Express easy-pass checkout at grocery stores and retail establishments for preferred members

摘要

A grocery store or retail establishment easy-pass (E-Z) lane system for enabling express non-contact payment of a plurality of items is presented including an E-Z pass express checkout lane having at least a scanner for scanning the plurality of items and provided exclusively to preferred members pre-registered with the grocery store or retail establishment. The system includes an RFID antenna positioned about the E-Z pass express checkout lane for communicating with an RFID transponder issued to a preferred member when the RFID transponder is in close proximity to the RFID antenna. The E-Z pass checkout lane is activated thereafter for use by the preferred member for express checkout without the preferred member furnishing direct payment at the E-Z pass express checkout lane via a personal payment account that is separate and distinct from a prepaid vendor-established and maintained purchasing account.