Zippcart’s smart, offline device, which attaches to a shopping cart, aims to do for small retailers what Amazon Go did for automation—but without the internet

Nigerian startup Zippcart has launched a smart self-checkout device designed to streamline retail transactions and tackle the persistent problem of long queues and inefficient manual payment processes.

The company’s founder, Blessed Pepple, said the solution is designed for stores that cannot afford complex or internet-dependent systems. “Our solution is fully offline, affordable, and plug-and-play – no need for internet, cloud, or costly integrations. It’s Amazon Go, reimagined for Africa – simple, scalable, and built for real-world adoption,” Pepple said. 

The device, which attaches directly to a shopping cart, allows customers to scan products as they shop rather than at a traditional checkout counter. Equipped with its own sensing technology, the device updates the spending total in real time, giving shoppers immediate visibility into their cart. Once finished, payment is instant via a unique QR code generated by the device.

“At the cashier point, there’s no need to rescan the cart data syncs offline to a local PC, and a receipt prints immediately,” Pepple explained. This autonomous functionality is particularly vital for the African market, where internet connectivity can be unstable or unavailable.

By simplifying and speeding up the payment process, the Zippcart solution not only improves the customer experience but also helps retailers reduce operational costs associated with managing queues and cashier staff.

Adoni Conrad Quenum