According to one embodiment, a registration device for a transaction processing system includes a communication interface connected to a plurality of settlement devices via a network. The plurality of settlement devices includes a first settlement device and a second settlement device. A processor of the registration device is configured to generate settlement information required for settlement of a merchandise transaction based on the registration of items in the merchandise transaction, and then transmit the settlement information to the first settlement device. If the transmission of the settlement information to the first settlement device fails, the processor records transaction specifying information on a medium that can be given to a customer. The transaction specifying information identifies the settlement information corresponding to the merchandise transaction. The processor also store the settlement information in a storage unit when the transmission to the first settlement device fails.

To conduct a payment transaction at a merchant's point of sale using a mobile device, the mobile device initiates an authenticated communication session with a payment agent. The payment agent is an entity responsible for facilitating a payment transaction between the merchant and purchaser via their respective financial institutions. During the authenticated communication session, response to an input indicating the user of the mobile device wishes to make a payment, the mobile device generates a unique payment key that is based on at least one unique data of the mobile device. The mobile device transmits the payment key to the payment agent, and then transfers a copy of the payment key to the point of sale system. The merchant's payment system that transmits the payment key to the payment agent in a transaction request. The payment agent then verifies that the received payment key is the same as they received from the mobile device, and that the authenticated communication session is still valid, and then approves the transaction.

Methods, systems, apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable media are described for using a vehicle as a payment device. Various aspects may include receiving a selection of a stored financial card or financial account at a vehicle head unit. The selected financial card or financial account may be transmitted to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal for making a payment by transmitting a tokenized card number to the POS terminal. The tokenized card number may be transmitted over a very short-range communication link to ensure that the transmission is secure. For example, electronic circuitry may be attached to the exterior of the vehicle, where the electronic circuitry may be within a threshold distance (e.g. one inch, three inches, six inches, one foot, three feet, etc.) of the POS terminal. The tokenized card number may be transmitted from the vehicle head unit to the electronic circuitry and then to the POS terminal.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sales system (10) that includes a plurality of information acquisition units (11-1 to 11-N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2)) installed for a plurality of respective products, a registration unit (12) that registers a product corresponding to a first information acquisition unit (11-A (A is an integer equal to or greater 1 and equal to or smaller than N)) in association with customer identification information when the customer identification information is input through the first information acquisition unit (11-A), a reception unit (13) that receives a request for a product list associated with the customer identification information from a customer terminal, and a transmission unit (14) that transmits the product list to the customer terminal in response to the request.

According to one embodiment, a reading device is a device for obtaining information for identifying a merchandise, and includes a housing, an imaging unit, a main illumination unit, and an auxiliary illumination unit. The housing includes a reading window having a property of transmitting light. The imaging unit is built in the housing and captures an image through the reading window. The main illumination unit illuminates an imaging target located on the opposite side of the imaging unit with the reading window interposed therebetween by emitting light outward the housing, and is arranged at the upper edge portion of the reading window. The auxiliary illumination unit illuminates the imaging target by emitting light outward the housing through the reading window, and is arranged inner side than the main illumination unit.

A tag reading apparatus comprises a passage that is configured to receive an RFID-tagged article that is to be registered in a transaction. The passage has an inlet end and an outlet end separated from each other in a first direction and width in a second direction. An antenna is in the passage at a position between the inlet and outlet ends in the first direction. An RFID reader is provided to read an RFID tag according to a response wave from the RFID tag received via the antenna. A controller is configured to identify the RFID-tagged article as being in the transaction according to a change in the response wave (such as a phase difference or intensity) corresponding to a movement of the RFID-tagged article from the inlet end to the outlet end.

A self-checkout system includes: a checkout device that checks out a product registered by a portable terminal; a camera that captures an image of a scene where a customer attempts to resister the product; a detector that detects a registration failure state where registration of the product is determined to have failed during a period in which the registration of the product according to a single transaction is attempted; and a display that displays, during a period in which the checkout device is checking out the product registered according to the single transaction, the detected registration failure state.

A method for identifying an object or product for purchase includes scanning, by the user, an example object for a code or marking; reading the code or marking; communicating with a database to index the code or marking with information about the example object, wherein the information includes contact information or a contact link for a manufacturer or supplier of the example object; and receiving the information and providing the information to the user. A method for purchasing a product based on the information can include receiving an order for a product using the contact information or contact link for the manufacturer or supplier; receiving payment for the order; and delivering a portion of the payment to an entity that displayed the example object from which the code or marking was scanned.

In some implementations, a device may receive data identifying products and encoded data identifying smart tags of the products. The device may map the data and the encoded data to generate encoded product data. The device may receive encoded data provided by smart tags of products received by a store. The device may receive images of the products. The device may compare the encoded data and the encoded product data to identify a set of the products received by the store. The device may correlate the images with the set of the products. The device may process the correlated data to identify locations of the set of the products in the store. The device may generate an instruction to relocate a product to a new location and may provide the instruction to a device, associated with the store, to cause the product to be relocated to the new location.

A method for addressing a shopper's eligibility for frictionless checkout may include identifying at least one shopper in a retail store designated as not eligible for frictionless checkout; in response to the identification of the at least one shopper designated as not eligible for frictionless checkout, automatically identifying an ineligibility condition associated with the at least one shopper's designation as not eligible for frictionless checkout; determining one or more actions for resolving the ineligibility condition; causing implementation of the one or more actions for resolving the ineligibility condition; receiving an indication of successful completion of the one or more actions; and in response to receipt of the indication of successful completion of the one more actions, generating a status indicator indicating that the at least one shopper is eligible for frictionless checkout and storing the generated status indicator in a memory.