A checkout system comprising: a scanning device configured to: capture at least one image of a first object, wherein the at least one image comprises a first indicia image of a first indicia carried on a surface of the first object, and the first indicia encodes an identifier of the first object; interpret the first indicia as captured in the first indicia image to decode the identifier of the first object from the first indicia; in response to an occurrence of an exception comprising a failure to obtain the price based on the first indicia, transmit via a network the at least one image to an exception handling server in a first price check request for the exception handling server to respond to the scanning device with the price; and receive the price via the network; and visually present the price to enable completion of a checkout procedure to sell the first object; and the exception handling server, wherein the exception handling server is configured to: use visual image recognition with the at least one image to identify an inventory storage location in an inventory storage at which the first object was stored; in response to a successful identification of the inventory storage location, transmit the at least one image and an indication of the identified inventory storage location to a portable device of multiple portable devices that is selected based, at least in part, on its proximity to identified inventory storage location in a second price check request for the identified portable device to respond to the exception handling server with the price; and receive the price from the identified portable device in response to the second price check request; and transmit the price to the scanning device in response to the first price check request following receipt of the price. a scanning device configured to: capture at least one image of a first object, wherein the at least one image comprises a first indicia image of a first indicia carried on a surface of the first object, and the first indicia encodes an identifier of the first object; interpret the first indicia as captured in the first indicia image to decode the identifier of the first object from the first indicia; in response to an occurrence of an exception comprising a failure to obtain the price based on the first indicia, transmit via a network the at least one image to an exception handling server in a first price check request for the exception handling server to respond to the scanning device with the price; and receive the price via the network; and visually present the price to enable completion of a checkout procedure to sell the first object; and capture at least one image of a first object, wherein the at least one image comprises a first indicia image of a first indicia carried on a surface of the first object, and the first indicia encodes an identifier of the first object; interpret the first indicia as captured in the first indicia image to decode the identifier of the first object from the first indicia; in response to an occurrence of an exception comprising a failure to obtain the price based on the first indicia, transmit via a network the at least one image to an exception handling server in a first price check request for the exception handling server to respond to the scanning device with the price; and receive the price via the network; and visually present the price to enable completion of a checkout procedure to sell the first object; and the exception handling server, wherein the exception handling server is configured to: use visual image recognition with the at least one image to identify an inventory storage location in an inventory storage at which the first object was stored; in response to a successful identification of the inventory storage location, transmit the at least one image and an indication of the identified inventory storage location to a portable device of multiple portable devices that is selected based, at least in part, on its proximity to identified inventory storage location in a second price check request for the identified portable device to respond to the exception handling server with the price; and receive the price from the identified portable device in response to the second price check request; and transmit the price to the scanning device in response to the first price check request following receipt of the price. use visual image recognition with the at least one image to identify an inventory storage location in an inventory storage at which the first object was stored; in response to a successful identification of the inventory storage location, transmit the at least one image and an indication of the identified inventory storage location to a portable device of multiple portable devices that is selected based, at least in part, on its proximity to identified inventory storage location in a second price check request for the identified portable device to respond to the exception handling server with the price; and receive the price from the identified portable device in response to the second price check request; and transmit the price to the scanning device in response to the first price check request following receipt of the price.