PAYMENT SYSTEMS
Beyond the tap: how cashless payments are reshaping vending operations
Payment habits have changed dramatically over the past decade, with cash accounting for just 9% of payments across the UK in 2024, down from 48% in 2014. Millions of people are now living largely cashless lives, and as a result, they’re increasingly expecting the same payment experience from a vending machine as they do from any other retail environment – quick, convenient and cash-free. Lynda Clarke, general manager UK at Nayax explains what this means and how Nayax is innovating to meet modern demands
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or vending operators, adapting to those changing expectations is now part of doing business – a machine that only accepts cash risks losing sales to consumers who simply don’t carry it anymore. But the opportunity goes beyond just accepting a card tap.
Nayax’s VPOS Media for example, is a cashless payment product line designed to create a richer, more engaging experience at the machine – one that can increase transaction values and open new revenue opportunities. When the payment experience is smooth and intuitive, consumers are more likely to complete a purchase, explore upsell options, or return to the same machine again.
THE VALUE OF EVERY TRANSACTION Historically, cash-based vending environments made it difficult to understand what was really happening at machine level. Operators could see the total revenue, but they had little visibility into what customers were actually buying, when demand was peaking, and which products were driving performance. Today, every cashless transaction is accompanied by telemetry together providing valuable data – giving operators a far clearer picture of purchasing behaviour, demand patterns and machine performance in real time. This information helps them make more informed decisions around product mix, stock allocation, and machine performance. Commercial teams can identify trends and optimise planograms to ensure high-demand items are always in stock and slow-moving lines are replaced before they expire, while finance teams benefit from simpler reporting and reconciliation across entire vending estates. For many operators, the biggest benefit is no longer simply accepting the payment – it’s the visibility that comes with it.
FROM REACTIVE TO INFORMED Transaction data tells operators what is sold. Telemetry tells them what’s happening inside the machine right now – whether it needs restocking, servicing or attention. Together, they move operators from simply recording sales to genuinely understanding their estate. The impact of that shift can be huge. For example, before telemetry, Connect Vending’s Retail Merchandisers followed the same restocking process at every site: walk to the machine, manually check stock levels, walk back to the van, load up, then walk back
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again to restock. This “double walk” was standard across the industry – time-consuming, and it meant every restocking visit was reactive rather than planned.
With telemetry an inherent capability of Nayax devices, Connect Vending’s team can now access live inventory data remotely through Nayax Core and MoMa before they’ve even left the van. Rather than raw machine readings, Core and MoMa translate that telemetry into clear operational data, so operators know exactly what each machine needs and can act on it before a problem develops and can arrive knowing exactly what’s needed. When multiplied across dozens or hundreds of service visits every
week, the efficiency gains are huge, and operators spend less time reacting to problems and more time delivering a reliable service.
MANAGING AN ESTATE FROM ANYWHERE Connect Vending’s experience is one example of a broader shift. As vending businesses grow and fleets become more complex – spanning different machine types, manufacturers and generations – having a single, unified view of the whole operation becomes increasingly important. Nayax Core and the MoMa scale with that complexity, giving operators visibility across their entire estate, monitoring sales, managing alerts and surfacing insights wherever they are. For larger, enterprise-scale operators, APIs add a further layer of flexibility, connecting Nayax data with wider business systems where needed.
MORE THAN A PAYMENT What started as a way to offer consumers greater payment choice has become something far more valuable. The same transaction that allows a customer to buy a coffee or a snack also gives operators insight into purchasing trends, machine performance and where improvements can be made. Consumers may only see a quick tap of a card or smartphone.
Operators see something very different: a window into what’s selling, what’s performing, and where the next opportunity lies. The transaction itself lasts only a few seconds, but the insight behind it can deliver value long after the customer has walked away.
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