Amazon Go opened in Brookfield Place in New York, Tuesday, May 7

Amazon Go's First Store that Accepts Cash

Amazon Go opened its twelfth store on Tuesday, May 7 in New York. Although Amazon has opened 11 other Amazon Go in different locations, but the one in New York is sort of special—it accepts cash. 

Amazon Go is a cashless convenient store that doesn’t have a cashier. What people need to do is log in to their accounts on the Amazon app. Once they walk through the in-turnstile, they need to scan their phone and they can shop freely. Each item the customers put on the cart, will be automatically added to the cart on the Amazon app. When the customers walk to the out-turnstile, the bills will be created automatically.

Due to the Amazon Go system which using an app for the whole payment system, the customers need to have a bank account—whether a debit or credit card. However, Amazon has been facing a black lash in Philadelphia and New Jersey earlier this year, for not thinking about the people who don’t have a bank account. Amazon then gave a solution by accepting cash for the New York branch. However, it is still uncertain whether Amazon will do the same system to the other 11 branches as well. 

For the New York branch, there will be no people in the cashier, but a store employee will help them. They will bring a mobile phone to help the customers to pay using cash.

Amazon Go in New York is located in Brookfield Place. It is a place surrounded by office buildings and complex, that is why Amazon Go aims for the workers to buy grab-and-go meals at the store. By 2021, Amazon plans to open 3.000 Amazon Go.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/tech/amazon-to-open-first-go-store-that-accepts-cash