For a long time to pay for things one needed money - cash. And this particularly also applies when purchasing products and goods from the vending machine. The German Vending Association (BDV) estimates that approx. 75 percent of all vending machines operate using cash and are thus primarily fed with coins. However, cashless payment is a trend that doesn't come to a stop at the vending industry - and which is more widespread in countries like Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden or Poland than in Germany. "The German consumer is still much more reserved regarding cashless payment systems in the international comparison, even if a strong shift can be observed here, which of course is also effecting the vending market," André Meier, Head of Sales at Sielaff GmbH & Co. KG.
According to a survey carried out by the Allensbach Opinion Poll Institute in June 2018, already 59 percent of the German respondents over 16 found it practical or very practical to pay for snacks, beverages, cigarettes or travel tickets from vending machines using a girocard. In Germany there are over 100 million girocards and bank or savings bank customer cards. Since the end of 2016, all new girocards issued by the German cooperative banks and savings banks and some of the private banks have an integrated contactless function in order to allow so-called direct contactless payment "en passant" using the NFC technology without having to charge them with money from one's account in advance. By the end of the year 75 million contactless girocards will be in circulation. Furthermore, since 2018 the German credit sector has been enabling contactless payment using the smartphone. Thanks to Google Pay the owners of an Android mobile phone can also already pay using the smartphone. A new alliance between Google and Paypal will no doubt accelerate this development considerably.
The advantages of contactless payment
The users and operators of vending machines can use the changed attitude of the Germans towards cashless payment to their advantage. Operating the machine becomes more efficient and more viable for the operator because change no longer has to be paid out (and thus the provision and filling of the machine is no longer necessary). The banknote and coin inventory becomes a thing of the past. And the risk of vandalism and theft is reduced, because there is no cash inside the vending machines.
"The increased implementation of the connectivity leads to the operator being able to access his devices more easily. This enables him to react fast to the current market situation, i.e. through the flexible adaption of sales prices," which Sielaff consider to be a further advantage for vending machine operators. Equipping vending machines with cashless payment options could actually pay off in hard cash, John Kolthof, Executive Director of CCV Easy, a brand of the international CCV Group B.V., said: "We see great potential for all types of vending machines that have to be equipped with an electronic payment solution which are able to execute all types of payments. Current surveys show that the consumers will spend much more if they are not limited down to the coins in their pockets."
At euvend & coffeena 2019 systems for cashless payment will attract a great amount of attention. Including "Hi!", the new cashless reader by EVOCA Germany GmbH and the respective app "Breasy". "Simple and fast payment is a must nowadays. Hi!, the new cashless reader, which contains the Bluetooth and IrDA technology, unites flexibility and maximum security. The key laser has a new security level, which offers increased protection against hacking. Furthermore, the proximity reader disposes of the Mifare DESFire technology for cards in order to offer higher security," is how Oliver Garn, Executive Director EVOCA Germany GmbH, explained the advantages of the new system.
Further trends and potentials of cashless payment can be found at euvend & coffeena in Cologne from 9 to 11 May.
Koelnmesse - Global Competence in Food and FoodTec:
Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising food fairs and events regarding food and beverage processing. Trade fairs such as the Anuga, ISM and Anuga FoodTec are established world leaders. Koelnmesse not only organises food trade fairs in Cologne, Germany, but also in further growth markets around the globe, for example, in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, which have different focuses and contents. These global activities enable us to offer our customers a network of events, which in turn grant access to different markets and thus create a basis for sustainable and stable international business.
Further Information is available at: http://www.global-competence.net/food/
The next events: ANUFOOD Brazil - International Trade Show Exclusively for the Food and Beverage Sector, Sao Paulo 12.03. - 14.03.2019 ProFood Tech - THE Processing Event for Food & Beverage, Chicago 26.03. - 28.03.2019 IIDE - India International Dairy Expo, International trade fair for dairy farming, -processing, -packing and -products, Mumbai 03.04. - 05.04.2019
