MALVERN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USA Technologies, Inc. announced that it has added FreshBrew Group, a national specialty coffee roaster provider, supplying coffee to airlines, hotels and convenient stores, and also one of the largest privately owned vending services providers in the Houston metropolitan area, to its growing roster of ePort Connect® customers committing to fully connecting every machine to USAT’s cashless payments platform. As a result, USAT is working with the FreshBrew team to integrate over 3,000 ePorts in unattended machines across the business, as well as upgrading older equipment in an effort to make 100 percent of FreshBrew’s machines cashless and mobile-payment enabled. FreshBrew was able to commit to a rapid, large-scale deployment by signing up for USAT's Premium Support Service offerings to manage, assist, analyze and support installation and marketing efforts.
With a strong track record in innovation and early technology adoption, we believe that FreshBrew identified early on that offering cashless and mobile payment options could positively impact business through increased cashless sales. However, the company was unsure about how to deploy the technology across their entire fleet of over 3,000 single-serve coffee and vending machines quickly and efficiently. Through USAT’s Premium Support Service, the company now has access to USAT’s premium, best-in-class support services, including deployment planning, project management, installation support, training of staff, the marketing of cashless, mobile payment and loyalty programs and funding support to ensure a smart, streamlined rollout and fast returns on the investment.
"It’s our view that mobile phones will eventually replace wallets, and we have to be ready with cashless solutions that align with the modern-day payment expectations of consumers,” said Steven Weyel, chief operating officer, FreshBrew Group. “It can be daunting for smaller operations to make the switch to cashless because, although it makes good business sense, time and labor associated with the rollout can make it seem like a hefty investment. Working with USA Technologies, the transition has been seamless and includes the support we need to get up and running. So far, we are happy to report that, with 76 percent of our machines connected to USAT’s ePort Connect platform, average cashless usage is already at 31 percent, and we anticipate revenue increases of 15-20 percent. We’re hoping that the success we’ve had will entice other smaller operators like us to take the step towards 100 percent cashless.”
With a history in coffee sales dating back to the early 1900s, the FreshBrew Group was officially established in 1995 as the first office coffee services supplier in the greater Houston metropolitan area to offer single brew coffee machines to clients. Later, at the request of a large coffee services client, the company added the Vending Division. As the business grew through acquisitions, it soon became one of the region’s most technologically advanced full-service vending companies. FreshBrew Vending has now grown to be one of the largest, privately owned vending services providers in the region. Today, the FreshBrew Group is comprised of a specialty small-batch roasting and gourmet quality coffee company and a first class, technology-driven vending services company.
"FreshBrew Group has a legacy of innovation. The decision to enable every one of its machines with cashless technology is a true testament to the industry’s growing evolution to cashless, and the benefits that forward-thinking companies like FreshBrew can enjoy by modernizing their operations,” said Michael K. Lawlor, Chief Services Officer, USA Technologies. “Customers who use credit cards, debit cards and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Android Pay spend more at their machines because they are not limited by the cash in their pockets. Connected machines also create greater business efficiencies and open lines of communication with consumers in ways that will increase sales. Going cashless just makes business sense for an operation of any size, and more and more companies like FreshBrew are getting on board.”
