. The shopping process may further permit the customer to pay for items and leave the store with such items without waiting in a checkout line.

主权项

1. A method utilizing a mobile computing device of a customer to enhance shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, the method comprising:
reading, with the mobile computing device, a machine-readable code that identifies an item on display in the brick-and-mortar store; in response to said reading the machine-readable code, the mobile computing device updating a virtual cart for the customer to include the item identified by the machine-readable code; transmitting, from the mobile computing device, a finalized request that identifies one or more items that have spent a predetermined time in the virtual cart for a store associate to gather; and receiving payment for the one or more items in the virtual cart via the mobile computing device.