More than 2,800 supermarkets in the US will offer paperless in-store coupons by the end of the year, as grocers like Meijer, Stater Bros., Ukrop's, and United Supermarkets, install Ez-Pic systems to help shoppers save money, and retailers to boost sales of items being promoted by a supplier.

Ez-Pic instant coupon system from Unicous, works by first distributing shelf signage the retailers, for identification to customers. Unicous integrates its proprietary processing technology to the point-of-sale system, which then does all of the work of recognizing, applying, and balancing for reimbursement all aspects of the electronic coupons.

Consumers receive discounts on participating products merely by selecting the products in qualifying amounts and paying for them at the register. The discounts are automatically applied to the transaction at checkout, and are indicated on the customer's receipt.

"Data has shown that Ez-Pic delivers-not just for consumers, but for retailers and manufacturers alike," said John Thompson, VP of Operations for Unicous. "We're trending with a 71%lift on promoted items year-over-year."

Kroger and P&G lead the paperless trail

Earlier this year, Kroger Co. the largest traditional grocery chain in the US, and Procter & Gamble Co. the largest consumer products company, became  partners in a digital coupon trial. Shoppers load the online discounts onto their store loyalty cards, receiving the credit at the checkout.

Some early users like the convenience of paperless coupons.

• "You don't have to waste your time going through all those little pieces of paper in your purse," said Carol Hoffman, Kentucky- woman who's been using digital coupons on her Kroger card.
• "It's really nice, because I always forget to bring my coupons along ... and I don't have to organize them," said one Ohio shopper .

Kroger sees the innovation as a way to build customer loyalty, drawing consumers who are increasingly spending time online to their Web sites and ultimately, their stores.