1. A method of processing a retail sales transaction, the method comprising: processing a plurality of items for purchase using a point-of-sale terminal, wherein: the point-of-sale terminal is part of a transaction approval system at a point of sale in a retail store, wherein the transaction approval system further includes a financial transaction terminal in electrical communication with the point-of-sale terminal, and the financial transaction terminal includes a user interface separate from and facing in a different direction than a user interface of the point-of-sale terminal, processing the plurality of items for purchase includes using the point-of-sale terminal to determine associated price information for each item included in the plurality of items for purchase based on identifiers associated with the plurality of items for purchase, processing the plurality of items for purchase begins when information regarding an identifier of a first one of the plurality of items for purchase is entered into the point-of-sale terminal, and processing the plurality of items for purchase ends when information regarding the identifiers associated with all of the plurality of items for purchase has been entered into the point-of-sale terminal and all the associated price information for each item included in the plurality of items for purchase has been determined; after processing the plurality of items begins and before processing the plurality of items for purchase ends, electronically receiving, via the financial transaction terminal, an identification of a financial account that will be used by a consumer to pay for the plurality of items for purchase; after processing the plurality of items begins and before processing the plurality of items ends, visually indicating to the consumer via the user interface of the financial transaction terminal that a total cost of the plurality of items for purchase has not yet been determined while simultaneously presenting an opportunity to the consumer via the user interface of the financial transaction terminal to provide approval to charge the total cost, once determined, of all of the plurality of items to the financial account; and after processing the plurality of items for purchase ends and after electronically receiving the identification of the financial account, determining the total cost of the plurality of items for purchase using the point-of-sale terminal.