Abstract: In particular for reducing the waiting time at the checkouts of self-service supermarkets, articles are registered by providing each article with a microcircuit (24) having a loop for picking up high frequency energy and for responding to an interrogation by transmitting a modulated message at high frequency representing an article-identifying signature. An article (20) is taken into account by exciting its microcircuit by applying an energy-supplying and interrogation high frequency signal thereto to cause it to transmit the modulated signal of the signature, the modulated signal is picked up by memory means causing the signatures to correspond to the prices of articles, the price of the interrogated article is stored in a memory, and it is displayed, and the price of the article is added to that of any articles that may previously have been taken into account.