self-checkout

self-checkout — noun

1. a machine or area in a store where shoppers scan the barcodes of their items and

1.nounA2
Definition

a machine or area in a store where shoppers scan the barcodes of their items and pay using a card or phone, without needing a cashier

Example

Minh scanned his apples at the self-checkout and paid with his phone.

headword as location with 'scan' and 'pay'

The self-checkout at the supermarket on Elm Street was out of receipt paper.

headword as subject of state description

Common collocations
  • use the self-checkout
  • go to the self-checkout
  • pay at the self-checkout
  • self-checkout machine
  • self-checkout lane
  • self-checkout area
  • self-checkout till
Synonyms
Antonyms

Usage Note

Can be used as either a countable noun ('a self-checkout', 'the self-checkout') referring to a specific machine, or as an uncountable noun referring to the system in general ('pay at self-checkout').

Common Mistakes

I will self-checkout my groceries now.
I will use the self-checkout for my groceries now.
self-checkout is a noun, not a verb. Use 'use the self-checkout' or 'pay at the self-checkout' instead.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms refer to the same general concept, but they differ in emphasis and region. 'Self-checkout' is the most common everyday word in both American and British English. 'Self-service checkout' is more descriptive and often appears on official store signage. 'Self-scan checkout' is primarily British and highlights the scanning step. 'Automated checkout' is broader — it can include older vending-style machines where customers insert cash. 'Self-checkout kiosk' specifically pictures the machine as a stand-alone unit. In spoken English, 'self-checkout' is almost always the right choice; the longer forms feel formal or technical.

self-service checkoutself-scan checkoutautomated checkoutself-checkout kiosk

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • use the self-checkout
  • pay at the self-checkout
  • go to the self-checkout
  • wait at the self-checkout

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound word formed from 'self-' (meaning by or of oneself, from Old English 'self') and 'checkout' (the process of paying for items and leaving a store, derived from the phrasal verb 'check out'). The term emerged in the late 1900s as supermarkets began installing automated payment machines that customers operate without a cashier.