Patent ID: 7512547

Claim:
A method of performing a retail transaction, the method comprising steps performed in the following order: determining a total cost of at least one purchase to be made by a consumer in the retail transaction; offering the consumer a first option to provide an endorsement and a final approval of the retail transaction prior to determining the total cost of the at least one purchase, to decrease the time the consumer spends in a checkout line of a retail establishment; offering the consumer a second option to provide the endorsement and the final approval of the retail transaction after determining the total cost of the at least one purchase; receiving the endorsement from the consumer; and receiving the final approval from the consumer; wherein the consumer is free to take the at least one purchase away from the retail establishment only following offering the consumer the first option, offering the consumer the second option, receipt of the endorsement and receipt of the final approval from the consumer in completion of the financial transaction.