SMART SHOPPING CART WITH AUTOMATED BILLING SYSTEM

Abstract

With rapid technological advancements, modern shopping malls and supermarkets offer a wide variety of products and attractive services such as discounts and home delivery. However, customers still face long waiting times at billing counters, especially during peak hours and weekends, leading to dissatisfaction and time loss. This problem became even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, where minimizing crowding and maintaining social distancing became essential. To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a Smart Shopping Trolley with an Automated Billing System that modernizes the traditional shopping process. The proposed system uses RFID technology to automatically scan products placed inside the trolley. Each product is embedded with an RFID tag, and an RFID reader mounted on the trolley identifies the items in real time. The scanned item details and the cumulative bill amount are displayed instantly on an LCD screen, enabling customers to track their purchases and manage their budget effectively. The system also includes a feature to remove scanned items, providing flexibility and enhancing the overall shopping experience. Additionally, billing information can be sent to the customer’s registered mobile number, further improving convenience. Customers can directly proceed to payment after shopping, thereby streamlining the entire process. The prototype implementation is developed using the Arduino platform and XBee wireless modules, demonstrating a reliable, low-cost, and efficient solution suitable for small- and medium-scale retail environments. Overall, the proposed smart trolley system improves customer satisfaction, enhances operational efficiency.