Tag: vending machine manufacturer

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The Healthiest Vending Machine, Ever


farmersfridgeMid-afternoon hunger pains? Mid-morning snack attack? Forgot your lunch? Imagine walking up to a vending machine during a quick work break, swiping your credit card, and getting a fresh salad for lunch.  For those seeking healthy vending machine options, the wait may be over. Chicago’s Farmer’s Fridge vending machine is hoping to make fresh food a reality throughout the Windy City.

Don’t think of Farmer’s Fridge vending machine as an ordinary snack vending machine. You won’t find any packaged snacks here. According to its website, it’s really a veggie and fresh salads vending machine. Founder Luke Sanders stresses the importance of freshness in his machine’s products.

Starting with salads and products that are made by hand each morning after the daily 5 AM delivery of vegetables and packaged in special glass jars, the salads are taken to Farmer’s Fridge vending machines where they will be offered for sale. At 6 PM each evening, the products at Farmer’s Fridge are discounted by $1.00. When the next day’s delivery arrives, employees remove unsold products from the previous day, stocking the machine entirely with new product. Unsold product from the fresh salad vending machines are donated to area homeless shelters.

These incredible products include a menu worthy of your favorite neighborhood eatery with salads, breakfast items, and protein pick me ups. For example,

  • Antioxidant Salad featuring mixed greens, goat cheese, mixed berries, almonds, carrot, sprouts and flaxseed with a balsamic vinaigrette
  • Detox Salad with organic kale, organic quinoa, sprouts, fennel, pineapple, blueberries, white beans and cider vinegar lemon dressing.
  • Greek Yogurt and Berries
  • Sliced apples with local honey and almond butter
  • Vegetable strips with hummus
  • Cauliflower Fried Rice with cauliflower, local peas, carrot, garlic and egg whites

Even the appearance of the Farmer’s Fridge vending machine is out of the ordinary. Saunders worked with a vending machine manufacturer to make his unique vision a reality. He envisioned a kiosk with sustainably sourced salads, environmentally responsible containers, and all at a reasonable cost. His machines are made from reclaimed wood, accepts all major credit cards, can email receipts, and features power consumption of less than $25 per month.

Saunders credits improvements in technology such as touch screens and less expensive credit card processing to his success. His company makes use of free technology like Google Docs to track recipes and inventory. Saunders also credits the city of Chicago for less expensive startup costs compared to other cities. For example the cost of the shared kitchen space his employees use daily to prepare product is about one-fifth of what it would be in New York City.

The ability to offer his products in an automated kiosk appealed to Saunders. While he estimates that his labor costs are very similar to those of a brick and mortar restaurants, the flexibility offered by a vending machine played a key factor in his decision. Given that vending machines are everywhere, having healthy options is a must for new players with ideas for a snack or drink vending machine.  Having expanded from three to 14 machines throughout Chicago in a single year, Saunders is proof that fresh sells.

40 Selection Snack Vending Machine
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The Best and Biggest Selection of Vending Machine Options

When it comes to vending machines, the importance of offering the biggest and best selection of items to customers cannot be overstated enough. Vending machines are an important fixture in the daily lives of many – they’re often used for everything from a quick snack in between classes or meetings to a necessary cup of coffee first thing in the morning. If a vending machine doesn’t offer what a customer needs, however, they’ll begin to lose faith in it and will look elsewhere for what they desire. At that point, it’s hard to get them back again, which is why offering the largest selection isn’t just recommended, it’s practically a requirement.

Now, one vending machine manufacturer has proudly stepped up to the plate and answered that call: the 40 Selection Large Capacity Vending Machine is available to order now from Vending.com.

40 Selection Snack Vending Machine

The 40 Selection Snack Vending Machine is our biggest vending machine and was built from the ground up to be the perfect choice for high traffic, high volume locations. It doesn’t just offer a large number of different selections, it also breaks new ground in terms of variety. It has 15 snack selections, 18 candy and snack cracker selections, two gum and mint selections and five pastry selections, making sure that you have all of your bases covered and that your customers walk away satisfied each and every time.

The product itself features six flex trays, all of which are fully adjustable in one inch increments to better service your unique needs – even if those needs should happen to change on a regular basis. Our biggest vending machine also gives business owners the power to individually price selections in any way they see fit and is even re-configurable for product selection spacing or variable packaging sizes.

Powered by the revolutionary iVend Sensor System, the 40 Selection Snack Vending Machine features a large, lighted product display window and a customer interface that is almost impossibly easy to use with a large LED display and multiple money acceptance options.

