Back in the day.... gak choke LOL, sorry couldn't resist...

well, anyhow, an aside about when cash registers first came into common use.

During the transaction, the till drawer opened and the little bell chimed to let the owner/staff know that the cash drawer was open - detering those whose who would try to steal from the register when it was "unguarded". However, not all employees were trustworthy either, pocketing cash from customers and then not putting it in the till. So along comes the pricing system that is with us to this day... the 5 dollar item is now $4.99. And the till must be opened to provide the customer with their change. It also sounds cheaper... that psychological factor beloved by salespeople the world over.