Coges MyKey is an ingredient of the coffee break for about an Italian out of 5. These users are ready for new loyalty functions like registration on the portal, online recharge, bonus and much more. Conquer your users with the innovative Palladium Touch System: offer new options of payment and cashless recharge; exploit the power of Nebular for simultaneous bidirectional interaction between Cloud and system and use the wide display to give sales information and a user interface. Thanks to the native connection between Palladium Touch and Nebular, the credit is not on the key, but it is stored on the Cloud, guaranteeing a higher anti-fraud safety also in the most problematic locations. Furthermore Palladium Touch permits to recharge MyKey and MIFARE supports with credit card, without the need for a card reader!
The Italian company Coges, leader in the design of payment and connectivity systems for vending, is proud to communicate to customers the implementation of a new function on its payment systems to enable payment of purchases at the vending machine directly via the Satispay app. This function is made possible by an agreement between Coges and the company Satispay, owner of the homonymous mobile payment platform.
“Satispay is an enormously popular app in Italy and rapidly growing abroad, both in the retail world and for exchanging money between individuals or for payments on e-commerce sites.” Underlines Daniele Ioriatti, Sales Manager of Coges “The implementation of this new payment option was highly anticipated in the vending market and we are proud to be able to allow our Nebular customers to activate it on their devices for free. Payment with Satispay can help the Operator reach an audience of passing-by users or it can offer a more attractive alternative for the public who is already familiar with Satispay mobile payments. We are talking about an app with over 2.5 million users and over 180,000 connected points of sale, a very large audience. ”
The new function, already available on the Coges Engine systems and on the Unica and Hexis coin mechanisms connected to the Nebular platform, makes it possible to transform the vending machine into a Satispay point of sale. The payment procedure is quick and intuitive: the end user only has to frame the QR code on the vending machine, select the amount of the product they want to purchase and confirm the payment, all via the Satispay app. The amount will be automatically deducted from the availability on Satispay account.
Satispay is an innovative mobile payment platform born from the idea of an all-Italian fintech. Thanks to its mode of operation, completely independent from credit or debit cards, Satispay allows users to pay in the store or on e-commerce sites and exchange money with friends, as well as a series of other services such as telephone top-ups, the payment of bulletins, donations and savings. Founded in 2013, today Satispay is the leading app in the mobile payments segment in retail, and with a market share of 70% within the non-NFC payments segment, Satispay can be considered the most popular and loved digital payment method via smartphone in Italy. The company now has over 200 employees, with headquarters in Milan and offices in Luxembourg and Berlin, markets that are soon to expand.
“The integration of Satispay perfectly expresses the spirit of our Nebular platform.” Observes Stefano Bertoldo, Product Manager of Coges “Nebular is a platform open to third-party applications, its goal is to offer the world of Vending the same technologies that we already use in our daily shopping experience, inside or outside of Vending. We want to integrate all the services that adapt to the needs of locations and end users into our payment systems, in a modular solution where the Operator only has to choose the required services, not embark on complex hardware and software integrations from different manufacturers.”
Nebular is the first open platform of the Internet of Vending, a complete ecosystem of hardware, software and Cloud. Thanks to the integration between the various components, Nebular brings the most advanced functions for payment to vending machines remotely: detail on the balance of each cashless key / fob, remote programming of the system, online top-up, cashless refunds, firmware updates, credit card payment and much more. The scalable architecture of Nebular allows the Operator to choose the hardware and software components that can bring him the most advantages and to modify them over time.
The world of vending is constantly evolving and individual locations always have different needs from each other. Thanks to the integration between Coges payment systems and the Satispay app, you will be able to meet the needs of your customers even more efficiently and grow your vending operation.
Coges and PMTsolutions are proud to partner with the Broderick Group: the UK’s leading vending and refreshments specialist. The Broderick Group have been leading the way in cashless payment with Pay4Vend in the UK and quickly recognised this truely innovative application has the potential to engage its customers in the workplace and on the go making purchasing vending products one of personal choice.