Security

If the security of your vending machine is a concern, it doesn’t have to be any longer – the unit features sturdy steel construction with durable powder coat painted surfaces, creating the type of vending machine that will dutifully serve you for years to come. A high security package is also available for additional protection levels.

With variability, versatility and functionality like this, it’s easy to see why 40 Selection Snack Vending Machine single handedly offers the best vending machine selection on the market today.

Vending.com
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Vending Machine March Promotion | Get It While It’s HOT

In terms of vending machine promotions, it doesn’t get much better than this. Vending.com is currently running a financing special that lets customers get all of the vending machine equipment and other items they need to keep their customers satisfied with no money down for 12 months at 0% interest. Regardless of which item you’re looking for and how much you spend, you can save an incredible amount of money just by way of this special financing promotion in general. It’s important to note that the promotion is valid only for Vending.com new and freight blemished vending machine purchases only. The offer expires at the stroke of midnight CT on March 31, 2016, so act fast before these incredible savings are gone forever. You certainly won’t regret it.

Other Amazing Items and Unbeatable Offers by Vending.com

Even if you won’t be taking advantage of Vending.com’s March madness sale, the company still has a wide range of additional items on sale right now to help businesses exceed their customer’s expectations and create the sustainable revenue stream they’ve always dreamed of.

One of these bold items is the Cafe Express Refreshment Center, designed from the ground up to offer coffee service, beverages and a wide range of different snack items – all from one easy-to-use kiosk. The Cafe Express Refreshment Center offers a large compartment for single cup pods, K-Cups and pour over brewers in addition to a customer-friendly shelf that they can use to prepare their coffee any way that they’d like. The easy loading bottle and can trays accommodate beverages in nearly every size, from 16 ounces to 24 ounce plastic bottles and beyond.

Another impressive option available to order from Vending.com right now is the Table Top 14 Selection Snack Vending Machine.This beautiful piece features a compact, space saving design that is perfect for not only small break rooms, but also any other environment where space is valuable currency. The unit was designed from the ground up to offer 14 selections of snacks and candy and is accompanied by controls that are incredibly simple to use for both customers and operators. In addition to lightning-fast first-in-first-out product loading, it also features digital electronic pricing per selection and a number of other value-added features that make it perfect for both large and small businesses alike.

If you’re interested in taking full advantage of Vending.com’s March promotion, or in any of the other incredible snack vending machine sale items or other products available to order on the website right now, please contact the company today at 888-290-9356 for more information.

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How Are Millennials Driving the Vending Industry?

How Are Millennials Driving the Vending Industry?

Millennials, those coming into adulthood in the year 2000 and after, are driving the market across many industries including housing, technology, marketing, and even vending machine industry trends. As this group reaches maturity and have more disposable income, everyone is taking notice of how to market and sell to this demographic.

What Do Millennials Look for in Snack Vending Machines?

  • This generation has grown up with technology. Vending machines that provide fresh, affordable snack and beverage options at a touch of a button appeal to them.
  • The younger generations are more in tune with the impact that sugary sodas and snacks have on obesity and health causing the health market to be the fastest growing channel in vending machine industry trends.
  • Millennials rarely carry cash and prefer cashless options like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and credit or debit cards; however, for low-cost transactions the probability of any consumer paying cash rises. A market savvy vending machine manufacturer will provide both cashless payment options as well as cash options that accept a wide range of bills and coins.
  • Providing mobile payment options also influences where operators place their machines. To complete a wireless transaction, consumers must have access to a clear cell signal, so locations such as basements where cell signals are at their worst are becoming less than ideal.

How Does This Change the Vending Industry?

Because the vending machine market is large, change will take time. Millennials are the perfect demographic for the vending market. They expect self-checkout options and as vending machine operators gather more data, micro-markets are expected to emerge.

The technology that serves the millennial generation so well is also helping the vending industry cater to them. Market analysts are beginning to predict a customer’s future possible purchases based on their past purchases. This data will help vending machine owners group products in a single machine that will encourage larger or repeat purchases from the same customer.

The convenience provided by technology also benefits machine owners. As owners provide machines that have wireless connectivity to allow cashless purchases for their customers, owners find that the same connectivity allows them to check machine inventory remotely. By knowing the machine’s inventory ahead of time, owners save precious time and money in restocking efforts.

As the nation’s leading vending machine provider, Vending.com sells and services snack and drink vending machines across the United States. Contact us at 855-712-8781 to see how we can assist you with your vending business.

