CASHLESS VENDING
Pandemic impact – contactless jumps to the next level
The increase of cashless payments in vending has been significant over the last 10 years, growing from around 8% to more than 50% of all payments today, which is hardly surprising given the benefits to both user and operator.
N
ot only does it make the transaction simpler and quicker, it also meets the needs of impulse purchasers with no cash, provides hygiene benefits that have suddenly become more important, and reduces the workload for operators.
basket where multiple items can be purchased in one transaction and the use of coupons such as QR codes.
Historically the vending industry have been slow to adopt major new innovations like these, but perhaps the increasing demand for cashless payments, coupled with the global impact of coronavirus will make these new ideas a reality sooner. Vending experts at VMC predict that cashless will jump to 90% of all payments on vending machines over the next two years, making it the dominant method and really highlighting why it’s so important for manufacturers and operators to innovate sooner rather than later. Payment system experts have been providing payment solutions to the vending industry for many years. VMC for example, has been at it for almost three decades, offering both open and closed contactless payment, plus many additional features with VMC Flex such as 24/7 reporting, online account management, loyalty and more.
While cashless payments are certainly safer than cash during the
current pandemic, there are still challenges to overcome on vending machines to minimise the level of customer contact required to complete a transaction. In most cases selection buttons need to be pressed and flaps opened for the product to be taken, so the next phase of development needs to address these ergonomic limitations. Last summer version 4.3 of the MDB vending protocol was published by NAMA, with numerous changes being recommended to better support cashless payment. It focuses on modifications like remote vending (e.g. product selection on smartphone), allowing a
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vendinginternational-online.com
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