PAYMENT SYSTEMS


Creating unattended payments in vending with the user in mind


Peter Alcock, head of product marketing at NMI explores how to ensure a smoother unattended payment experience in vending


H


ave you ever walked up to a self-service terminal like a kiosk, parking paystation or self-checkout retail store, and been both puzzled and embarrassed because you don’t know


what to do? You’re not alone! Kiosks and vending machines with more text instructions, icons and pictograms often make it more difficult to figure out what buttons you’re supposed to press or where you insert or tap your card. The user interface or “UI” is certainly one factor in getting a smooth unattended payment experience. As we explore how to create this seamless experience for consumers, a distinction must be made between a self-service (unattended) kiosk or vending terminal inside a shop, airport or car park, and the new breed of totally unattended convenience stores being pioneered by the likes of Amazon with their Amazon Go stores in the U.S. or Pressbyran in Scandinavia. Unattended convenience stores have multiple challenges to overcome, aside from payments, the main ones being inventory control and the prevention of theft.


These new unattended convenience stores have sophisticated


devices that log when items have been taken or returned, backed up by multiple closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and the operators use a mobile phone app to identify customers and allow admission to the store. When they’ve finished shopping, the list of items appears on the app and they can simply authorise a payment from their Amazon account or mobile wallet. Once complete, consumers simply walk out of the store with their purchases. The system is so sophisticated that it can reliably know when an item has been picked up and replaced, picked up and hidden on a person, and even picked up and hidden in another shopper’s bag. Amazon claims the level of theft is so low as to negate the need for security staff or fraud investigation.


16 | vendinginternational-online.com


Another example of this payment innovation is Sweden-based


Instant Systems’ completely unattended convenience store concept for Pressbyran which went live in early 2021. Similar to Amazon Go stores, it uses a mobile app to authenticate users and tokenise a payment card. The app allows a user into the store through a turnstile and takes payment from the card when they checkout before leaving. Turning to more traditional unattended, most of us are familiar


with self-service vending options in supermarkets or fuel pumps. What makes for an excellent customer experience in these unattended payment situations? The first thing is engagement and guidance. If a touchscreen is the primary means of user interaction, the “home” screen should be bright and welcoming, with the choices of actions available clearly displayed. Keep the number of screen-presses to a minimum and avoid unnecessary confirmation steps or “Press to continue” pages. Additionally, simplicity is the key. Video help showing how to scan an item or where to insert a card can assist new users but can quickly become annoying once a customer knows what to do. With less complex devices such as vending machines or kiosks, there may not be a necessity for a touchscreen at all and a series of buttons may suffice. Nonetheless, thought has to be given to the layout of the panel of the unit especially if there are multiple functions that a user has to interact with in the correct order such as a ticket reader, coin slot, note acceptor, card reader, contactless reader and printer.


How do you set up payments on a self-service vending device?


Any business wishing to accept card payment must set up a credit card merchant account with an acquiring bank, through which the transactions will pass. Most major banks offer this facility either directly or through a network of ISOs (Independent Sales Organisations). If the business already has a merchant account for ecommerce or face- to-face retail operations, merchants can easily add another account for these unattended transactions at vending machines. Acquirers often


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