Previewed at WWDC, launching in the fall.
'Apple Store' App for iOS Updated to Support New Self-Checkout System for Retail Stores
In line with our report from the previous weekend, Apple has updated its Apple Store application for iOS [App Store] with new support for self-checkout at the company's retail stores.As detailed last week, the app now allows customers visiting any Apple retail store to use their iPhone's camera to scan the barcodes of shelf-stocked accessory items and purchase them using their Apple ID/iTunes Store accounts. The process bypasses the need to track down a member of the sales staff to process the transaction via their EasyPay mobile payment processing systems.
What’s New in Version 2.0
- Personal Pickup: Buy in the app and choose to pick up your order at any Apple Retail Store. Most in-stock orders are available for pickup within an hour. (U.S. only)
- EasyPay: Purchase select accessories in store quickly by scanning the barcode and completing your transaction right in the app. (U.S. only, requires iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S)
- Track your stuff: View the status of current and previous orders from the order status section in the More tab.
- Additional international support (Canada, China).
As part of the retail store enhancements, Apple is also rolling out in-store pickup for online purchases in the United States, allowing users to have their online orders shipped directly to a retail store for pickup rather than having to arrange to receive delivery at their home or office. For items stocked in-store, users will be able to purchase items and have them available for pickup within minutes. For custom orders and other items not normally carried in-store, products will take several days to be shipped to the store, at which point the customer will be notified that their order is available for pickup.
The in-store pickup program launched in late October at Apple's three San Francisco stores, and quickly expanded to include all 51 California stores as well as the company's four New York City stores. With today's enhancements, the program has now been rolled out to all U.S. stores.
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87 months ago
"Not suitable for iPod Touch, due to the camera being a piece of crap and unable to scan barcodes at a readable resolution."
87 months ago
No iPod Touch as the iPod Touch has no cellular radios and thus no way to complete the purchase.
Irrelevant. All Apple Stores have free wi-fi so iPod touchs could complete purchase if the camera was good enough to scan the barcodes.
87 months ago
I must have missed something. If you "check out" using you phone, how does the staff in the store know that you have paid for the item in your hand? If you have a receipt on your phone, that means that the staff will have to check every person exiting the store for either a paper receipt or a receipt on your phone. That will tie up several staff to check people exiting the store, or end up with a line to check receipts slowing getting out of the store.
Not sure if this will be, when all elements are taken into account, be a time saver.
What makes you think they are going to have staff checking everyone's receipts now when they haven't ever done so before? For years you've been able to go into an Apple Store, pick up an accessory, pay for it anywhere on the sales floor you can find a staff member, get the receipt emailed to you and walk out of the store with your unbagged item and no physical receipt. This new system is no different except now you don't need to find a member of staff to pay. It's not as is anyone tracked you walking round the store to check if you paid; it was just as easy then to pick up something and walk out without paying as it will be now.
87 months ago
Irrelevant. All Apple Stores have free wi-fi so iPod touchs could complete purchase if the camera was good enough to scan the barcodes.
Not true. It has wifi, as does every single Apple store.
Right, and I am sure Apple wants to have retail employee's spend time helping some of the more clueless people connect to the wifi so they can then help them complete the purchase.
The reason it works on the iPhone so well is that you always have a data connection
87 months ago
No they just need to work with the other major phone makers and out together a compatible payment method that all phones can use.
I know working with others is not something Apple does very well though unfortunately :(
You have been able to pay for things using mobile phones for years and years in Japan I believe.
No, they don't. That technology exists, it's called NFC and it's just starting to gain traction in the US. Has to be built into the hardware.
This is simply an offered convenience for their customers who have recent iPhones and it ties into your iTunes Store account. The same way you can check in to genus appointments using the app.
They are not forcing you to use it and it's not like they won't sell you something if you don't have the app/phone.
87 months ago
Why would connecting to an open network be so hard to do? I think if you have an iPhone, have been clued up enough to download the apple store app, and are in an apple store you would just about be able to work out how to connect to wifi! :rolleyes:
You are giving some people way to much credit.
87 months ago
Well, there are vastly more numbers of people without Apple phones (of any kind) than there are people with them. We all know that.
It's common sense to may any payment system accessible to the whole population, not just the minority of the public.
So then under this rational, Apple should make this available to no one, since they can't make it available to everyone? Ridiculous. Not only that, but its not like a person without an iPhone cant still pay using one of the other methods in or out of the store :rolleyes:
And just as an aside, remember that people shopping in an apple store are prob much more likely to have an iphone than the rest of the general population.
87 months ago
Right, and I am sure Apple wants to have retail employee's spend time helping some of the more clueless people connect to the wifi so they can then help them complete the purchase.
The reason it works on the iPhone so well is that you always have a data connection
Why would connecting to an open network be so hard to do? I think if you have an iPhone, have been clued up enough to download the apple store app, and are in an apple store you would just about be able to work out how to connect to wifi! :rolleyes:
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