News
USA Technologies ePort Gonzaga Students Vending Purchases Via NFC Cellular Phones
USA Technologies announced that vending machines equipped with Near
Field Communications (NFC) capable ePorts were unveiled at Gonzaga
University in Spokane, Washington.
U.S. Bank, MasterCard Worldwide and Nokia have introduced a mobile
payments pilot program in Spokane, Washington. Program participants
received a new Nokia mobile phone equipped with MasterCard PayPass
payment functionality, which allows them to pay for purchases with a
tap of their mobile phone, instead of sliding a card through a magnetic
stripe reader, handing it over to the cashier, or fumbling for cash and
coins. NFC is the next wave of cashless payment solutions beyond
magnetic stripe and contactless credit and debit cards. NFC encrypts
credit and debit card information using short distance radio waves and
transmits the data directly to a payment device to enable purchases
with cellular phones.
Issuing banks and card companies are analyzing every kind of cashless
payment device for speed and convenience and the ePort G6 is the first,
proven cashless transaction device in vending that accepts all forms of
cashless payment, said John McLaughlin, vice president of business
development, USA Technologies. USA Technologies is the first to offer
NFC wireless technology that allows consumers to make purchases with
contactless cards as well as cellular phones from vending machines, he
said.
Mobile payments are on the rise in the United States and worldwide, and
will be available to a growing number of U.S. Bank customers in the
future. As of November 27, 2007, more than 80,000 merchants accept
MasterCard PayPass, including many in the Spokane area, such as Regal
Cinemas, McDonalds, Jack in the Box and 7-Eleven. Gonzaga University
will also accept PayPass at various vending machines throughout its
campus in order to provide busy students and faculty with the fastest
and most convenient payment option available.
According to recent analyst reports, there will be over 188 million
contactless cards in the U.S. alone1 and over 470 million NFC-enabled
phones in operation worldwide2 by 2011. With an estimated 190 million
cellular phones in use by American consumers, and handset manufacturers
and carriers are squarely focused on delivering payment capability and
related services to consumers through this infrastructure, said
McLaughlin.