Top 3 Technology Trends in Intelligent Vending Machines

The Internet and digitization are accelerating the rate of innovation and transforming multiple industries, one of which is the intelligent vending machine market.

Vending machines have long been a convenient and low-cost vehicle for shrinking an entire store into a refrigerator-size revenue generator. However, most vending machines until today have been focused on collecting money, providing change and dispensing products.

1. Cashless payments

Though it may seem like a concept of the distant future, plastic cards, chequebooks, and even cash may completely disappear in less than a decade, with the emergence of a range of cashless payment options. Indeed, cashless and mobile payment technologies are becoming more and more commonplace

2. Smartphone interaction with artificial intelligence

While many smart vending machines offer the option of cashless payment, some vendors are taking it one step further. Some intelligent vending machines can now interact with smartphones in real time.

3. Energy-Saving Vending

Recent innovations in device management applications have enabled vendors to detect, diagnose and repair machines remotely. Coca-Cola revealed an ultra-saving vending machine in Japan that uses airtight doors and vacuum-insulated materials to ensure that beverages stay cold in the daytime without the need for refrigeration, which consumes more energy, reducing energy bills and helping to save the planet.