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Comment by esturk | Hacker News Reader

From experience, a signature in the checkout line usually takes about 5-10 seconds. Removing it may seem like a small negligible change for users, but for retailers, it most likely adds up.

Imagine being able to pick up your receipt and leave. What I see being the stalwart of signatures are probably restaurants. They require that extra step with the tip.

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The way tipping works in Canada: you get handed the card-reader, and it tells you the subtotal and asks what tip you would like to add. Then, the card-reader asks you to either tap or insert your card.

> From experience, a signature in the checkout line usually takes about 5-10 seconds. Removing it may seem like a small negligible change for users, but for retailers, it most likely adds up.

Your right, can we also remove that stupid bag tax in SF. It easily takes 20 - 30 seconds per transaction.

"Do you want a bag?"

"Ugh, yeah I do"

"Alright that's 50 cents"

"wait, could I get three bags, not two - I don't want my bag to rip"

"Sure, we can do that, 75 cents"

Every. single. time.

I think the policy is working as designed.

The grating, low-grade, annoying, time-wasting inconvenience is supposed to continue to irritate the purchaser until they decide to bring their own bags.

Its funny - I do bring bags, but often I get more than one or two items. Aka I'll often get more than planned, as I look for sales.

Regardless, and to the point the whole line is slowed down by this transaction. Meaning every time I went to the store I had to wait an extra few minutes for this.

Moving back to Illinois recently, I find it amazing that the lines most move at least 3× faster. Probably in part due to the more "let's get shit done" attitude of the Midwest, but also the lack of bag related questions.

I then come home with my paper bags and recycle them. It honestly seems like more harm to the environment the waste of time + the polyester bags we buy instead

Or even not a bag at all. I walk into a store, I want a bottle of Coke, and a pack of coconut biscuits. I see a Mars bar, yeah, OK, Mars bar too. I blip them through, shove them in my pockets, walk out. No problem. No bag needed.

In the old days, this is instantly suspicious but now it makes sense to people even if they aren't thinking about the environmental consequences. A bag is say 15 pence, why pay 15 pence extra for three items?

Around Washington state they ask you at the end how many bags you got.

Makes a lot more sense. :)

I have also seen stores that put a barcode on the bag and the bag gets scanned just like any other item. That, IMHO, is the best way to go.

Barcode is how it works in Europe. Recently, also smaller bags for groceries are being taxed in many countries as there are compulsory reduction quotas to be fulfilled.

It's really important for the environment and frankly, the majority of groceries don't need any bag as they have skin.

> It's really important for the environment and frankly, the majority of groceries don't need any bag as they have skin.

I mainly bag things due to blood leaking out of meat packages. It leaks onto carts, baskets, and other food.

I put an extra bag around my meat, but I see others who don't. And some grocery stores don't have plastic bags available in the meat section, I have to go bag to veggies to get a bag to keep blood from getting everywhere!

The bag tax is to get you to use less bags.

We have PayWave in Singapore where you can just swipe your credit card for amounts under 100$, but most of the time you have to wait pretty long for the approval to go through, it feels a bit like the time benefit is eaten up by that. Only very few merchants have fast lines, but then it’s really fun!

In Australia, the PayWave system for $100+ purchase will take no longer than signatures if the person doesn't make a mistake. It's just tap your card, press 5 buttons, then a 2-3 seconds processing time and you're off.

The process will naturally become faster as adoption increases and more people get familiar with it.

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