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Improve error messaging in Self Checkout to provide clearer feedback

Following the release of the Self Checkout functionality in campusM (2025), we conducted user testing with a group of beta testers using the mobile application.

A recurring pain point emerged: when a checkout attempt fails, the error modal only displays a generic message ("Checkout failed") that gives users no indication of why the operation could not be completed. Users cannot tell, for instance, whether the item is non-circulating, already on loan, reserved for another patron, or otherwise unavailable.

Suggestion: We suggest enhancing the Self Checkout workflow in the mobile app to display more detailed and actionable error messages, ideally aligned with existing Alma messaging. Since Alma already includes a wide range of predefined "Self Check Messages," these could potentially be reused or mapped to the mobile app context, ensuring consistency across systems.

Expected benefits:
- Users understand immediately why a checkout failed and what action they can take.
- Library staff receive fewer support requests related to self-checkout failures.
- The feature aligns with the messaging granularity already available in Alma's self-check configuration.

We believe this enhancement would improve the end-user experience.

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François Renaville shared this idea  ·   ·  Admin →

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  • AdminNeta GT (Product Manager, campusM, Ex Libris) commented  · 

    The Alma Self Checkout product integration uses the Create User Loan API:
    https://developers.exlibrisgroup.com/alma/apis/docs/users/UE9TVCAvYWxtYXdzL3YxL3VzZXJzL3t1c2VyX2lkfS9sb2Fucw==/

    The types of errors that we can display to end-users in the app is limited by the response we get from Alma - and none of them can give the user any actionable information than we can from a generic error. These are the types of error available:

    1. "User with identifier X of type Y was not found." - Action item: go to your librarian/IT.
    2. "Item cannot be loaned from this circulation desk."/"The loan is API Restricted by library."/"The API Restricted profile is not valid." - these are all defined by the campusM admin, the best action item for a student is go to your librarian/IT.
    3. "Item is not loanable." - Action item: go to your librarian/IT. Note that no other reason is provided from Alma as to why the item isn't loanable.
    4. "PID field is empty." - this would only happen due to a bug in campusM or submission of an empty barcode. No real action item for the user except to go to his librarian/IT.
    5. "General Error: An error has occurred while processing the request." - same as current error, effectively.

    Therefore, there is not much to be done on the campusM side to improve this without the prerequisite of a change in Alma behavior.

campusM: Integrations

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