Vision Checkout VS Manual Settlement, Which Is More Profitable?

Jul.26,2022Reads:

Long waiting lines have long been a major deterrent to offline shopping. Luckily, with the development of artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, vision checkout emerged, which is thought to be the key to shortening checkout lines. Many people happily embrace the new vision checkout, while some doubt it. 

Today let's talk about which is more profitable, vision checkout or manual?

vision checkout
Though offline shopping makes customers more familiar with the goods they plan to purchase, there are still lots of limitations impeding them. In addition to the long waiting lines, some customers don’t like the salesmen around or talking with the cashiers. Therefore, self-service kiosks, self-service cash registers and unmanned supermarkets are more and more popular.
Amazon Go, Amazon’s first unmanned retail store, enables consumers to pick the goods up and walk away without waiting in line to pay. What Amazon Go applies is artificial intelligence, computer vision technology and sensor technology. Consumers who have downloaded the Amazon Go APP are allowed to enter the retail store. When a customer takes an item off the shelf, the item will be shown up on his bill. In contrast, if he put the item back on the shelf, it will be deleted. Items are automatically charged to the customer's Amazon account shortly after they leave.
Amazon Go provides lots of convenience for people in a hurry by saving their time waiting in line and checking out. However, grab and go maybe not be fully prepared in the produce section of the supermarkets, where there are all kinds of fruits and vegetables. All fruits and vegetables are individually priced. Besides, even if the same kind of vegetables or fruits, the customers need to select carefully for each has different characteristics. Amazon Go's solution is to pack, weigh and label fruits and vegetables, but it doesn't meet the needs of customers who do more picking and rummaging. So vision checkout and AI cashier machine still have unshakable status.

vision checkout

vision checkout and auto weighing

What is vision checkout?

The vision checkout platform is a machine that can accurately and efficiently identify goods or dishes and fast complete checkout process based on image recognition algorithm, AI technology and communication technology. The application process of vision recognition checkout can be mainly divided into the following steps.
First, the goods and dishes to be sold should be recorded into the system. Inputting the pictures and prices into the system ensures the vision checkout platform to identify goods and conduct checkout better. If the price of a good or dish needs to be changed during the sale, it can be changed directly from the system.
The customers only need to place their selected goods on the tray, then the automated cash register can capture the images through the camera, identify the goods through a rapid comparison of AI intelligent recognition system, and finally calculate the sum of prices.
vision checkout terminal
After calculating the amount due, the vision checkout platform will prompt the customer to pay. After paying, the receipt can be printed.

Compared to the manual settlement, what advantages does vision checkout obey?

Higher checkout efficiency. 

The AI checkout system can store thousands of images, ensuring the identification and checkout process smooth and quick. The whole checkout process costs less than one minute, which improves checkout efficiency quickly. The improved checkout efficiency saves customers checking out and waiting in line to check out.

There is no doubt that even a skilled cashier can’t identify items or count as quickly and accurately as the vision checkout machine. Introducing an automated cash register or the vision checkout platform can greatly optimize the process of settlement and improve checkout efficiency.

Easy to operate. 

All the customers need to do is select the goods, put them on the tray and pay for them. The vision recognition checkout machine is able to identify the goods or dishes automatically without any customer operation. Customers can conduct the whole checkout process independently, which gives the customers maximum freedom and autonomy.

Lower operating costs. 

Introducing an automated cash register or vision checkout platform reduces the dependence on cashiers. Therefore, the business operators can spend less cost in employing and training the cashiers. In addition, operators can change the prices through the system, and there is no need for the cashiers to memorize new prices. Besides, unlike humans, AI automated cash registers don’t need shifts, which saves more costs on cashier employment. For it’s no longer necessary for operators to label everything, the costs of labels have been saved.

Better customer experience. 

Higher checkout efficiency makes less checkout time. Shorter waiting lines make less waiting time. The less time customers spend checking out, the more pleasurable they feel. Additionally, compared with the traditional manual settlement, the customers will feel more novel and be more interested in checking out with the advanced vision recognition cash register. Vision checkout helps to enhance customers’ experience and attract more returned customers.

Securer non-contact checkout. 

Thanks to image recognition technology, the cameras on the automated cash register can identify the dishes or goods automatically without any contact. Since the customers can conduct the whole checkout process on their own, communications with other people are unnecessary. Besides, most AI cashier machines on the market support various contactless payments, making checkout much more secure and curbing the spread of the virus.

vision checkout terminal
However, vision checkout is meeting some challenges. The diversity of goods puts forward higher requirements for vision recognition checkout technology and equipment.

Similar packages or goods require higher image recognition accuracy. 

There are always a variety of goods in the retail scenes and various dishes in the canteens or restaurants. It is normal for similar goods or dishes of different prices to exist. Therefore, if the image recognition accuracy is not high enough, similar items will get mixed up, causing the merchants or customers to suffer. In contrast, AI cashier machines of high image recognition accuracy can accurately and quickly identify the goods or dishes, making checkout efficient and smooth.

Multiple interference factors affect recognition. 

In practice, the accuracy of image recognition will be disturbed by many factors. For example, the camera Angle may distort the product image and therefore affect the accuracy of vision recognition checkout. Besides, the shapes and colors of vegetables and fruits may change with the seasons, which adds more difficulties to vision recognition checkout. How to ensure the accuracy of visual recognition in a complex real environment has become a difficult problem for the development of vision recognition technology.

Multiple functions require stronger performance. 

An AI cashier machine is more than an image recognition machine. Instead, it is a smart cash register that supports identifying items and checking out at the same time. Only powerful performance can ensure the multifunctional simultaneous operation, guaranteeing the checkout process unimpeded and efficient.

Introducing vision checkout platforms is a profitable investment. 

AI cashier machines can process images with greater efficiency and accuracy than humans. In the long run, vision checkout brings in more profits than it costs.


Founded in 1999, Telpo is a world-leading smart terminal and solution provider. With the mission to create a colorful future, Telpo has been on the road. To catch up on vision recognition checkout, Telpo has launched the automated cash register, Telpo C20.
vision checkout terminal C20
Telpo C20 is an AI-powered cash register that can automatically recognize various goods and dishes, delivering a convenient, efficient and pleasurable checkout experience.
Powerful performance ensures smooth checkout. Superior performance is empowered by Android 7.1 above OS and dual-core 1.8GHz + Quad-Core 1.4GHz processor. The large storage space makes sure thousands of food image data can be stored.
Accurate and efficient AI visual recognition. Telpo C20 can quickly locate and identify images of goods and recognition accuracy can reach 99%.
Secure cashless mobile payments. Non-contact payments including NFC membership cards and QR codes can be accepted. Face recognition also can be optional. An external POS machine can be chosen to be installed to offer financial payments.
Dual-screen design makes checkout and promotion done synchronously. The main screen can display the weight and price of the product whilst the secondary screen presents promotional advertising, etc.

About Telpo
Founded in 1999, Telpo is a world-leading smart security terminal and solution provider. To better provide services for customers worldwide, Telpo has set up offices in India and Russia as well as branches in Hong Kong, Nigeria, America, Germany and Sri Lanka. In virtue of 22-year professional project experience and strong market recognition, Telpo products have served more than 120+ countries and established strategic cooperation with telecom operators, governments, banks, Internet companies, and other world-renowned companies. Welcome to contact us for more details.
Tag:vision checkout, ai checkout, self-service checkout, checkout terminal