While the self-checkout is pretty straightforward, it's common to see shoppers holding up otherwise-speedy lines. To avoid doing this, learn these basic self-checkout rules.

Don’t use the self-checkout line if you have alcohol or produce in your cart, as scouring produce descriptions or finding an attendant to check your ID slows down self-checkout.

If you do have to take your produce through self-checkout, take note of the produce code while you're in the produce section to save time later.

You also should not use self-checkout if you have a full cart. Full carts frequently hold up lines and lead to more stress as you try to fit all of your items on the belt at once.

The easiest way to speed up self-checkout is to place each grocery item in your cart with the barcode facing up as you shop, so you don’t have to hunt it down while checking out.

The best part of this method is that you don't even need to take the items out of your cart (with some exceptions, like produce) — just grab the retractable scanner and fire away.