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Denver Broncos are Giving Free Stuff Away Via Vending Machines

Denver Broncos Twitter Vending Machine
Image Source: www.denverbroncos.com

Social media in general is one of the most significant innovations to come along in quite some time. Not only is it a way to effectively make the world smaller by making communication easier regardless of geography, many different types of businesses are now using it as an organic and even fun way to increase consumer engagement exponentially. Case in point: the Denver Broncos professional football team has recently teamed with a vending machine manufacturer to give away free items via vending machines that are powered by one of the most popular advertising and social networking sites of them all, Twitter.

The Denver Broncos

Sponsored by Bud Light, the Denver Broncos recently placed a series of Twitter vending machines inside their football stadium. Considering the fact that thousands of patrons excitedly pass through the halls of the stadium each Sunday, this vending machine was a very well thought-out advertising plan.

The vending machine instructs users to send a tweet using their own Twitter accounts to the @BudLight handle, the official Twitter page for the beer manufacturer. The machine also gives those users a three digit code to include in their tweet. Soon after the tweet is sent, a mechanism is automatically triggered and the machine will give them a prize completely free of charge.

Though the machine is sponsored by Bud Light, the prizes do not involve alcohol. The Broncos have added a bit of a contest element to it, giving users the chance to win ticket upgrades, unlimited catering, interaction with Broncos alumni and players and more. Prizes can even be highly expensive or even collectible and can include things like Bud Light skis signed by Jake Plummer, wearable merchandise and yes, even vouchers for free beer to be redeemed at any point during the stadium.

Because the promotion is completely free, users are flocking to the machines in droves. Users get free prizes and the Broncos and Bud Light get an inexpensive marketing campaign that spreads their brand messages to millions of people each game day.

The Twitter vending machine is just one of the many modern examples of social advertising vending in practice. It’s not just a benefit for businesses, but for vending machine companies themselves – they get to push the envelope on innovation and release products that people can’t help but take notice of at the same time. By understanding just how powerful social media is and the ways in which people are using it, you put yourself in a better position to leverage it to your advantage.

Fishing? Here's a 24-Hour Bait-and-Tackle Vending Machine
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Fishing? Here’s a 24-Hour Bait-and-Tackle Vending Machine

VENDING machines were first introduced in London in 1880 but it’s taken until now for an application to be found that fits perfectly with our beach lifestyle.

Australia’s first live and frozen 24-hour bait and tackle vending machines are rolling out on the Coast.

Seasoned fisherman and Bait N Go founder Sam Mouhajar said his innovative vending machines would change the way people fished.

“Fishing is one of the best recreational activities that people can participate in, and represents the largest recreational sporting activity in Australia,” he said.

“We wanted to create a product that’s not only innovative but allows for fishing to become more accessible.”

After years of researching new concepts and the way people fished, he has developed a product range that includes quality live and frozen bait and tackle.

The bait is sourced and harvested in Australia and packaged in 100% recyclable and reusable packaging.

Mr Mouhajar said fishermen had often struggled to find accessible live bait outside normal retail trading hours and would provide a needed service last-minute and recreational fishermen particularly.

The first machines are located on the river at Noosaville, where a percentage of the profits will go to Noosa Coastguard and at Kawana.

If you’re interested in getting your own bait vending machine, visit our affiliate page for live bait vending machines.

Source: https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/vending-machines-boon-for-anglers/2802774/

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Investing in Used Vending Machines

When people think about used equipment, normally the images that immediately come to mind are negative ones. After all, who among us hasn’t purchased a used computer or television set or some other item over the years only to run into irritating (and costly) issues down the road? Certain companies are proving, however, that you need to throw these preconceived notions out the window – at least as far as vending machines are concerned. Investing in used vending machine equipment is a decision that brings with it a host of different benefits that can’t be ignored.

green check markBuying with Confidence

Companies like Vending.com take guesswork out of the equation by only selling used vending machines that have been factory remanufactured by trained professionals. Every snack machine, drink machine or other piece of used vending equipment is certified to meet industry high standards. Not only does this allow the machine to perform at peak efficiency at all times, but it also gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve got a machine that you can rely on.

green check markWarranties

Another one of the reasons why it makes sense to invest in used vending machines has to do with the types of warranties that these items normally come with. Vending.com, for example, offers a one year warranty on all machines and a 90 day parts warranty on control boards, coin acceptors, bill acceptors and other important components.

green check markCost Effective and Environmentally Friendly

Perhaps the most important reason to invest in a used vending equipment has to do with the cost effectiveness of your decision. 100% vending machine financing is often available on these items and you’re usually getting a machine that is just as good as a brand new option at a drastically reduced price. Oftentimes it only requires as little as five sales a day to run into profits on these machines.

More than that, investing in used machines means that you’re also making the decision to recycle. These used machines go back out into the population where they can be of good use and they won’t sit in a factor (or a landfill) without a purpose.

