Patent ID: 7801764

Claim:
A method of processing a retail sales transaction, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of items for purchase near a transaction approval system within a retail store operated by a retail merchant, wherein each item of the plurality of items for purchase was selected by a consumer from a larger plurality of items offered for sale at the retail store; processing the plurality of items for purchase using the transaction approval system including determining associated price information for each item included in the plurality of items for purchase, wherein processing the plurality of items for purchase begins when a product code of a first one of the plurality of items for purchase is entered into a point-of-sale terminal and ends when a product code of a final one of the plurality of items for purchase is entered into the point-of-sale terminal; during processing of the plurality of items for purchase, determining, using the transaction approval system, an identification of a financial account that will be used by the consumer to pay for the plurality of items for purchase; during processing of the plurality of items for purchase, providing the consumer with an option to provide a digitally captured signature via the transaction approval system, wherein the digitally captured signature serves as consumer approval to apply payment from the financial account toward a total cost of the plurality of items for purchase; and determining the total cost of the plurality of items for purchase after processing of the plurality of items for purchase, determining the identification of the financial account, and providing the consumer with the option to provide the digitally captured signature.