Category Archives: Contactless Payment
Vianet have recently partnered with leading forecourt retail specialist Suresite Group in strategic move to drive innovation in the unattended contactless payment space.
The rise in popularity of unattended card transactions across a variety of settings is expected to surge, as consumer confidence and adoption of contactless payments continues to climb: Juniper Research’s latest Contactless Payments research predicts contactless transactions will grow 130% globally in the next five years, taking the market size from its current $4.7tn to $11tn in 2027. For merchants in the unattended space, this brings to the table an attractive prospect of ‘more-sales-less-cost’ and highly compliant payment options.
The partnership sees Suresite Group’s market-leading acquiring services join forces with Vianet’s contactless payment solution hardware. The result is a competitive, user-friendly and highly secure payments solution able to futureproof any unattended or automated retail business, from charging points and unmanned car washes to air and vac stations.
Crucially for the forecourt retail specialist, the new solution will allow Suresite Group to not only offer its existing customer base even more payment options with the ability to accept payment via contactless devices at any unattended site, but also penetrate new sectors such as vending.
Nick Horne, sales and commercial director at Suresite, explains the strategy behind the move: “As the fuel industry evolves and fuel prices continue to soar, we’re seeing a resurgence in consumer demand for electric vehicles and with it a slow but sure shift from fuel to electric. Typically, dispensing electricity is lower risk than petrol or diesel, making it ideal for unattended contactless payment.
“Our strategy at Suresite is to continually innovate, introducing more and more hardware options to our customer base. The partnership with Vianet will allow us to grow our presence outside of the fuel industry, yet leverage those existing customer relationships in the forecourt sector – which alongside charging points, also opens up opportunities with unmanned car washes, jet washes and air and vac stations.”
Alongside existing opportunities in the forecourt sector, the partnership will also open the door for expansion into new sectors for Suresite, who have already signed vending contracts with facilities management companies, as well as contracts with car wash companies.
“At Vianet, as well as vending machines and car washes, we’re seeing more demand for unattended contactless payments being applied to the likes of pool tables, ticket machines, arcade games, jukeboxes, photobooths, laundromats, golf ball dispensing in driving ranges and much more,” says Craig Brocklehurst, Chief Operating Officer at Vianet.
“Enabled through the Internet of Things (IoT), our innovative payment solutions offer many benefits for both the merchant and end user. The usability of the device – which is easy to interact with, hygienic, and convenient – is the main benefit from a cardholder’s perspective. From the merchant perspective, contactless payment solutions in general enable operators to maximise sales and reduce costs, but our hardware specifically is PCI level 1 compliant, making it highly secure, transaction fees are competitive, and it also has the capabilities to advertise other services on it. Unique to the market, if the merchant has coffee and donuts available in store, for example, they can advertise this to their car wash customers whilst they’re sitting in their car, either on the device itself or from a wireless 4K stream to a local TV.”
James Dickson, Chairman & CEO of Vianet commented: “We are delighted to partner with Suresite in this innovative collaboration proving, once again, Vianet’s ability not only to drive new technological initiatives but also to establish new markets for our products.”
FUTUREPROOF YOUR UNATTENDED BUSINESS WITH VIANET’S ‘SMARTCONTACT PRO’
Vianet’s new all-in-one contactless payment solution ‘SmartContact Pro’ has integrated telemetry, a touch screen display and multiple network capabilities, making it the
perfect solution to futureproof any unattended or automated retail businesses. From car washes to laundromats, or vending to leisure assets, we’ve got you covered.
Vianet are seeing more demand for contactless payment being applied to the likes of pool tables, ticket machines, vending machines, arcade games, jukeboxes, photobooths, laundromats, golf ball dispensing in driving ranges and much more.
With low transaction fees from 1.2% and the ability to get cash in the bank from 24 hours, Vianet’s payment solutions certainly offers the wider unattended retail industry a competitive solution to maximise their profits and operational efficiencies.
The new ‘SmartContact Pro’ is compatible with many different machine protocols and markets including automated retail, forecourts, leisure, and hospitality assets; hence the possibilities are plentiful with where you can install this device. As an all-in-one solution, the integrated telemetry also offers businesses a solution to access their machine data and insights remotely, allowing them to manage machine estates anywhere, anytime. It is hassle free with the option for seamless API integration into third party platforms.