These are just a few of the many reasons why investing in a used vending machine may be the right choice for your business. Not only do you get a high quality, factory remanufactured and certified piece of equipment, but you also get to add a well-stocked and properly executed vending machine to your business in the most cost effective way possible.

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Battery Recycling Vending Machine a Great ‘Eco’ Idea

Concerns over protecting the environment and conservation efforts have grown remarkably in the past few years, and the topic of batteries remains high on this list. Unfortunately, society’s rapid reward and disposal mindset has led to a major problem concerning batteries. Batteries have the potential to decimate entire ecosystems, points out Emma Hutchings, since one tossed battery could contaminate up to 20-square-meters of soil. Fortunately, Hutchings revealed how Russia is partnering with local businesses and vending machine revolutionaries to address this problem.

Battery Recycling Vending Machine

In Moscow, a typical battery recycling center gathers about 1,000 batteries in a single month. Once the battery recycling vending machine, which allowed users to pay for items with used batteries, had been installed, the total number of batteries collected in this area soared to more than 8,000. This equates to 160,000-square-meters of ground space protected by simply installing this Think Blue Machine.

Items in the Machine

Now, many might argue that batteries are not a viable way to pay for goods, such as foods or drinks, due to the potential for cross-contamination. However, the battery recycling vending machine isn’t primarily for these items. For example, users could pay two batteries to get a stress ball, four batteries to get a bottle of water, or six batteries for an eco-friendly t-shirt. All of the items within the Think Blue Machine are selected for their ability to encourage more people to protect the environment and stay healthy, i.e. water instead of soda.

Future of Battery Recycling

Russia is responsible for the disposal of up to 15 million batteries annually, which equates to millions of cubic miles of toxic soil in dumping grounds. Volkswagen is no stranger to the battery industry; each vehicle uses a battery for starting the engine, except in electric vehicles. While society becomes more aware of the potential hazards for not properly disposing of batteries, eco vending machines like the Think Blue Machine could be the solution to much more than recycling single batteries. The machine could work like an exchange; providing new batteries in exchange for 10 used batteries. Ultimately, the battery manufacturer and the recycling organization make money in this way.

Although the Think Blue Machine was designed expressly for recycling batteries and encouraging eco-friendly thoughts among industrial cities, this could prove to be a venture to use across many other landscapes. The applications for a recycling vending machine could include aluminum cans, glass, plastics, and more. The only real question that remains is how will future generations want to pay for the things they want?

Sources:

https://www.psfk.com/2015/04/volkswagen-vending-machine-batteries-money-think-blue-campaign.html

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There’s No Stopping The Social Vending Revolution by Retailers

Social media reaches into the homes, smartphones, tablets, and thoughts of every person daily. However, people do not usually equate social media with vending machines, yet that is exactly what is happening. Vending machine manufacturers have seen the uptick in use of social media as a vending machine campaign to expand their current market. The social vending industry requires users to perform a given task on social media in the hopes of winning a prize. Finding a vending machine for sale doesn’t quite describe how the masses have responded to the use of social media vending machine campaigns.

All-Star Prizes and the Cincinnati Reds

With baseball season officially in full swing, the Cincinnati Reds want to show appreciation to their fans, and a social media vending machine campaign was an excellent option. Users would line up at the vending machine, and the machine would generate a unique Twitter hashtag for @AllStarGame. The vending machine provider would then randomly select All-Star Prizes for different people using the corresponding unique hashtag.

Fans won a variety of prizes, which included autographed baseballs by players in the Hall of Fame, former All-Stars, and current Reds players. In fact, at least one person won tickets to the iconic All-Star Game in July 2015.

red

New Balance’s Free T-Shirt Promotion

Another social media vending machine is spitting out free t-shirts as a promotional product for a coming New Balance store.  However, some people were skeptical as to if the machine even had any t-shirts at all. Upon reading the Instagram post of one concerned follower, New Balance Philly advised people to try to get to the machine early since it is refilled every morning.

In addition to a free shirt, the Philly New Balance vending machine campaign promises to send out a gift card, valued between $10 and $500, to anyone who happens to score one of the free shirts. The shirts boast white lettering among a red background, and #LoveNBPhilly sends out the message of hitting up the vending machine.

new-balance

More businesses are looking to increase their profits, and the vast inter-connectedness of social media offers an excellent outlet for combining vending machines and social media. By promoting events, products or services, a vending machine manufacturer can enhance an organization’s image without expensive marketing campaigns. Candy bars and sodas won’t be the only things in a vending machine for sale anymore; the selections will be amazing prizes, free gifts, and opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime events.

