System and method for delivering photographic-based products to a customer

The use of photofinishing minilabs in retail currently requires that an operator manually mark customer order forms with the number of, for example, prints produced. For each order, the type of products and quantities of each are then manually entered into a cash register or point of sale terminal at a checkout location of a store. Occasionally, stores create notebooks with pages of UPC labels that are scanned at a checkout to reduce the time and data entry errors. An automated photofinishing system and method for delivering photographic-based products such as prints to a customer includes a minilab that is adapted to receive instructions describing a customer order and specifically, the type and quantity of photographic-based products desired by the customer. The minilab further includes a UPC interface for printing UPC labels having UPC codes thereon that correspond to the type and quantity of the product produced. The UPC codes can correspond to multiple products produced in the same order or a single product having multiple quantity. The UPC code provides a link to a retailer's point-of-sale system.