The contactless payment terminal can either work as a standard contactless payment device with a simple ‘Press GO to start ’ button or the option to have a configurable selection window display. If you have a machine that doesn’t have its own interface to do this, this is a great option to instruct your machine on what option has been selected. It offers the possibility to add multiple lines and pages of programmes, products, or services to select from.
Furthermore, multimedia capabilities are included with this device. With the ability to upload content, it can play multimedia such as videos, images, or adverts through a HDMI port to external displays, screens, or monitors. Playing adverts or additional information for engaged or passing customers is a great feature for any business looking to perhaps utilise for advertising space, as an additional revenue stream.
Vianet’s Solution Development team are also working hard in the background on different features and functionality to enhance this contactless payment device. The latest development on the ‘SmartContact Pro’ is a receipt functionality. After a transaction has been processed on the ‘SmartContact Pro’, it is able to display QR code receipts on the terminal, allowing customers to scan to their phone as a proof of purchase.
Winning the ‘Best Payment System’ for our ‘SmartContact Pro’ at ‘The Vendies 2022’ Vending Industry Awards in the UK, Vianet have excelled themselves with this one, making it one of the most progressive, attractive, and cost-effective payment solutions on the market today.
If you’d like to find out more, you can get in touch with one of our team for a chat and a demo via the contact page.
Pictured above from the left: Presenting the Best Payment System award, Phil Reynolds, Managing Director of Vendex; accepting their award, Vianet’s Matt Thornton, Client Director; Rachel Little, Marketing Manager; Mark Parry, Commercial Director; and on the right, The Vendies 2022 host, comedian Ian Moore.
On Thursday, 9th June 2022, Vianet travelled down to the capital to attend The Vendies 2022. This year’s Vending Industry Awards, hosted by Vending International, were held in the Grand Connaught Rooms in Holborn, Central London, and welcomed a wealth of suppliers and operators from across the UK’s vending industry.
Vianet was crowned the winner of two awards; ‘Best Payment System’, and ‘Best Supplier Website’. The Company was also ‘Highly Commended’ for the ‘Corporate Responsibility’ award, alongside the category winner, Mondelēz International.
The ‘Best Payment System’ award is a major achievement for Vianet, as contactless payment reached new highs of demand throughout the pandemic and the Company’s brand new contactless payment and telemetry solution, ‘SmartContact Pro’, was introduced to the unattended retail market to meet demand.
Vianet’s contactless payment, telemetry, and data services work in synchronicity to provide invaluable insight for the industry looking to utilise cashless payment data. Vianet offers the only truly end-to-end solution on the market, having already helped many vending businesses adopt cashless technology and data capture across their estate to make informed decisions.
Winning ‘Best Supplier Website’ is an excellent accolade for Vianet, following the launch of its new and improved website in November 2021. Changes were introduced to the website to improve the users understanding of Vianet’s products and services, improve the user journey, and introduce a streamlined login area for accessing service dashboards remotely.
Vianet was shortlisted in seven award categories, which were decided by a judging process in the spring. Each award entry was reviewed by an independent panel of industry experts, comprising leading names from across the sector. The judging panel assessed the entries in accordance with a strict set of criteria to determine a shortlist in each category.
The shortlists went to an online vote, where professionals from the vending sector were invited to make their voices heard by casting a vote for the products, operators, and individuals that they believed would be worthy winners. Each stage of the vote held a 50% weighting in the final decision.
Mark Parry, Vianet’s Commercial Director, attended the awards, stating, “We had a fantastic day in London for The Vendies, and I’m extremely proud of the Smart Machines division and our support functions who have contributed to this success. Already in 2022 we have had some great achievements, launching new features into SmartVend and expanding our reach in the payments market. These awards are testament to this and the hard work of our team.”
Huge congratulations to the other award winners at the event. There is incredible talent within the vending industry at present and it is fantastic to see this recognised. To find out more about the winners of The Vendies 2022, please click here.
Pictured: The Vianet team alongside other ‘The Vendies 2022’ award winners at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.