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A Unique Sell, Gun Ammunition From a Vending Machine

ammo-vending-machineGun rights’ activists and gun lobbyists never dreamed of anything as unique as what Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club is currently offering. A vending machine within the club is selling non-jacketed ammunition for both rifles and handguns. However, many people have voiced concerns over how the machine operates and the ethics behind the use of the machine.

Reasoning Behind the Vending Machine

The Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club decided to employ the use of the vending machine as a solution for obtaining non-jacketed ammunition for use in the club’s pistols. In most markets, ammunition is sold within sleeves, or jackets, for use in automatic rifles. According to Sam Piccinini, owner of Master Ammo Company and Republican Candidate for Sheriff, the vending machine helps prevent two key issues with the use of jacketed ammunition. Since the lead in jacketed ammunition can separate from the jacket upon hitting the range’s backstops, it causes premature wear on the range’s backstops. Furthermore, the jacket could rebound off the backstop and potentially hurt users of the gun range.

Limited Access to the Gun Ammunition Vending Machine

According to the Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club, the machine is only available to members of the club.  Individuals of at least 18 years-old are able to apply for  junior membership. Junior members are supervised by an adult sponsor at the club at all times. Each adult club member is given a digital swipe card, which grants access to the club’s indoor shooting ranges in 24 hour periods, but the machine only sells ammunition to members above age 21. Now, some people may be concerned about if the installation of the vending machine is legal and if club members actually want to use it.

Legal Vending Machine for Sale of Ammo

Piccinini maintains a Type 6 Federal Firearms License, which grants him the authority to manufacture and sell ammunition. Club members were having a difficult time finding a permanent supplier of non-jacketed ammunition, so Piccinini created the vending machine for this express purpose. Businesses traditionally receive some sort of financial gain from allowing a vending machine manufacturer to sell products on-site, which may be through rent, commissions, or other fees. However,  the Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club does not have any financial investment in the vending machine, so the club is exempted from any potential liability arising from use of the machine.

Businesses are always looking for ways to increase revenue and provide an enjoyable, useful environment for customers. Vending machines for sale of goods, even ammo, are driven by the decisions and needs of both business owners and customers. In this case, members of the Beaver Valley Rifle & Pistol Club approved the installation of the vending machine, and it’s operation has improved the safety of patrons while providing a service. Vending machine manufacturers are no longer resigned to the typical beverage and food items of the past.

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Know Your Options – Vending Machine Financing

Vending Machine Financing Options

When you start looking at vending machines for sale, one thing that is a major hurdle in purchasing a machine you need or want is the cost. Luckily, there are a number of financing options available. This is especially good since snack and drink vending machines can be a great investment opportunity for many businesses—paying for themselves several times over in just a short amount of time.

Credit Card

If you have a credit card with a high limit, this can be a great option for paying for your machine. This is simple and will allow you to pay your normal credit card bill each month with no extra bills. However, the interest rates can sometimes be higher than other options.

Manufacturer Financing

Check with the vending machine manufacturer. It could be that they offer private financing or perhaps they work with another financing firm to give you options. Quite often, you can get a lower interest rate than you would pay with your credit card and there are flexible payment terms.

Concerns

Before you jump in and finance one machine or several, it is important that you look through your current financial situation and make sure you are not getting in over your head. Do you anticipate that your machines will bring in enough each month to pay your loan? If not, do you have a backup plan? Talk to someone who knows the vending machine industry in your area and get a better idea of what you can expect.

As you can see, finding financing for your vending machine investment may not be that difficult. Make certain you do your research and find a finance and payment plan that will serve you well now and in the future.

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Cashless Vending, More Than Just a Trend

Organizations all over the world have long been looking for new and unique ways to innovate with regards to the types of vending machine products that they rely heavily on daily. When these types of machines are available in many public places wherever you go, it can be difficult for a vending machine manufacturer to really stand out in a crowd. One of the major innovations of the last decade was a machine that accepted credit and debit cards in addition to cash. Now, many companies are moving towards the idea of completely cashless vending for the benefit of consumers everywhere.

What is Cashless Vending?

Thought it may be logical to assume that cashless vending is “just” a vending machine that also takes credit or debit cards, this isn’t entirely accurate. A true cashless vending solution will also accept the types of mobile payment systems that customers are embracing today, like Apple Pay and similar services. Users can swipe their smartphone near an NFC reader located on the machine itself to automatically deduct money from an associated account. This makes the entire vending process easier and more secure than it has ever been.

Greenlite by Vending.com

greeliteOne bold example of this type of technology at work is the new Greenlite system by Vending.com. It’s a turn-key cashless solution that relies instead on the latest card and mobile payment systems, along with the type of web-based reporting and management tools that allow businesses to increase their return on investment in a very significant way.

