Thanks to a newly announced integration between USA Technologies e-Port vending system and ARAMARK's proprietary ScanPlus stored-value card, college students at the University of North Carolina's Greensboro campus no longer have to search for quarters for the vending machine.
USA Tech and ARAMARK announced yesterday that they have installed the e-Port cashless vending program at UNC's Greensboro campus, and they will soon install it at Wake Forest University and other educational institutions that ARAMARK manages nationwide. ARAMARK Education provides dining hall and facility management systems to over 400 campuses nationwide.
The Dining Services division of ARAMARK combined forces with USA Technologies specifically to provide a 'cashless' vending system to universities and colleges across the country. "ARAMARK is setting a precedent as the undisputed leader in the education dining services industry," said George R. Jensen, Chairman and CEO of USA Technologies. They are "responding to the needs and wants of technology-savvy students who want to be able to pay for their purchases using the latest e-payment technology."
The announcement makes ARAMARK the first campus dining service to offer students the ability to make purchases from vending machines without scrambling for change. Instead, they'll be able to slip their debit, college ID or credit card into the machine and make purchases without the hassle of digging up a few quarters for that Milky Way bar out of the couch cushions.
In addition to convenience, the new method also provides students an easy way to track all their expenses, via their debit or credit card statements. For colleges, ARAMARK's seamless integration with USA Technologies' point-of-sale payment methods offers increased record-keeping abilities and a selling point to students.
"At ARAMARK, our goal is to enhance customer satisfaction. This innovative technology, the first of its kind in our industry, brings convenience to students, faculty and staff," said Dominic L. Boffa, CIO and Vice President of Information Technology, ARAMARK Education, Dining Services.
The convenience will certainly be a blessing to college students suffering munchie attacks during all-nighter study sessions, but the plan is to take it further, and eventually integrate the cashless sale system into many other POS venues on college campuses. The integration between campus vending machines and the e-Port system is a first step that could expand into other college services, including cafeteria meals, bookstore purchases and campus snack bar purchases.
USA Technologies is a leader in providing POS solutions that include wireless non-cash transactions and financial network services to the vending, commercial laundry, hospitality and digital imaging industries. ARAMARK Education provides food, facility and other support services to educational institutions across the country. The new integration between the two technologies is expected to be available nationwide over the course of the next year.
19 Aug 2005
