TouchGo Technology Systems Ltd (TouchGo), the intelligent vending machine software company, has announced that it is partnering with Zapp to enable mobile payments in its UK intelligent vending machines.
It’s hoped that the move ‘will put an end to the age old task of customers digging deep into their pockets to find cash for the vending machine, only to find they are out of luck’. Now, consumers need only tap their mobile phone to pay by Zapp.
Consumers spend over £1.5 billion on refreshment vending machines in the UK every year and the industry continues to boom. TouchGo will now be able to take further advantage of this appetite for quick food on the go, by ensuring even those averse to the jingle of small change in their pockets can now enjoy the convenience of TouchGo machines. Payments are made in real-time and TouchGo consumers can check their balance on their phone at the point of sale.
The partnership with Zapp follows TouchGo’s early integration of debit cards and contactless payments on to its Azure cloud connected, 46” touch screen, video enabled PC based vending machines and keeps the company at the cutting edge of payments and vending technology.
A third of all UK bank accounts are soon to be Zapp enabled, via partnerships announced in January with HSBC, first direct, Nationwide, Santander and Metro Bank. Zapp has extensive partnerships with merchant acquirers and payment service providers, including WorldPay, Optimal Payments, Realex, SagePay, Secure Trading, TrustPay Global, Checkout.com and Elavon, which together manage payments for more than 60% of UK retailers.
Per Hovland, CEO of TouchGo, said ‘at TouchGo we pride ourselves on being at the cutting edge of technology. Intelligent vending machines are ubiquitous, and in addition to food and drink vending, (including the coffee tower concept), we can now provide consumers with a wide range of products. However, innovations such as Zapp coupled with TouchGo’s real-time touch screen technology, enable us to be even more convenient and attractive to consumers, ensuring vending keeps pace, as technology brings the cashless society ever closer.’
Peter Keenan, Chief Executive of Zapp, agreed: ‘The ‘cashless society’ has been spoken about for a long time, but with 71% of consumers now owning a smartphone, we’d argue that the cardless society is also on its way. By partnering with Zapp, TouchGo is ensuring it’s ready for this opportunities to come.’
