The manager then finds each item on the list in the shopper’s cart and scans it in with his smartphone app. Once a manager completes this task, the pole’s light turns green and beeps, indicating that the shopper is free to go. The payment card she saved in app is charged for her purchases.

While the self-scanning app may seem like it would take more time than waiting in the normal checkout lane, the app, at least for now, statistics have shown that it helps get more shoppers out the door more quickly than if all shoppers stood in line.

It might still be a while before we get to this level of technology, but meanwhile, let’s stick to what works better, not what seems cool. ‘Lipa Na Mpesa’ isn’t great for places with long lines, so let’s  do away with it and use it where it’s really convenient.