No cash, no problem! Cola-Cola Refreshments is rolling out tens of thousands of cashless readers on vending machines. Consumers can pay for drinks with traditional plastic credit cards or mobile wallets, like the Google Wallet. Today, many consumers do not carry cash and that trend is only going to continue as mobile payments become more wide spread.
“Our partnership with Google Wallet is just another example of how we are embracing the growing trend toward e-commerce and mobile commerce,” said Tom Barlow, senior vice president, vending and wholesale, Coca-Cola Refreshments. “Mobile, cashless payments are part of next-generation shopping trends, especially among younger consumers who are heavy users of digital media.”
Over the past 18 months, Coca-Cola and Google Wallet have showcased their partnership in New York and Time Square at several events. Most recently, on June 26, in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens, consumers were treated to ice-cold cans of Coke®, invited to test the mobile app, engage with Facebook postings, and vie to win Google Wallet-enabled smartphones and custom surfboards. These special events underscore Coca-Cola's commitment to provide flexible payment options at vending and retail outlets.
“Coca-Cola has invested significantly in technology and equipment, including our COCA-COLA SWIPE™ cashless gateway, and forged relationships such as the one with Google, to increase our nationwide cashless footprint,” Barlow explained. "Cashless payments are a real win for our company and our customers because they typically drive significant volume lift, enable increased retail pricing flexibility and improve consumer satisfaction while lowering operational costs.”
Long-term, The Coca-Cola Company’s goal is to transform the vending and retail experience. “Mobile technology is changing the way businesses operate and consumers shop, and we intend to help our customers lead the way in leveraging this trend,” added Barlow.
To learn more about how the Company can fulfill your vending needs, visit Coca-Cola Vending Solutions or contact your Coca-Cola representative.
*U.S. Census Bureau, March 2012; Nielsen, Digital Shopping: The Topline on Online, March 2012
