This is Garrett Murray's Maniacal Rage

On Wednesday I visited my local Apple Store to purchase two Jawbone Up bands (more on this later) and had an opportunity to use the new EasyPay system for the first time. I found my items, pulled out my iPhone and opened the Apple Store app. It knew I was in an Apple Store and brought up the EasyPay menu. I pointed the camera at the UPC code of one of the Up packages, and it recognized the code and asked me to confirm my purchase. I confirmed and entered my credit card security code and that was it. It took about 20 seconds in total. On my way out of the store, I stopped to get parking validation and asked an Apple Store employee how they planned to handle possible theft with this new system. He said, “Basically, it’s just the honor system right now.”

It’s a ballsy move. Apple is, at least for now, choosing customer convenience over easy security. This may or may not last, but for now it’s a fantastic experience for any informed customer who wants to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. Apple Store employees are still there and available to help you if you need it, but you’re free to walk in, beeline to your intended purchasable, scan and pay and walk out. (And yes, you can still request a bag if you’d like one.)

Apple’s not the first company to think about simplifying the shopping experience. Many grocery stores, pharmacy chains and even Home Depot have implemented self check-out lanes. The critical difference, of course, is that those systems are often slow, poorly designed, and you’re watched by store personnel at all times. You’re frequently chastised for putting an item in your bag too soon (“Please remove the item from your bag and scan it!”) or for using your own bag (“Please place the scanned item in the bag before proceeding!”), and all the while an employee is watching you as if you’re likely to steal that mayonnaise at any moment.

Customer trust not a common thing at most retail stores. Best Buy, for example, does not have self check-out lanes, has doorway sensors, and requires you to show your receipt to security personnel on your way out. Most major clothing stores use door sensors and often large non-removable security tags. Can you imagine going to a Target and using an EasyPay system? It seems likely that will never happen.

Is the difference between an Apple Store and Best Buy that people want to steal stuff from Bust Buy more? Doubtful. Are Apple Store customers less likely to steal in general? Perhaps, but with the number of Apple Stores these days and the wide variety of people visiting them, that seems doubtful as well. Was Apple not facing problems of theft before? Obviously, these statistics aren’t readily available, but I have to believe Apple suffers from the same amount as other retail outlets.

For now, at least, it appears Apple has decided the increased risk is worth the reward. As a regular Apple Store customer, I whole-heartedly agree. The EasyPay system feels like part of a future I wish were here today, when my iPhone functions as my wallet and my ID and becomes the only thing I have to carry. With EasyPay, we’re one small step closer to that.