Originally, the project was devised to provide users with a fast and smooth shopping experience. That required setting up the vending machines with new cashless payment systems that would be able to overcome the limitations of traditional technologies.
“The Broderick Group are changing the purchasing habits of consumers by providing them with the same experience and choices that they have in a retail store. Our customers choose to use our vending machines to select a range of refreshments because it gives them what they want, when they want it,’’ commented John Broderick, owner of the Broderick Group based in Manchester and operating throughout the country.
He continued: “As a business we have always been at the forefront of developing innovative technologies that make the purchasing experience easier for consumers and believe that by investing in these new innovations we will increase the engagement of users of vending machines by making it a more of a personal choice.’’
“Cash payments have more and more limitations. Beside high costs of storage and transport, we are facing further pain-points due to pandemic health restrictions: users are uncomfortable handling money. Many cashless technologies provide just partial solutions for vending applications,” said Manfred Sokat, CEO of PMTsolutions.
“Prepaid cashless solutions are effective in closed-loop environments, online cashless solutions are more efficient and convenient for public locations, but they are not all the same. Sometimes the user is required to enter a security PIN, which is very frustrating for them. In unattended locations the purchasing experience has to be fast and user-friendly. Moreover, some credit card readers embed their own connectivity module. That makes the hardware expensive and technically complicated. Our solution provides convenient card payment services for the customer in front of the vending machine and a secure payment platform with multiple services for the operator.”
The seamless integration of the PMTsolutions services into the Nebular platform was a key step to fully meet the Broderick Group’s needs. Nebular is a hardware and software connectivity infrastructure designed to enable cashless payments and to connect vending machines to a cloud server. Nebular opens a bidirectional communication channel between the vending machine and the vending operator. It is a powerful tool to export real-time transactions, to monitor the stock, to update prices/firmware/programming parameters remotely. Nebular, however, offers much more than just a telemetry service, it enables the vending operator to export consumption statistics to learn the user purchasing habits and to proactively launch loyalty programs.
“The partnership between Coges and Broderick Group has been thriving for some time now,” commented Lorenzo Giuliani, Sales Area Manager of Coges. “The first Coges product promoted by Broderick Group in the UK was Pay4Vend, an app for paying at the vending machine via smartphone. Coges had already launched the solution in Italy and in other countries in 2015, but we missed a reliable partner to make this application popular in the UK. John instantly understood the potential of Pay4Vend and took its development very seriously. Thanks to his persistent focus on building customer loyalty and his strategic talent, he spread it all over the country. The next step was to invest in a more powerful tool to run a deeper business analysis (ed. Nebular service), to scale up the marketing strategy. Finally, John asked for our support to extend the credit card options (ed. Pay4Vend & PMT Nebular Pay) during the Pandemic Era to make a dramatic migration to cashless. The partnership with PMTsolutions gave us the opportunity to close the loop successfully.”
The synergy between the three companies made an innovative solution possible: the PMT Nebular Pay card reader connects to the Nebular server through the Coges Engine system. In this way, both the hardware devices share the same connectivity module. A well-established system of tokenization, encryption, and intelligent architecture (Microsoft Azure servers) combined with a global Acquirer service (Worldline) provide secure payments and trusted transactions.
In this way, Broderick Group users can take advantage of an efficient, fast, and secure service. Cashless purchasing at the vending machine is no longer a hassle. It is a smooth experience, with no worries, exactly the same as in the retail store. At the same time the vending operator will exploit all the benefits of the Internet of Things.
“Broderick Group’s foremost concern is the customer and investing in innovation that improves the experience of our customers.” John Broderick concludes: “We know that switching to fully cashless vending machines is aimed at engaging our customers now and in the future. It is our aim to make vending purchase the norm by engaging our customers on a personal level through technology.”
