Electronic Article Surveillance, or EAS, is a method that is used to prevent loss caused by shoplifting. This system uses a combination of security tags or labels that are affixed to the retail items and detection systems placed at the exits of the store. When a retail item basses by the sensor, an alarm may be sounded.
Usually these tags must be deactivated or removed at a sales counter to prevent an alarm from being activated. Types of EAS devices include magnetic, radio frequency, and microwave. Sensormatic and Checkpoint (types of EAS) are two point-of-sale security systems; this refers to little metal tags that are inserted into the packaging to set off an alarm so that if you go through the sensors the alarm will sound. The tags can be deactivated at checkout.