USA Technologies Partnership Extend Micromarket Foothold

USA Technologies (USAT), a payment technology provider of cashless and mobile transactions in self-serve retail, announced Wednesday (May 24) a strategic agreement with Five Star Food Service, a full-service vending, micromarkets, office refreshment services and corporate dining company, to expand their partnership.

In a press release, USA Technologies said under the deal Five Star will use its Premium Services program to roll out deployment at a fast pace. The deal also created a cashless payment and engagement program for Five Star.

“At Five Star Food Service, we pride ourselves on our ability to recognize the potential in trends like cashless payments and advertising for the unattended space. We continue to see USAT as a key partner because of their track record of helping increase the Net Operating Profit of our operation through analysis of the existing installed base,” Alan Recher, president and CEO, Five Star Food Service, said in the press release. “We leverage their thought leadership, knowledge of the industry and commitment to identifying opportunities to keep us ahead of the curve and help us streamline and grow. We are continually impressed by the support provided, from deployment planning to installation services, marketing communications and consumer research. It’s a true strategic partnership.”

In strengthening its partnership with USAT, Five Star Food Service will connect close to 9,000 of the ePort Interactive devices to the ePort Connect service, enabling the company to track the acceptance of cash, credit/debit cards and contactless payments, including mobile wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. In addition, Five Star will be able to access other tools like digital advertising, premier loyalty rewards programs and nutritional information, via the ePort Connect platform.

“The interactive screens are an important part of our overall digital strategy,” said Greg McCall, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, Five Star Foods, in the same press release. “This new technology enables us to take a retail mindset and apply a retail strategy for vending. Five Star was quick to replace vending machines with micromarkets, but this changes all that, giving the machines all the benefits of micromarkets — from the display screens to ads — without the added cost. It will allow us to drive promotions and advertising directly to our consumer base. We strongly believe that a digital marketing platform in vending will grow same-store sales.”