Isis Vending Program Going Nationwide (April 25, 2013)
The companies behind the Isis mobile wallet have teamed up with cashless acceptance technology provider USA Technologies (USAT) to launch a mobile payment and loyalty program for vending machines across the U.S. The partnership is an extension of USAT’s involvement in Isis’s test run in Salt Lake City and Austin, Texas, where Isis users can make NFC purchases at up to 7,500 vending machines in those two markets.
The development of the Isis loyalty program is a major step for the vending industry, which has long been based on cash, according to USAT. A mobile wallet gives vending operators a consumer engagement tool that can help drive traffic, repeat business and brand loyalty, while also enabling direct-to-consumer marketing, according to USAT. Under the new venture, USAT’s installed base of more than 100,000 NFC-enabled cashless payment terminals will be equipped with Isis SmartTap technology for rewards acceptance and redemption.
“Loyalty programs that allow consumers to be rewarded for repeat purchases are essentially uncharted territory for the vending industry. Connecting these businesses with their consumer creates a whole new marketing paradigm for the industry,” said Jim Stapleton, chief sales officer for Isis. Vending operators already working with Isis are seeing some impressive results; PGI Services, a Salt Lake City vending, coffee and micro-market service provider, has seen its cashless sales skyrocket to 80 percent of all transactions since the Isis pilot began late last October, the company said.
