Amazon Go’s USP is its frictionless payment system: cutomers’ mobile phones detect which items they are picking up and placing in their baskets and they are subsequently charged by the Amazon Go app.

In New York, Amazon will cater to those without bank accounts by store employees coming to them with a mobile device to help them check out and pay with cash.

It is not yet clear whether Amazon will cater for cash at its other Go stores – several American states and cities have prohibited cashless retail as legislators believe cashless stores will isolate those without bank accounts.