One of the biggest advantages of the Greenlite system has to do with the type of machine sales tracking that it offers businesses. In the “old days” of vending machines, you essentially had to use your best judgment regarding which types of products you should be ordering and in what quantities. With machine sales tracking, you now have actionable, real-time information regarding trends, likes and dislikes that are all derived from actual consumer behavior. You can not only tell what products are selling but how quickly and at what times of the day. Businesses no longer have to rely solely on “instinct’ when it comes to making purchasing decisions – they now have actual hard data that they can use instead.

Greenlite also allows businesses to integrate two-tier pricing depending on location. A business might offer a discount on certain items for people who choose to pay with cash, for example. The system also includes helpful alerts that will provide constant updates on the health and status of the machine in question, making it easier to identify when repairs are necessary and when replacement parts need to be ordered.

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Apple Pay Will ‘Change’ The Way You Purchase From Vending Machines

apple-pay-vendingThough there are a few different mobile payment services that are available on the market today, Apple Pay is undoubtedly the most widely used and the one with the highest potential. This is thanks to the fact that it is built into the hundreds of millions of iPhones that are sold in the United States alone each year. For those unfamiliar, mobile payment is a relatively new type of technology that allows you to pay for goods and services not using cash or even a credit or debit card, but through information stored on your smartphone, tablet or similar type of device.

In theory, mobile payment and traditional plastic credit and debit cards really aren’t all that different. Account information is stored on a magnetic strip on the back of your credit card, which is then read by a card reader at the register when you check out. Necessary information about the payment is sent to your bank, at which point the associated account is debited. Mobile payment operates almost identically, only instead of storing information on a card it’s stored digitally on your phone. Instead of being transmitted through magnetic tape, it is sent to the point of sale via near field communication, or NFC. This is also much more secure as a phone can be used with certain biometric sensors, passwords and other features that cards can’t utilize. Additionally, mobile payment systems on your phone often provide instant notifications, allowing you to track purchases in real-time for better financial management.

It is NFC that will allow snack vending machine kiosks and other smart vending machine providers around the country to begin accepting Apple Pay and other types of mobile payment in the near future. USA Technology is an industry leading provider of vending machines to companies all around the country. They’re committed to not only adding near field communication capabilities to vending machines in the future, but also to devices like parking meters, washing machines, kiosks and more.

This move will allow users all over the United States to use Apple Pay at over 200,000 different self serve locations. This is a huge benefit for Apple Pay in particular, as it is facing steep competition from other mobile payment services like the Google Wallet. CurrentC is another competing technology that is just on the horizon that already has the support of some of the biggest companies on Earth, like Walmart. The addition of near field communication and Apple Pay compatible to vending machines in particular benefits nobody more than consumers, however, as they now have one less reason to carry cash, coins or even credit around with them if they don’t want to.

If you are interested in updating your machines, but would prefer a more concrete payment method, consider installing our Greenlite vending machine card readers.

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Fresh & Blended: A Fresh Fruit Smoothie Drink Vending Machine Idea

smoothieToday’s vending machines are more versatile than ever. One Kansas City teen has his eye on building a new type of machine.  Marshall Green started an IndieGogo campaign to fund the development of a unique smoothie vending machine that would provide custom made smoothies from fresh ingredients stored within the machine.

Green noticed a need for fresh, nutritious choices as a wrestler in high school. He realized that in the long hours spent at school and practice, normal vending machine snacks and drinks offered at his school weren’t sufficient to sustain him throughout the afternoon. On his IndieGogo page, Green wrote, “But like most kids going from 7am to 5pm, I need real, substantial snacks and meals to get me through the day. Unfortunately, chips from the vending machine aren’t nutritious enough, and granola bars just aren’t substantial enough.”  His idea came about from the realization that his fellow students and athletes were in the same predicament. They needed readily accessible healthy snack options later in the day.

Green loves the taste of smoothies but notes that they are messy to make at home and impossible to make so far ahead of time. He is planning to work with a vending machine manufacturer to develop a vending machine that will store frozen smoothie ingredients, such as fruit, juice, and milk, and allow customers to create their own custom smoothies. He calls his concept Fresh&Blended and believes it will be a success in academic, library, fitness center, and office settings where customers seek healthier alternatives.

His Fresh&Blended design would allow customers to actually see the fresh fruit they have selected before the drink vending machine blends it for them delivering a cold, healthy drink.  According to Green, customers can see that “there is no added sugar like other smoothie products. Fruit, vegetables, and juice or milk-plain and simple.”  Green believes that delivering excellent nutrition to people on the go will help them achieve their best at school, home, and work.

