Amazon’s cashierless checkout is coming to hospitals

Key Points

• Expansion of Cashierless Technology to Healthcare Facilities: Amazon is introducing its cashierless checkout technology, known as the “Just Walk Out” system, to hospitals and healthcare facilities. The latest version of the system enables healthcare employees to make purchases at on-site cafes using their work badges. Additionally, visitors to hospitals with Just Walk Out-enabled stores can use various payment methods, including credit and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets. The rollout of this technology is beginning at St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia.
• Functionality of “Just Walk Out” Technology: Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology allows shoppers to enter a store by scanning an app, select items, and exit without the need to stand in a traditional checkout line. The system relies on cameras and sensors within the store to track the items selected by shoppers. Customers are automatically charged for their chosen items as they leave the store. Some newer versions of the technology utilize radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags instead of ceiling-mounted cameras to monitor selected items, providing a more streamlined and flexible solution.
• Diversification of Cashierless Technology Across Retail Formats: Since debuting its first cashierless store in 2018, Amazon has expanded the use of the “Just Walk Out” technology across various retail formats. This includes deployment in convenience stores, Fresh supermarkets, and Whole Foods locations owned by Amazon. Additionally, the company sells the technology to third-party retailers for implementation in airports, college campuses, stadiums, theme parks, and other venues. This move into healthcare facilities represents Amazon’s ongoing effort to extend its innovative checkout technology to different industries and settings.