contactless payments
control, better resource management
and more efficient operations for
merchants and kiosk owners.
This includes remote diagnostics,
and status reporting can be used to
ensure kiosks are well maintained and
‘always on’. For product dispensing
devices, it can offer more cost-efficient
ways to manage stock with the ability
to replenish goods at exact locations as
soon as it is needed.
"More than two i n five people
(43%) say they keep less hard
cash in their pockets than
they did two years ago"
multi-loop transport ticketing, mobile
loyalty apps at drive-throughs, proximity
promo alerts for vending machines
and personalised self-service options
for hospitality and healthcare. But how
can this be achieved without driving up
complexity in terms of service provision
and integration?
Smoothing the way
One way is to use centralised
omnichannel gateways and reporting
tools to bring unattended payments
in from the cold, connecting them in
real-time to existing Point of Sale (POS)
and online software, apps and services.
Consolidating kiosks into centrally
managed payment platforms, with single
cloud-based transaction portals, can
not only facilitate new service mixes
for consumers but also unlock greater
38 KIOSK solutions
Removing emphasis on cash
But before the kiosk industry can live
up to this promise, it must first invest in
updating outdated legacy devices in the
field. There are still too many cash only
kiosks in the market that are at least five
years old, many are significantly older.
Devices that only accept cash payments
are a long way off delivering today’s
omni-services. Not only that, by restricting
payment choice they increase the risk
of lost sales and dramatically reduced
revenue potential.
More than two in five people (43%) say
they keep less hard cash in their pockets
than they did two years ago. A typical
Briton now carries less than £5 in cash.
In addition, 67% of 24-35 year olds in the
UK would prefer unattended machines
to accept card as well as cash. And 56%
would rather use cards on low cost items
at vending machines instead of cash.
In 2017, the UK is transitioning
from the old £1 coin format to a new
style design, which will act as a major
disruptor for current cash only devices
that remain in the field. As old coins are
removed from circulation, kiosk owners
with legacy coin systems must upgrade
their estates or risk becoming obsolete.
There’s never been a better time to use
forward investment wisely and to upgrade
simultaneously to convenient card
payments.
Future-proofing investment
To ensure unattended investment is
not just relevant today but also for the