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In the US I have never had to deposit any money to use a cart. I'm not sure how that would even work, is it some automated machine that spits out a cart?

Karunamon 7y ago
It's similar to the "SmartECart" luggage cart kiosks you may have seen at airports. Sliding a cart in locks it in place on a set of rails, depositing the money releases a mechanical catch on the end, allowing you to pull one cart out.
- theoh 7y ago
  You might be thinking of this system used by Ikea. https://youtu.be/JRXdlgBe8wg https://youtu.be/JRXdlgBe8wg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smarte_Carte https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smarte_Carte looks like it might be the airport system you have in mind. The usual European shopping cart system works with a coin deposit, chains and mechanical locks on each cart, as described in several other comments.
pertymcpert 7y ago
You insert a coin into a slot in the cart, and a chained key releases the cart from the next cart it's chained to. When you want your coin back, you return it to the line of carts, stack it and then insert the key from the next cart into yours. Your coin is released and the store doesn't have to pay someone to collect them.
detaro 7y ago
They are linked by chains: every cart has a coin-operated lock accepting a chain and a chain for the next cart to connect. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Pfandschloss_bei_Aldi.jpg/800px-Pfandschloss_bei_Aldi.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Pf... Put a coin in the drawer and close it, the chain of the next cart pops out the back and you can take it. On return, you push the chain back in, the drawer pops open and you get your coin back. Store employees just occasionally balance cart numbers between the corrals, if there's multiple.
minxomat 7y ago
Theres a coin activated mechanical lock on each cart, carts are stacked and chained together by these locks. To get one, you insert a coin (or a plastic token - these are usually given away as freebies by many companies if not the stores themselves) and that unlocks the chain. It's not about the money, no one earns anything from this. It's about putting something that you own (can be worthless, the emotion counts) in the cart which you can only possibly get back if you return the cart to any number of bays on the parking lot or next to the entrance.
jonp888 7y ago
No, it's much simpler than you are probably imagining. The cart locks to the one in front using a short chain with a plug between a device attached to the handlebars of each cart. It comes out of the back of one and locks into the front of the other. Put a coin(or any coin shaped object) in and a simple mechanic latch releases the chain, plug it back in and you get your coin back.
wongarsu 7y ago
The handle of each cart has a lock and a small chain. Initially the carts are stacked inside each other, with the chain locked in the lock of the next cart. If you put a coin (or other round flat object like the handle of a key) into the lock you can remove the chain and use the cart. When you return the cart you insert the chain from another cart and get your coin back. It's a very simple and robust mechanism.
stjohnswarts 7y ago
not sure why 10 people needed to answer your question lol

Karunamon 7y ago

It's similar to the "SmartECart" luggage cart kiosks you may have seen at airports. Sliding a cart in locks it in place on a set of rails, depositing the money releases a mechanical catch on the end, allowing you to pull one cart out.

theoh 7y ago
You might be thinking of this system used by Ikea. https://youtu.be/JRXdlgBe8wg https://youtu.be/JRXdlgBe8wg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smarte_Carte https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smarte_Carte looks like it might be the airport system you have in mind. The usual European shopping cart system works with a coin deposit, chains and mechanical locks on each cart, as described in several other comments.

pertymcpert 7y ago

You insert a coin into a slot in the cart, and a chained key releases the cart from the next cart it's chained to. When you want your coin back, you return it to the line of carts, stack it and then insert the key from the next cart into yours. Your coin is released and the store doesn't have to pay someone to collect them.

detaro 7y ago

They are linked by chains: every cart has a coin-operated lock accepting a chain and a chain for the next cart to connect. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Pfandschloss_bei_Aldi.jpg/800px-Pfandschloss_bei_Aldi.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Pf... Put a coin in the drawer and close it, the chain of the next cart pops out the back and you can take it. On return, you push the chain back in, the drawer pops open and you get your coin back. Store employees just occasionally balance cart numbers between the corrals, if there's multiple.

minxomat 7y ago

Theres a coin activated mechanical lock on each cart, carts are stacked and chained together by these locks. To get one, you insert a coin (or a plastic token - these are usually given away as freebies by many companies if not the stores themselves) and that unlocks the chain. It's not about the money, no one earns anything from this. It's about putting something that you own (can be worthless, the emotion counts) in the cart which you can only possibly get back if you return the cart to any number of bays on the parking lot or next to the entrance.

jonp888 7y ago

No, it's much simpler than you are probably imagining. The cart locks to the one in front using a short chain with a plug between a device attached to the handlebars of each cart. It comes out of the back of one and locks into the front of the other. Put a coin(or any coin shaped object) in and a simple mechanic latch releases the chain, plug it back in and you get your coin back.

wongarsu 7y ago

The handle of each cart has a lock and a small chain. Initially the carts are stacked inside each other, with the chain locked in the lock of the next cart. If you put a coin (or other round flat object like the handle of a key) into the lock you can remove the chain and use the cart. When you return the cart you insert the chain from another cart and get your coin back. It's a very simple and robust mechanism.

stjohnswarts 7y ago

not sure why 10 people needed to answer your question lol