New Certified Integration Opens 45% of U.S. C-Store Market Partner Tech announced October 5 that its AI-powered self-checkout platform has earned certification for integration with Verifone Commander®, the point-of-sale and site controller system used across roughly 45% of all U.S. fuel and convenience stores—more than 55,000 locations in North America. The certified integration allows retailers to deploy Partner Tech's self-checkout terminals (Alfred, Starling, and Paula models) alongside existing Verifone Commander C18 terminals without replacing payment, fueling, loyalty, or store management systems.
Real-Time Loss Prevention at the Core Partner Tech's Otter SCO software suite uses AI and computer vision to detect theft and speed transactions. The system includes barcode scanning, automatic item recognition, security scales, live video feeds, and age verification support. An attendant station enables lane monitoring, while a dashboard provides real-time performance tracking. "Convenience retailers need solutions that improve efficiency without compromising the customer experience," said Sandra Hsia, President of Partner Tech USA. "Our self-checkout platform integrates easily with existing operations and combines faster checkout, advanced loss prevention, and greater convenience for shoppers."
Verifone's Open Architecture Enabled the Partnership Verifone engineered Commander with an open architecture designed to accommodate third-party integrations. Through this certified connection, retailers can manage payments, fuel sales, loyalty programs, and promotions from a single centralized controller while adding one or multiple self-checkout lanes. The solution supports fuel prepay, age-restricted products, and other core convenience store functions on existing infrastructure. "Commander was built with an open architecture, so innovators like Partner Tech can connect quickly and deliver value to retailers without friction," said James Hervey, EVP of Petro at Verifone. "By combining Verifone's Commander platform with Partner Tech's AI-powered self-checkout technology, retailers can modernize the in-store experience while protecting profitability."
Immediate Availability The certified solution is available immediately for convenience stores, travel centers, and fuel retailers throughout North America. Partner Tech is showcasing the integration at booth 6179 at the NACS Show, October 7–9, 2026, in Las Vegas.
Why It Matters
For convenience store operators, this certification removes a significant barrier to modernizing checkout operations. Rather than replacing payment systems or undertaking costly infrastructure overhauls, retailers can layer in theft-prevention technology and labor relief while preserving existing Verifone investments—a practical path for chains struggling with shrink and staffing constraints.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
