Electronic payments is moving vending machines out of the gumball era. About half the vending machines in the United States are still cash-based; a sad reflection on the industry’s slowly modernizing technology. The technology gap extends far beyond payments, however, lagging in user interfaces, machine management, inventory management, merchandising, etc. Exciting technologies and applications are available for vending machines. The question is whether these will be deployed in time to grow the industry or whether some surprising competition will present itself that is better positioned for success.
