Mobile payments at vending machines via mBeaconPay

Thus, users will be able to make Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based mobile payments at vending machines integrated with mBeaconVend, a device developed by smart beacon provider Netclearance.

mBeaconVend will enable customers to wave their mobile phone over the beacon device to be shown the purchase amount before confirming the transaction on-screen. More than this, the smart beacon also supports a range of mobile phone platforms regardless of make, model or operating system.

mBeaconVend integrates with existing vending machine multidrop bus (MDB) technology, therefore making it relatively easy to swap out the existing coin box on machines with the smart beacon. The solution is compatible with popular beacon profiles such as iBeacon or Eddystone and opening up a wide range of mobile app interactions and avenues for proximity advertising. mBeaconVend is available internationally and payments made via this service can use either BLE or WiFi.

According to Netclearance representatives, the vending machine industry has been slow to capitalise on the growing cashless economy in the UK, with the vast majority of machines still relying on cash-only transactions; therefore vending machines integration with mBeaconVend transforms the need to carry change in your pocket to use a vending machine into history.