PMTsolutions
PMTsolutions is a leading solution provider of cashless payment services. The entire processing line of all services are in one hand. Just one partner for the whole cashless services chain. From card reader or MobileApp over backend services in data center with technical connections to various financial institutions like banks, VISA, MasterCard or American Express. More information on www.pmtsolutions.eu
Broderick Group
Broderick Group is the UK’s leading vending and refreshment specialist. Innovation-led, it has built a reputation for offering bespoke solutions that work hard for its customers, which range from airports to universities, and from office blocks to leisure centers. More information on www.brodericks.co.uk
Coges is proud to announce that SERIM chose Coges as a supplier for some vending systems for the City of Milan. The installation foresees the activation of 400 Coges Engine cashless systems equipped with a 4G connection module and a PMT Nebular Pay Credit Card Reader to be completed within the first months of 2021. The systems will be installed inside some schools, offices and public buildings of the Lombard County Seat.
“This configuration represents a unique and revolutionary event for the Italian vending, because most part of the systems will be installed without any device for the cash validation and will work only with the MyKey key and physical or virtual credit cards” observes Mario Majo, Coges Commercial Director “It will be the greatest installation of pure cashless systems in Italy in a moment of institutional thrust as regards electronic payments.”
SERIM is a top 10 company in the Italian vending sector with about 50 Euro millions of yearly revenue and it is a key member of the Coven consortium. SERIM involved Coges in this project of high strategic and symbolic value at the end of a long negotiation. It involved many company’s positions: from the Sales Dept. to R&D one, with the help of the Customer Service; the aim was to answer to the needs of SERIM in an excellent way, considering the high-profile opportunity was given to Coges.
One of the most appreciated aspects by the consumers who purchase a product from a vending machine is its easy use and the PMT Nebular Pay Credit Card Reader will guarantee to the users an immediate experience: to make the payment it is enough to move the credit card or the smartphone near to the Reader.
The payment with virtual cards doesn’t require any app download. Nebular Pay is compatible with all the credit and debit credit card circuits (Visa, Mastercard, VPay, Maestro, American Express…) and the virtual electronic wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay, etc.), which foresee a rapid cash transfer on the Customer’s bank account. In addition to the direct purchase of products from the vending machine, the Nebular Pay Reader will allow the end user to recharge the credit on his own MyKey key. Thanks to the Nebular connectivity service, the payment solution requested by SERIM will also permit to the Operator to benefit from an online technical portal with some functions: product stock management, remote firmware and database update of the payment systems, remote refund of the credit on key and much more.
“The elimination of cash will not be a problem for the end user” – adds Majo – “Italy is moving rapidly as regards cashless payment and this year there will be an additional acceleration of this trend thanks to the demand of more hygienic and sure payment methods, due to the Coronavirus. Surely this is a challenge for us and we are proud that SERIM made this choice; we believe that Milan is the ideal lab-territory for this innovation.”
With this solution Coges and SERIM intend to be pioneers in the development of digital applications for vending; a partnership based on a mutual trust which will be an important step for the evolution of our sector.
Coges adds to its range of accessories for the payment systems a new kit for the connection to the LAN network and the Wi-Fi one, which is compatible with cashless Coges Engine System and Unica Change-giver Coin mechanism. The kit offers a new connection option to the Nebular platform for Vending, perfect above all for the locations which offer an access to the network via cable or Wi-Fi and for the vending machines where the network connection is already present, for example by means of a router with SIM card installed in the vending machine. In this way the payment system will be able to exploit the existing connection.
“The connectivity in the payment systems is more and more requested and appreciated at the moment, also in view of the current needs of distance” observes Matteo Pegoraro, Coges R&D manager. “Thanks to this new accessory we introduce an alternative for all the vending machines which access an independent connection and want to make a network with the payment systems as well, with all the advantages which follow in terms of firmware update, remote credit refund, change of configuration parameters, recording of sale data, real time alarms and much more. The LAN-WIFI kit is conceived for the connection to the Nebular platform, which in this way becomes even more versatile.”
The LAN-WIFI expansion kit offers a valid alternative to the 2G/4G connection, which is currently the more exploited for the connection to Nebular. The kit includes a safety battery pack and is suitable to be connected to two temperature probes and a sensor for door opening.
