Abstract: A shopping cart and method of autonomous shopping are provided including a cart chassis, a scale configured to rest on base of the chassis, a basket resting on the scale, wherein weights of products placed in the basket are indicated by the output signal of the scale, a weight guard rail positioned above the product basket and attached to the cart chassis, wherein a downward force on the weight guard rail does not impose a downward force on the basket and is not indicated by the output signal provided by the scale, a user identification unit; and a payment module.