December 3,2006
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Credit Card Vending Machines?
Sony set the trend for a new age of credit card convenience when they started stocking vending machines with card readers as a form of payment. The 4'x8' vending machines, being piloted in five major retail markets across America, will shill small cameras and such accessories as batteries and CDs. But don't worry about coming up with tens or hundreds of dollars in small change – these 21st century vending machines take credit cards, and deliver your goodies to you via a robotic arm.
Sounds neat, right? Sony is banking on consumers being ready to accept this new method of quick-shopping based on wide acceptance of self-checkouts at grocery stores and the prevalence of Internet shopping. Additionally, there is no longer a risk of the machines being out of your favorite candy bar –err, MP3 player. Part of the technology of the new vending machines is an automatic replenishment system that sends sales data to a fulfillment center for quick refills – essentially making sell-out a thing of the past.