The Charlotte Observer has an interesting article on the growing number of technologiies and products coming to the market which emphisise the use of contactless sales. A contactless sale is of course a transaction which requires no personal contact with the customer. It is the idea of Vending Machines taken to the extreme.

USA Technologies, which provides technology to campuses allowing students to pay and monitor their laundry through their campus cards, now has targeted vending machines. The company says its e-Port terminal, a wireless cashless transaction device designed for vending machines, will accept contactless cards as if they were swiped and will help “break open the vending industry to micro transactions using credit and debit cards.”

Bank of America Corp. employees in Wilmington, Del., in recent weeks have been getting an early look at its experimentation with “contactless” payment devices.

Last month, the bank issued special credit cards to about 5,000 MasterCard-using employees and asked for volunteers to try the key-chain devices. Next week, employees will get a chance to test Nokia phones that can make payments.

The Charlotte-based bank is one of many financial institutions dabbling in payment systems that don’t require customers to slide a magnetic strip through a card reader. It’s the latest twist in the push toward a cashless society.

In surveys, customers have asked for the new technology, but Bank of America, which bases its credit card operations in Wilmington, is careful to say it’s still in a testing phase.

–Charlotte Observer

More than 600 merchant locations in the Denver area are ready to accept payments with contactless cards. Merchants like contactless cards because it speeds up the transaction and allows their employees to focus more on customer service. Visa estimates that the average transaction is 25% faster than using cash.

“US Bank, through its partnership with Visa, has long been at the forefront of innovation in the area of cards and payments. This latest innovation and introduction of contactless is a reflection of our consumer and merchant customers’ desire to pay and go quickly and securely,” said Patrick Coll, executive vice president of retail payments at US Bank. “We anticipate enthusiastic acceptance in Denver and look forward to expanding the program.”

–Energy Business Review

Contactless Vending

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For the last five years, studies and focus groups surrounding the area of control for school and campus vending machines have been pushing for healthier food and beverage products to be offered. Two examples of the barrage of news articles which are published on a monthly basis are below:

• Simi Valeey Acorn
• Star Sun
• Schools, just teach health
• Junk Food out Scholarships In

Obviously we want the healthiest possible foods and beverages for our children, so why is this such a problem? Mainly it is because healthy foods tend to have less preservatives, and damage easily. They simply are not vending machine friendly. What has happened in the past with attempts at this program is those who are managing the vending machine stock run into a huge loss and are simply forced to quit stocking the products.

Fruits and vegetables don’t last inside vending machines, and the mechanics of dispensing them often bruise or damage the product. Several attempts have been made to create packaging which helps with this, none of which have been profitable to date.

Organic Vending is a two-month-old business based in Rensselaer designed to help consumers with that problem. As its name implies, the company supplies area businesses and schools with alternative vending machine snack options.

“People see the word organic and they think it’s soybeans and tofu, and it’s not. There is an organic version of pretty much everything,” said Bob Wolf, company co-owner and long-time organic food eater.

The company has supplied organic vending machines for several businesses, including Media Logic, WTEN, the State Trooper barracks in Livingston, and is in the process of supplying YMCA Saratoga.

Another company in Australia of the same name is also entering the market.

With so many schools, districts and counties passing laws against junk food vending on campuses and in public buildings, the market for these products is obviously growing. At least the potential market is growing. What is yet to be seen is if this potential can be tapped effectively.

Organic Vending LLC

Organic Vending in AU

School Vending, Health Vending, Public Building Vending, Contract Vending

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