Just Like Home Talking Cash Register Review (My Most Favorite Yet!)

The Just Like Home Register is easy enough to get into, there were three twist clips on the bottom of the packaging and once this, as well as some tape, were removed. Everything lifted out easily. Included with this toy is a working talking cash register, which has a working calculator face, with attached credit card swipe pad and working scanner wand. Also included are 4 boxes made to look like a milk carton, box of cookies, lollipops and cake mix. Inside the cash register you are given several coins of different value, several dollar bills of different values, a credit card and several bar code stickers. The cash register drawer even comes with a key to lock all the “moola” inside.

To get started playing with the Talking Cash Register, you’ll need to place the barcode stickers on your grocery items. Each of the barcode stickers have a different price on them and the scanning wand is able to read the barcode and put the amount into the cash register display, just like a real register! The best part is there are more bar codes than there are included grocery items so you can put the stickers on other items and include them on the play time fun.

The register can work in a manual or scanning mode, which is switched on the faceplate. In scanning mode, you can use the wand to read the barcodes and the register will announce the price and keep a sum of the total items scanned. In manual mode, you would punch in each price and add them together for your total. There is no place to put your coins in so you would have to exchange money the old-fashioned way, by hand. But if you decided to use your credit card you can swipe it on the attached card reader and watch the display light up in recognition of the card. The register doesn’t automatically clear itself for the next transaction but it is easy to do with a press of the clear button on the faceplate.

I really like the way the scanner works and keeps a running tally of all items scanned. It really gives the play time a “real” factor that I think kids are going to love.

I didn’t like that when you swipe the credit card, the register doesn’t recognize it and clear the total. I understand with coins and paper bills but it wouldn’t have been difficult to include this and it definitely would have been a lot cooler.

This Talking Cash Register is recommended for our players 3 and older. Due to the imagination type play this involves and the potential choking hazard with some of the coins. I would agree with this age recommendation.

Although I am still on the hunt for the “perfect” teaching/talking cash register. The Just Like Home Talking Cash Register is certainly the one to beat. I really enjoyed playing with this register and I think the small details in the way it sums up the totals, and the adorable little accent it has, really give this register an edge on its competitors.

(You may also like: Tech 4 Kids Kidstech Supermarket Multi Functional Play Cash Register)