Amazon is bringing its Just Walk Out technology to pop-up stores and events with lanes that can be deployed in hours instead of weeks.

They combine RFID technology with motorised gates that open automatically while screens display purchases and totals before checkout.

The RFID lanes that are portable and can be deployed quickly for pop-up shops, festivals and temporary retail locations. This builds on the RFID technology Amazon pioneered in 2023 for merchandise: walk-through lanes that use RFID tags to detect automatically what shoppers are carrying, so they can simply grab items and walk out by tapping their card to pay.

The latest RFID lanes feature three enhancements that make checkout faster and easier. In-lane screens with an intuitive user interface guide shoppers through the checkout process while displaying cart totals. Motorised gates automatically open and close for seamless traffic flow. Dynamic pre-authorisation gives shoppers greater cart visibility to help ensure they know what they’re spending before completing their purchase.

Previously, shoppers using RFID lanes had to push through manual gates and wait until after checkout to see their cart total. Now, these enhancements give them greater cart visibility and automated guidance through the checkout process.

Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology uses two approaches to eliminate checkout queues. A computer vision system tracks every item interaction in real time, suitable for items with rigid shapes and packaging such as packaged snacks and beverages. These camera-based systems can detect when shoppers pick up, move or put back items.

However, soft goods such as clothing and fan gear, which can fold, stretch and drape, pose difficulties for computer vision tracking, especially when shoppers try on items or carry them bundled. That’s where RFID tags come in.

Using readers to detect unique tags on merchandise, the updated RFID lanes leverage multiple antennas and smart algorithms that detect everything a shopper is carrying. Each lane can handle up to six transactions per minute, making these lanes five to ten times faster than a traditional checkout.

Built-in loss prevention also automatically detects unpaid items and closes exit gates when necessary, while ensuring paying shoppers never experience delays or false alarms. This accurate tracking capability helps retailers reduce theft while improving the customer experience.

The updated RFID lanes (www.justwalkout.com/rfid) rolled out to 17 pilot locations in 2025, including a pop-up at the Camp Flog Gnaw music festival with Amazon Music selling artist merchandise and a store at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack operated by Proof of the Pudding selling concessions.