Harris Teeter has begun testing self-service kiosks that allow shoppers to renew their driver’s license or state ID in three stores in North Carolina.
“These are in Kroger stores all over the country, and it seems to have been very successful in other states,” Marty Homan, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, told Supermarket News.
He said plans call for the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles to roll the NCDMV Express kiosks out to six additional Harris Teeter locations by this summer, plus one location on the Fort Liberty military base. Homan said 19 of the first 20 kiosk installations are planned for Harris Teeter stores, but discussions are underway with other supermarket operators in the state, including Asheville-based Ingles Markets, which would give the DMV more exposure in western North Carolina, he said.
The expansion to other stores is contingent upon the kiosks achieving certain thresholds in terms of transaction counts, Homan said.
The financial terms of the installations were not disclosed, but Homan said there is no cost to the state. Consumers who use the kiosks pay a $4.95 fee per transaction, which is collected by Intellectual Technology Inc. (ITI), the company that supplies the kiosks. Users also pay a 2.35% credit/debit card fee.
Neither ITI nor Harris Teeter could be reached about how the retailer is compensated for the use of its floorspace. Homan said the kiosks have a toll-free number that users can call for service, so they don’t require any special training for store employees.
He said the state plans to add more functionality to the kiosks, including vehicle registration, which he said is expected to be a significant traffic driver, and the ability to pay property tax on a new vehicle. Users can also order a duplicate or change the address on a driver license, permit, or state ID card, and they can apply for or update voter registration.
The kiosks currently have the ability to print a temporary driver/identification certificate that can be used for up to 60 days until the official driver license or ID card arrives in the mail.
The first three Harris Teeter stores to test the NCDMV Express kiosks are located in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Fayetteville.
“We are thrilled to partner with the DMV to provide this additional service and offer added convenience to our customers' everyday lives,” said Danna Robinson, director of corporate affairs, Harris Teeter, in a statement. “We look forward to the pilot being successful and expanding to more stores soon.”
ITI has installed similar kiosks serving motor vehicle agencies in 31 states and four Canadian provinces, according to the company’s website.
