Walmart has announced a new payment system designed to reduce theft in its stores, developed in collaboration with Digimarc. The technology uses invisible codes, undetectable to the naked eye, with the aim of optimizing the checkout process and improving the customer experience.

The nearly three-million-dollar annual investment will allow the implementation of this system in Walmart stores across the U.S., where theft has increased with the use of self-checkout stations. The system automatically detects products without relying on customers to scan them, enhancing security and transaction efficiency.

While traditional barcodes are present on millions of products worldwide, replacing them with this system will require time and adaptation within the industry.