SnackMagic's 'Cardboard Vending Machine' is new twist on the honor box

SnackMagic, a build-your-own snack box service, has updated the honor box snacks amenity. Called the Cardboard Vending Machine, the box can hold a variety of snacks for consumers to purchase using a QR code.

The Cardboard Vending Machine features three programs: Give It, Split It, or Keep It, allowing locations or operators to donate or collect earned revenues from the boxes.

SnackMagic said it has partnered with some charities, making it easy for box operators to donate to such organizations as Robin Hood Foundation, WWF and Feeding America, among others.

Businesses hosting a Cardboard Vending Machine can choose from boxes of 50 or 100 ready-to-sell, individually packaged snacks. SnackMagic's pitch says business don't have to worry about inventory management or implementing POS systems. Inventory and sales are tracked through the QR codes, and SnackMagic refills snacks accordingly. And it's cashless and almost contactless.

SnackMagic said it has tested the Cardboard Vending Machine in New York City and San Francisco in coffee shops, escape rooms and gyms, and with Airbnbs, Uber and Lyft drivers, and fitness instructors. It sees the device as a fundraising tool for nonprofit organizations like parent-teacher associations and youth sports teams.

SnackMagic was founded in 2020 in response to the pandemic's office closures, shipping millions of snacks to homeworkers. The company raised $15 million in a series A round of funding led by Craft Ventures, which has backed the likes of Cloud Kitchens and Postmates.