The new Nebular LAN-WIFI connectivity kit is available in two versions: Engine and Unica. The first is installed inside the Engine plastic shell, the second includes an external shell which is connected to Unica Change-giver Coin mechanism with a direct cable.
While the COVID-19 pandemic keeps on arousing worries around the world, the Operator’s company of vending keep themselves busy to face the difficulty of the moment and find out new business solutions. To work in a “smart” way means to exploit all the advantages offered by the new technologies to adapt to the rapid changes in progress, by reducing the costs and keeping firm the trust of the users: the connectivity is an investment which permits us to be near to the customer even where we can’t go in person in this moment.
Health reasons and economic opportunities suggest, for example, to reduce the frequency and the duration of the visits to the point of sale of the fillers and the technicians. To this need answers the integration of the payment systems and Coges Nebular platform, which brings online the technical portal by permitting to intervene by remote on the firmware update of the master system and the peripherals, on the change of prices and parameters and on the coin and bill database. By means of Nebular, available on the online portal or integrated in the main management software, it is furthermore possible to display in real time the sales and the recharges carried out on the cashless keys, by sending also credit refund by remote in case of missing sale without meeting the user physically. These functions, together with the notification of the alarms and the management of the product stock, permit to the Operators to save on the technical visits and to reduce substantially the time devoted to the visits for filling the vending machines connected.
How to increase, at the same time, the sales on the vending machine? It is necessary to grow the trust of the users and to offer them, together with a service and some quality products, some payment options which make them feel sure. We know that in all Europe the cashless is finding the interest of the consumers: the more intuitive cashless solution is always the MyKey, which in the new embodiment amazes the users with the brilliant colours and involves them with the exclusive customized web showcases with the Operator’s colours and logo. When the vending machines are connected to Nebular, furthermore, the users can display on the showcase their credit and other exclusive functions, while the Operator has some always updated data available on their consumptions and can send some offers and promotions to make them feel more cuddled.
If Coronavirus takes you away from your Customers of from your vending machines, the connectivity of the advanced payment systems permits you to keep them at hand. Contact the nearest Coges dealer to find out the best solution for your needs!
Cashless Coges Systems represent an opportunity for the Operator who desires to offer to the locations an essential service such as the distribution of masks and other types of PPE, permitting the free distribution only to whom are entitled and by keeping under control in real time the product stock to avoid any lack or waste.
While it seems that finally the health situation is coming back to normality, to speed up the passing of the crisis the public health authorities recommend the social distancing and where this is not possible , the adoption of Personal Prevention Equipment such as masks and gloves and the use of disinfectant gel. These necessary tools have become in short time integral part of our life even and moreover on the working place where every day we live in contact with colleagues, customers and suppliers. How to guarantee a precise safe and controlled distribution, of these devices to the employee? The channel of automatic distribution is surely one of the most suitable, as it avoids the direct contact between the persons and it hugely limits the risks of contamination. Furthermore, the public or private employer should not use some internal resources to these activities by subtracting them to much productive tasks.
Coges answer to this need with Coges Engine Plus and Unica System, which permit the vending operators to give a rapid answer to the Customers’ needs, by exploiting the vending machines already installed. On these payment systems it is possible to get some free sales by means of the MyKey or MIFARE supports on specific price lines, which could be devoted to the masks or to other EEP for the employees. Thanks to the controlled sales, furthermore, it is possible to limit the withdrawal of a defined number of PPE by day or by week, avoiding thus any waste. The same limit can be differentiated per key category /MIFARE, granting a higher number of PPE to some particular categories of employees who don’t have particular needs: for example maximum 3 masks per day could be distributed to the workers of the plant and 2 masks per day to the employees in the office, also exploiting the same vending machine. If the employer desires that the free distribution of masks occurs only during the working time, it is enough to set on the payment system some time schedules with differentiated prices as well (gratis/ on payment). Furthermore the Operator can add to his offer some high margin products such as the disinfectant gel, preventing the users from going to the pharmacy and buy them.
