RICHARDSON, Texas — Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. introduced the Hypermarket U-Scan Genesis Payment Station, which combines in-person customer service with self-service convenience.

The concept joins the U-Scan Genesis Payment Station with Fujitsu’s iPAD handheld mobile computer, along with any standard checkout conveyor belt, to separate customer transactions into two components — scanning and payment.

The capability lets customers unload items from their carts onto the cashier-operated conveyor; the cashier then scans items using an iPAD or an integrated Metrologic scanner/scale; and the items are passed to a collection area for bagging. Concurrently, the customer tenders payment at the U-Scan Genesis Payment Station, thus allowing the next customer to unload his or her items.

"Already deployed in Hypermarkets across Europe, the Fujitsu U-Scan Genesis Payment Station concept moves customers through the checkout at a faster rate, thus reducing queues. When customers spend less idle time waiting in line and can get to the conveyor belt to unload items, the perceived time spent waiting in line is dramatically reduced, which improves customer satisfaction," said Marc Janssens, vice president of international sales at Fujitsu Transaction Solutions. "This innovative combination of self-service technology, mobile handheld devices and traditional checkout conveyor belts offers a unique hybrid approach that maintains face-to-face cashier customer interaction, while fully automating the tendering portion of the transaction."

Cashiers do not have to manage tills, thus eliminating common cash overages/shortages, till counting and downtime associated when additional lanes are opened by back-up cashiers. Also, with the cashier focusing more on the itemization process and the customer, both on-hand inventory accuracy and customer service are positively affected.

In addition, this concept allows retailers to deploy fewer checkout lanes overall, and when complemented by U-Scan self-checkout systems for small- to medium-sized baskets, it offers increased self–service quality, high throughput and faster recovery times.