PAYMENT SYSTEMS
THE NEED FOR SPEED The rapid acceleration of payment systems in vending is growing even faster than expected, and that is welcome, according to Simon Black, managing director of SB Software.
Simon says that contactless in
particular is booming and the expectation is that it will accelerate still further in Europe and in Asia where QR technology is “leap-frogging ahead”. According to Simon this is what is happening:
Black reveals: “Nearly all our clients are on board and enjoying the ride already – because they are banking the revenue from increased transactions overall, combined with an uplift in average value per customer-visit, as well as seeing increases in efficiency, reducing costs. Additionally, the improvements in data supply (in terms of quantity, quality, depth and speed) lead into better visibility – giving operators more choice on how best to translate information-on-tap into the right levels of customer service per client/site.
Innovation All that said, innovation does not stand still, and many within vending circles are rapidly working on the next best thing. New and potentially game-changing technology is being introduced for use in vending all the time. Suzohapp will shortly be introducing its UPT
Card Reader, the UPT-F, a standalone card reader that is certified, 4G Ready and features a large full-colour touchscreen for an attractive interface with ultimate payment flexibility. VMC has seen increased interest in its
Vendotek contactless payment solution and this, according the Laura Barwell is because “it delivers the key features and benefits that vending operators really want”. She explains: “The Vendotek solution offers a
direct merchant agreement with competitive rates and fast settlement of funds – benefits that we know are top of the vending operators wish list. The Vendotek unit is plug & play so very quick and simple to install, it connects instantly via a 3G SIM enabling immediate service, providing rapid payments and more importantly competitive acquiring rates.” Zerica’s focus is on Near Field
Communication (NFC) which allows payment to be managed through a mobile wallet on smart phones, tags, key rings or other NFC- equipped devices.
The technology behind NFC allows a device or reader to create a radio frequency current that communicates with a small NFC tag or another NFC compatible device such as a recent smartphone which holds the information the reader wants. This information is used to identify the user and check available credit. Once the transaction has been approved the cost is debited and the electronic wallet updated. Zerica’s prize-winning BeviLaNatura range which dispenses a variety of hot and cold drinks is thought to be a poster child for the benefits of NFC.
SBS on the other hand is careful to stress
that it does not advocate any one payment system provider over others but instead strives to provide the best vending management system to integrate whatever the client choses. Of note is SBS’s efforts to develop its
Vendmanager software to bring all the benefits of Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS) to vending.
SQS is a go-to solution for intersystem communication which provides seamless freedom and flexibility across devices that is enjoyed by Netflix lovers.
Simon Black says: “SQS is a fully managed message queuing service that allows our clients to adapt to current technology trends and move with the times. “We have developed Vendmanager to bring all the benefits to vending where we can integrate payment systems via SQS. “In brief, SQS is fast, reliable, secure and
robust. Transactions are shown live in Vendmanager and you can monitor events in real time as they happen. Messages are stored on multiple servers – providing redundancy and availability. Lastly SQS scales economically, growing with you as payment systems continue to increase in volume and importance.
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• Increasingly there will be sites where there is no option but to provide alternatives to cash.
• Remember, this is not just about youth/metropolitan demographics. This appeals to everyone.
All of this underpins the need for speed. There is a wide choice of payment system technology and suppliers on hand. And the time to accelerate your involvement is now.
• Associated costs (directly to the operator but needing to be borne by all) are coming down and will continue to do so as the competition between providers plays out.
• User “acceptance” is transitioning to user “requirement”. Sales will be lost if end-clients are not able to use their payment method of choice. There are now some consumers who don’t carry cash at all and their numbers are increasing.
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