All the data concerning the distribution can be recorded by means of pendrive, but the activation of Coges Nebular connectivity service adds, in the case of the PPE as well, all the advantages of the remote management: first of all the possibility of monitoring the product stock in real time. In this way a constant level of supply can be guaranteed, also setting some alarms which warn when the reserve on a specific price nears to the minimum. Nebular, registers in real time all the sales, free sales included. The service permits to display on which vending machine the sale was carried out, and permits moreover to display on which vending machine the sale was carried out, the exact date and time of the withdrawal and even the serial code of the key or the MIFARE support which made the purchase. This precision contributes to avoid the abuses and to guarantee all the devices they are entitled. Nebular also helps to reduce the frequency and the length of the visit to the vending machines on the Operator’s side with time schedules, they can be updated directly by the office, Coges and Nebular time schedules can be remote updated directly by the office. Coges and Nebular payment systems permit the setting of the a different VAT among the different price lines, offering the possibility to sell food products not in the same vending machine (in this case it can be necessary the change of description on the site of the Income Revenue Authority).
Thanks to Coges and Nebular systems the Operator could supply a new service to his customers by using the vending machine already used, guaranteeing a monitor of the reserve of the distribution even with report which ca be exported. At the same time the employers and the employee could go on to operate with the maximum safety, with respect of the law and healthy needs.
Coges is proud to present the new generation of MyKey rechargeable cashless keys, already available for purchase. With the new version, Coges intends to transform MyKey into a point of contact between the physical media and the Internet of vending, without sacrificing the solidity of proprietary technology and the simplicity of use that make this product an indispensable element of the coffee break. The evolution of MyKey passes through the unprecedented possibility of connecting to a “showcase” on the web (product pending patent), which also represents a communication platform between the Operator and his customers.
“This is an important technological innovation for the world of vending.” Mario Majo, commercial director of Coges says “The web showcase connected to MyKey allows the user not only to read the information on his key, but also to send information directly to the Operator, a service previously impossible for a physical token. Thanks to the integration with our Nebular connectivity service, the Operator now has a tool to get in direct contact with end users of the vending machine without leaving their office, send refunds on a specific fob and analyze habits of consumption of his customers in greater detail. These are just some of the functions currently implemented: the development potential is extended.”
MyKey is a small electronic memory, ideal for holding a credit and making purchases on unattended points of sale such as vending machines. With over 30 million tokens on the European market, MyKey has been for over fifteen years one of the most known and loved rechargeable media for vending machines in Italy and abroad. The novelties of the new series are not limited to integration with the Cloud world: the physical token has also changed, with a new design and 5 brilliant colours that will not fail to attract attention. The new MyKey is compatible with all Coges Key readers of the second and third generation. Thanks to the new technology adopted for the key manufacturing, moreover, it is possible to print the Operator’s logo directly on the key with a personalized, accurate and long-lasting laser engraving.
The connection between MyKey and the web showcase is immediate. On one side of the new MyKey there is a QR code, a simple technology known by everyone: by framing the QR code with your smartphone, the user will be directed to a page already personalized with the logo, colours and contact information chosen by the Operator. The MyKey web showcase can do even more for Operators who use Nebular, the connectivity service provided by Coges. In this case, the user registered on the web showcase has access to exclusive functions such as reading their credit on the key, sending feedback, contacting the Operator and viewing their purchasing history. Registered MyKey users and their messages are automatically integrated into the Nebular platform: in this way the Operator will be able to view the feedback received, respond to requests, check all transactions (purchases and top-ups) made on the connected vending machines and even send a refund to the user, remotely topping-up the credit on MyKey.
“Being close to the customer is essential for a service like this.” confirms Alberto Conte, Site Director of Coges “The web showcase extends to the key the typical advantages of mobile solutions, but at the same time offers the Operator a dedicated and customized space: a way to make your business known and give importance to your brand. Each web showcase is, in practice, a page distinct from the others, of which the Operator is the protagonist. It is also a service that could make a difference in the case of public or private tenders.”
Practical, lively and ever smarter: in 2020 MyKey continues to be the symbol of Coges, a bridge between electronic technology and innovation more and more driven towards connectivity and software solutions.
