USA Technologies, Inc. (USAT) has kicked off what USAT believes to be the largest mobile payment and loyalty program for the U.S. vending industry this week at the NAMA OneShow in Las Vegas, Nev. Loyalty programs can help drive traffic, repeat business and brand loyalty. Since U.S. vending has traditionally been a cash-based industry, consumer engagement tools such as loyalty programs that market directly to the consumer were largely impossible before.
The USAT mobile payment and loyalty program will integrate USAT's installed base of over 100,000 NFC-enabled cashless payment terminals with Isis' SmartTap™ mobile commerce technology, for rewards acceptance and redemption. The Isis Mobile Wallet™ enables mobile payments through an NFC-ready terminal and allows consumers to redeem offers and loyalty with the tap of their smart phone.
Under the "Fifth Vend Free" promotion being announced by USAT and Isis, customers would be eligible to receive free products from vending operators based upon loyalty rewards earned by using the Isis Mobile Wallet™ to pay for a purchase at a qualifying terminal.
"After USAT's successful pilot with Isis in Salt Lake City and Austin, we are extremely excited to expand via the addition of a loyalty program," said Stephen P. Herbert chairman and chief executive officer of USA Technologies, in a prepared statement. "In our view, the USAT mobile payment and upcoming loyalty program is yet another way for operators to optimize their cashless payment platform as a tool for driving top line growth. It reflects our commitment to deliver more value to our customers with every USAT connection, with the added benefit of making vending fun for the consumer. In our view, it's a win-win for everyone involved."
PGI Services, a Salt Lake City vending, coffee and micro market service provider, has been preparing for mobile-based consumer engagement tools to drive traffic to its machines.
"We took advantage of USAT's mobile payment launch with Isis in our city because we know the demographics of our consumers, particularly in areas such as the Salt Lake City airport and business centers, are increasingly smart-phone oriented," said Mike Brown, president of PGI Services. "We are now over 80 percent cashless and can't wait to incorporate the consumer engagement programs enabled by mobile payment to leverage our cashless platform even further. In my view, anything we can do to make it easier and rewarding for customers to purchase our products is smart business."
"Loyalty programs that allow consumers to be rewarded for repeat purchases are essentially uncharted territory for the vending industry. Connecting these businesses with their consumer creates a whole new marketing paradigm for the industry," said Jim Stapleton, chief sales officer for Isis. "It's an exciting time for this market sector and we are looking forward to working with USAT in making this a success for everyone involved."
Visit USAT's booth 1229 at the NAMA OneShow to learn more or call a USAT sales representative at 1-800-633-0340 and mention the USAT Fifth Vend Free promotion.
