[X-Istence]

The system knows when you are in an Apple Store (it is a feature built into the location API apparently (it's an option in the emulator!)) and after you "take a picture" of the barcode it simply communicates with iTunes and charges your card.

Very awesome system in that it removes yet another bit of friction from the buying experience. I no longer have to wait for someone to be available to pay for my purchase, I simply pick it up, pay for it using my iTunes account, and leave the store.

[throw_away]

this explains how honest people get billed, but says nothing of how they manage loss-prevention.

[X-Istence]

From what I have heard from Apple Store Employees who I asked about this topic, at the moment they are doing nothing. Technically someone could grab something from the shelve, look like they are checking out on the phone and walk out and there is no verification that someone has actually paid for the item.

It is going to be interesting how, or even better if, they are going to tackle the issue of loss prevention or if they are going to consider it an operating loss.

The interesting thing is that even before they implemented the self-checkout system it was based on the honor system as well. Nobody has ever asked me if I had paid for the items as I was leaving the Apple store. Nobody flagged me down as I was holding items to pay for them. I didn't have a physical receipt, just one they emailed to me and I've almost never asked for a bag so they can't identify people who have paid vs those who hadn't paid that way...

[sorbits]

Last I was in an Apple store they put a sticker on the purchased goods (this was before the self-checkout).

I assume the sticker was proof-of-purchase (as receipt was being emailed).

[X-Istence]

They still do this with anything large they go get from the back of the store (new computers, new laptops, iPad's and the like) but not with stuff that you can grab off the shelves.

The stuff they grab from the back of the store still has to be paid in person with someone that has an iPhone with card scanner... no self-checkout there yet :P

[alanfalcon]

It's refreshing to have a company that treats their customers (in-store, anyway) with respect.