The recent research carried out by EVA on the vending market informs us that, following the crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, in all Europe is increased the interest in the cashless payment in a significant way:  41% of the Operators foresee a higher request of payment solutions without cash. The reasons are easy to be realized: the news on the media and the fears for the infection have driven the consumers of all the world to limit the use of cash, even at excessive extent – according to somebody – to the real risk. As a consequence the shops and the restaurants are now preferring the use of the POS and the credit cards, both in order to reduce the exposure of their employees and to reassure the customers. In Italy the amount of transactions of electronic commerce increased in April of 80%, according to McKinsey & Company, more than 40% of the business owners affirm that the customers increased the contactless payments.

In the vending market there are different technologies which can satisfy the request of a cashless payment method, which benefit of a higher or lower popularity also because of the consolidated habits in the different national markets. In Italy, both the Operators and the users of the automatic vending machines are widely used to the convenience of the rechargeable MyKey key, the mostly representative product of  Coges catalogue. All know this pocket-size electronic memory, that in its different variations is nowadays a fundamental companion of each coffee break! The operation is extremely simple: the user recharges his personal key by inserting some coins or bills in the suitable validators and uses it till the credit is finished. The MIFARE or LEGIC supports operate in the same way. These devices permit an interaction with the cash delimited in time and limited to the moment of recharge and are therefore enough sure for most of the vending locations.

In the last years the payment by means of applications for smartphone achieved resounding success, which permit to the Operator a higher interaction with the consumer and make available some efficient tools of analysis and a lot of data on the preferences and the consumptions of the users. This solution is another valid alternative to the cash in the phase of fight against the COVID-19. The Pay4Vend Coges app foresees for this reason the recharge both by cash and credit cards: as a consequence the user can limit or even completely avoid the use of the cash for the payment to the vending machine.

In Europe, finally, the use of the credit cards in the vending field was till now limited to the crowded public locations, even though some national markets represent some remarkable exceptions. The current contingency could represent a turning point even for this technology. The users are accustomed to the most frequent use of their credit cards, maybe in a virtualized way on the smartphone or even on the smartwatch. A credit card reader like Coges PMT Nebular Pay could be the ideal product to intercept the new needs also in terms of hygiene or safety: compatible with all the contactless cards, it avoids not only the use of the cash for the payment but also the contact or the insertion of the credit card in the reader, reducing the need for clean or sanitation  of the device. In addition to the purchase from the vending machine, the credit card reader can be used for the recharge of the MyKey keys or the MIFARE supports directly on the machine or by means of dedicated recharge stations.

Rechargeable supports, applications for smartphone, credit cards… Whatever is the future of the vending in Europe, all the forecasts tell us that the cashless will play a more and more important role in the payment solutions. Choose the technology which is most suitable for your locations and for the needs of your customers and contact the Coges dealer or the nearest reference sales person. Expert in cashless for thirty-five years, Coges will always be at your side to support and help you to develop with the most innovative solutions in the market.