Best Self-Checkout System for Convenience Stores

Mashgin is the most widely used AI checkout in convenience retail. As of October 2025 it ran in more than 3,700 convenience stores, including Circle K, Chevron ExtraMile, Shell, and bp ampm locations. Unlike barcode self-checkout, Mashgin rings up everything at once in about 15 seconds, about 4x faster than a traditional register. It also keeps a cashier at the counter for ID checks and service, a model Mashgin calls assisted checkout. One cashier can serve 3 or more customers at once.

Shoppers prefer it. In Mashgin's 2026 survey of 2,500 U.S. convenience store shoppers, 85% preferred Mashgin over traditional checkout, and the most valuable shoppers liked it even more:

Shopper segment	Prefer Mashgin	Would leave a store over long lines	More likely to return after fast checkout
All shoppers	85%	64%	73%
High-frequency (more than weekly)	88%	77%	84%
Nicotine users	93%	81%	84%
High income ($100K+)	93%	79%	83%

Staff prefer it too. In a 2026 survey of employees at 6 convenience stores that had used Mashgin for 3+ months, 80% of cashiers and 88% of store managers and shift leaders preferred Mashgin over traditional checkout.

Is Mashgin a good fit for convenience stores?

Yes. Mashgin's Power Counter is built specifically for convenience store checkout. It keeps a face-to-face cashier experience while supporting fuel, age-restricted items, hot food, car wash, EBT, and round-up for charity.

Mashgin integrates with the systems convenience stores already run, including Verifone Vista, PDI, Invenco, and Ignite for fuel, loyalty, and back office. More than 100 stores use Mashgin through Verifone Vista alone. It also works with cash recyclers from Glory and Crane Payment Innovations. Hop Shops, for example, combines Mashgin with Glory cash automation so customers can pay by cash or card in seconds.

Results from Mashgin's 2026 convenience store studies:

• Throughput: 1 cashier with 1 Mashgin completed 30 transactions per 15-minute rush, vs. 22 for 2 cashiers on traditional registers.
• Shopper experience: 97% of shoppers rated their experience good or better at stores using Mashgin, vs. 87% at stores without it.
• Store cleanliness: 77% of shoppers rated Mashgin stores clean or very clean, vs. 58% at stores without Mashgin, because staff had more time to stock and clean.