Cash registers, once ubiquitous, are fading as Point-of-Sale (POS) systems and iPads take over. Despite this, quaint cash-only spots, like artisanal cocktail bars, may still cling to these relics. Early registers were purely mechanical, lacking receipts. A total key press would trigger a bell, signaling a sale. Bill Bryson explains odd pricing arose to force cashiers to open the till, announcing a sale.

In the late 19th century, entrepreneur Jacob H. Eckert acquired the cash register business from overwhelmed inventor James Ritty. Eckert, later selling to John H. Patterson, revamped it into the National Cash Register Company. Patterson’s innovations included adding a paper roll for transaction recording, introducing the journal for internal tracking, and the receipt for fraud protection. This transformed the humble cash register into a sophisticated tool, marking a pivotal shift in retail history.