According to Green, the fact that he is a teenager is irrelevant. He describes his concept as an “idea that I’m all in on, and when I get behind something it really drives and pushes me forward.” If he can secure the funding, his plan is to have fresh fruit smoothie vending machines in locations throughout Kansas City in seven to eight months.

If you are interested in supplying your school or public area with healthier snack options, check out this selection of healthy vending machines. 

Sources:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-new-and-unique-smoothie-vending-machine–2
http://fox4kc.com/2015/01/16/teen-entrepreneur-developing-smoothie-vending-machine/

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The Future of Vending Machines: Smart Tech, Latest Trends, and More

SAP-Connected-Retail-VIDEO-12-11-2014-2Vending machines are changing – and for the better. According to Forbes, you won’t even be able to recognize vending machines in just a few years. So what is expected to change?  The way we buy and how we buy items from vending machines.

To start with, expect to see healthier food items, especially in snack vending machines and drink vending machines. People want healthier food options and are more willing to eat or drink something from a healthy snack vending machine that will make them feel good, while giving them the energy boost they need to get on with their day. In fact, many vending machines have begun to post calorie labels on their food and drink items.

So what else can these vending machines do?

According to Forbes, the future of vending is so smart, that these machines will be able to use facial recognition. In fact, the machine will be able to greet customers, remember their preferences, and even refuse to sell an item to a customer based on age or medical records.

In addition, vending machines are taking hold of the cashless trend as many people prefer to purchase items with a credit card or debit card. To take it a step further, customers won’t even need to have a credit or debit card to purchase items from snack and drink vending machines in the future. All you need is an iPhone 6. And if your phone’s battery is nearly dead, don’t worry, most smart vending machines come equipped with an iPhone charging station – so you can snack while your charge your phone. Also, all payment information is never stored, protecting customers from fraud.

With the customer taken care of, that just leaves the vending machine operators. Long gone will be the days when operators had to physically check every snack vending machine at each different location.  Instead, smart vending machines use technology that allow inventory data to be stored and tracked.  This means that the operator will know exactly when to refill their machines and with what products.

But what makes these vending machines even more unique is their level of interaction. By offering loyalty cards, cell phone charging stations, apps that help customers locate vending machines, and social media sharing options, vending machines are becoming a trendy way to quickly get healthy food and drink, particularly in schools.

While technology is constantly changing the way we interact with our world, with each other, and even with our food and drink, it’s no surprise then that vending technology is also transforming to suit our smart, modern lives.

The future of vending machines is transforming to offer healthy options, cashless purchasing, and can even recognize your face.

Posted on | by pmasters@wittern.com

Healthy Vending Options Brought to Schools

healthy vending optionsAs the Shelby County School (SCS) board prepares to vote on whether or not to bring vending machines into their schools, parents and students have mixed feelings; and for good reason.  Vending machines have traditionally been stocked with candy, chips, soda, and other junk foods high in fat, sugar, and carbs.

However, if the proposal is approved, the SCS plans to stock their vending machines with healthy choices for not just snacks, but for breakfast and lunch as well, something that is catching on across the country. These healthy vending machines in schools would be stocked daily by special education students. This means that while the food is guaranteed fresh, those students who stock the machines are learning job skills as well.

So why the idea of having a school vending machine in the first place?  According to Kevin Woods, a Shelby School board member,  “This is not to eliminate any possible positions, it’s just simply to allow more people to get through the process quicker and to have more options without having to wait in long lines”.

If the proposal goes through, the vending machines would be tested in White Station, Whitehaven, and Wood Dale schools by offering free lunches.  This could also ease the minds of some parents and students who are less than enthusiastic about getting school lunch from a vending machine.

However, some vending machine companies, such as Healthier Vending, do in fact offer healthy school breakfast, lunch, and snack programs that not only encourage healthier choices, but also encourage academic achievement all while meeting any school’s nutritional requirements.

For example, Iowa started the Healthy Kids Act to help eliminate childhood obesity by offering healthy vending machine in their elementary, middle and high schools. Healthy vending machines selling drinks, for example, offer nonfat and low fat milk, vegetable juice, and 100 percent fruit juice instead of sugary juices and sodas.

Although it is not known for sure exactly what items would go in the vending machine if they were approved, some of the more popular items we now see in snack vending machines throughout the country are healthy granola bars and Cliff bars as well as yogurt.  Healthy drink vending machines also see the V8 brand vegetable and fruit juices as well as water.  For lunch, options may include a fresh salad, freshly made sandwich, soup, and a variety of fruit.  For breakfast, options may include cereal, breakfast sandwiches and also a variety of fresh fruit.

