Bakkt to enable cryptocurrency payments across Cantaloupe’s unattended retail network

Bakkt Holdings LLC today announced a strategic partnership with digital payments company Cantaloupe Inc., formerly USA Technologies, to enable consumers to spend digital assets at unattended retail devices.

Cantaloupe said it will add Bakkt-branded payment signage on all devices shipping from October 2021 onward.

Through the partnership, consumers will have the choice to pay for products with cryptocurrency – in addition to cash, debit or credit cards and mobile wallet – and supported loyalty points across Cantaloupe’s nationwide network, according to the companies.

Bakkt describes itself as a digital asset marketplace. Its retail platform, enabled by the new Bakkt App, is designed to amplify consumer spending, reduce payment costs and bolster loyalty programs. Bakkt was launched in 2018 by the Intercontinental Exchange.

The ubiquity of cryptocurrency is a fundamental aspect to unlocking new customer experiences. The partnership will enable Cantaloupe to offer consumers the ability to pay using the digital assets within the Bakkt App, starting with bitcoin and participating loyalty points on more than a million devices.

“It’s often overlooked how much untapped digital assets are waiting for consumers to uncover, redeem and spend,” said Bakkt chief executive Gavin Michael.

“Our partnership with Cantaloupe delivers a frictionless customer experience for consumers to use digital assets as they’re intended,’ Michael continued. “Imagine being able to buy a snack at an airport with unused points that, until Bakkt, you didn’t know you still had.”

Additionally, Bakkt will integrate into Cantaloupe’s consumer application as a preferred payment choice, and it will support new “Pay With Crypto” and “Pay With Points” experiences.

“Pay With Points” enables users to leverage their unused loyalty points as payment. Bakkt will facilitate new customer experiences at such existing unattended retail locations as vending machines, micro markets and arcades, among others, while accelerating the growth of enterprises to adopt digital assets as any fiat currency.

“At Cantaloupe, we have a track record for being forward-thinking and pioneering the newest payment options that empower consumers to make purchases with any method they prefer,” said chief executive Sean Feeney.

“We view our partnership with Bakkt as a natural extension of our next-generation payments platform, further solidifying our place as the unattended retail industry innovator,” Feeney summed up.

The Bakkt mobile app is available at the App Store and Google Play Store.