While school vending machines may be something both parents and students will need to get use to, the fact remains that they save time, money, and in the end, offer more options and healthier choices. The future’s alternative to the traditional lunch line has become healthy vending machines in schools.

Schools are getting rid of the lunch line in favor of healthy vending machines.

Posted on | by pmasters@wittern.com

Metro Adds Bus-Ticket Vending Machine in Seattle

orca_tap1King County Metro Transit is taking a bold step into the 21st century – at least as far as passengers are concerned. To help ease some of the stress on existing infrastructure, KCMT is putting a bus ticket dispensing vending machine on Third Avenue located conveniently between Stewart and Pine street in Seattle, WA. The hope is that instead of pushing money into the farebox as traditionally accomplished, users will instead use the vending machine to accomplish the same thing.

By pairing with a vending machine manufacturer for this transit vending machine, King County Metro Transit hopes to accomplish a few different goals at the same time. For starters, it adds a supplementary source of bus tickets that will hopefully relieve some stress during already crowded transit times. Additionally, the farebox has long been seen as a major source of delays for travelers in a number of different situations. Fumbling to cram cash into the front slot of the farebox can add several seconds to the D Line or E Line, for example. When you multiply “several seconds” by the thousands of passengers that pass through those areas on a regular basis, serious delays can occur as a result.

Metro indicates that there are currently around one tenth of the total number of passengers that go through the stop that pay with cash. To put that into perspective, more than 42,000 passengers use that stop to take 2,500 bus trips each weekday. Even if the transit ticket vending machine is only accommodating one tenth of those customers, you’re still talking about 4,200 people every day.

A concern about the practice, however, has to do with whether or not the vending machine will undercut the sale of regional ORCA cards. These fare cards are designed to be purchased in advance and used in much the same way E-ZPass is for drivers. You pay in advance to “fill” the card, swipe the card when you arrive and go about your way. If the vending machine manufacturer’s solution is just as easy, it may harm that particular program.

The Metro program puts a twist on the traditional “vending machine for sale” process. Instead of purchasing the machines outright, the machine is being loaned for use completely free of charge. Additionally, the county will pay a $10,000 regular fee to cover maintenance and general operational costs directly to the vending machine manufacturer. Much of that cost will be taken care of by a federal grant, however.

Vending machines certainly aren’t just for potato chips anymore. With examples like recycling vending machines, super market vending machines, and the way that metro is putting bus ticket vending machines to excellent use on Third Avenue, it’s easy to see why more and more industries are embracing the technology on a large scale.

Posted on | by pmasters@wittern.com

Companies Who Make Employee Health a Priority Show Enormous ROI

Healthy-Vending-MachineFor many people who wish to live healthier lifestyles, one of the biggest obstacles has always been the workplace. Depending on how busy your days are, you may not necessarily have time to run to the nearest healthy source of food during your lunch hour. Fast food, which is among the least healthiest food possible, may be the best option. Worse yet, even companies that have traditionally said that they encourage healthy activities in their employees usually stock vending machines filled with high calorie, low quality items for those workers to consume. The snack vending machine has long been the bane of existence to everyone who just wants to watch what they eat and lose a little weight while on the job.

That is, until now. Research has indicated that companies that make an active effort to make employee health a priority are showing an enormous return on investment when these types of programs are initiated in conjunction with a Healthy Vending Machine.

Vending machines in general are notorious for dispensing foods that are high in trans fats, filled to the brim with synthetic ingredients and include other unhealthy qualities that make it difficult to eat right while at work. Many vending machine manufacturers have started offering nutritious alternatives that are designed only to vend low fat, low carbohydrate and low sugar products. These are not limited to snacks – these can include drinks and even full meals depending on the specifics of the program in question.

The return on investment that companies are seeing for making employee health a priority falls into a few different categories depending on the situation. The most obvious is that employer health insurance premiums are directly related to the health of their workers. If your employees are only making poor food decisions all day, premiums will eventually go up as a result. Studies have indicated that not only are these premiums not going up, but they’re actually being lowered in many cases. Many employers have created employee-driven health groups designed to manage these initiatives in the workplace.

Additionally, the vending machines themselves are becoming a viable source of income for many businesses. Employees who are already trying to live health conscious lifestyles are enthusiastically using these types of machines at a higher frequency than ever.

One great example of this type of program in action is Vending.com’s Healthy Vending program. Vending.com is a vending machine manufacturer that has been in operation since 1931. In addition to selling specially designed vending machines that dispense food, snacks, coffee and everything in between, they are also doing their part to promote healthy eating in the workplace by way of the Healthy Vending program.