Compass Group are the largest contract foodservice company in the world, predominantly focus on Catering, Cleaning and Vending with some facilities management services.
In 2018, Vianet successfully won the preferred supplier status across Compass UK & Ireland to provide a volume of 5000 contactless readers over 5 years.
Find out more by clicking the image below to read our strategic partnership with Compass Group in further detail.
If you’d like to find out more about how our products and services can transform your vending business performance, please check out our Vending Solutions.
The Vendies is the UK’s national Vending Industry Awards, recognising talent, achievements and successes of those within the sector.These awards will continue its longstanding tradition of recognising and rewarding companies and individuals that have made exceptional contributions to the trade.
Now more than ever, it is vital that the hard work of operators and suppliers in the vending market – and the individuals at the heart of these companies – is recognised and celebrated.
Votes are now open – click here to vote.
- Best Ancillary Product / Service Award – SmartVend
- Best Payment System Award – SmartContact Pro
- Best Supplier Website Award
- Best Customer Service Award
- COVID Initiative Award
- Best Vending Project Award – SmartVend
- Corporate Responsibility Award
Vianet have been shortlisted as a finalist for this year’s Tees Tech Awards under three award categories – ‘Company of the Year’, ‘Digital Innovation’, and ‘Best Digital Project’. Vianet are the only company amongst the finalists that have been shortlisted for 3 awards.
The Tees Tech Awards is a Tees Business event in association with DigitalCity and Middlesbrough Digital, and the award ceremony itself is due to take place at Hardwick Hall Hotel on Thursday, April 28. The awards recognise and celebrate the organisations and individuals thriving within the Tees region’s fast-growing digital sector together with the local companies driving their business through digital transformation.
Nearly 90 entries and nominations came in for the awards across the 11 categories, with sponsors now announcing their choices for the final three for each award.
Vianet have seen a strong recovery coming out of the global pandemic as hospitality and pubs reopen, together with good growth in both new business and contactless payment solution sales in their unattended retail division. Innovative and ever-growing, Vianet have evolved and shown strong potential throughout their 27 years as a technology business on Teesside.
Company of the Year
Vianet’s aim is to be the recognised leader in delivering unparalleled insight and actionable information that is game-changing for customers in their chosen sectors. As well as this, Vianet pride themselves on being a people business, creating opportunities for growth and development for their employees as well as their customers.
With over 140 employees, Vianet has over 300 customers across their technology estate, including several global blue-chip clients such as Lavazza, Greene King, Compass Group, Atalian Servest, Coca-Cola, and many more. With more than 250,000 devices connected to Vianet’s platform, along with years of experience and knowledge, form a powerful technology and insight capability that few can match.
Digital Innovation
Vianet are an Internet of Things company whose software platforms and solutions specialise in delivering innovative data insight, remote asset management and contactless payment for the hospitality, vending machine, unattended retail, food service and fuel sectors. With products such as their SmartInsight reporting suite, and SmartVend insight portal, Vianet deliver unique and meaningful data to customers, including blue-chip companies, allowing them to make informed operational decisions to drive profits, increase sales and create efficiencies.
Best Digital Project
With the vending industry going through a period of change, Vianet’s SmartVend data insight platform, combined with its contactless payment and telemetry solutions, offers the industry’s only cloud-based IOT “end-to-end” solution for the vending, coffee and unattended retail markets.
Built around an easy, intuitive dashboard, SmartVend gives vending operators the ability to view their machine data anytime, anywhere.
The software is proving a big hit. For example, Compass Group – the world’s largest foodservice company – has identified a 45 per cent increase in average monthly sales as a result of installing contactless payment and being able to review its sales data remotely within the SmartVend portal.
Vianet would like to wish all their fellow finalists the best of luck at this year’s Tees Tech Awards.
Keep checking back for updates on our progress.
Vianet exhibit at The NAMA Show 2022, 6-8 April in Chicago USA!
Next week Mark Parry, Commercial Director, and Craig Brocklehurst, Chief Operating Officer will be flying out to Chicago USA to exhibit at this years National Automatic Merchandising Association Show 2022 on 6-8 April!
If you are in Chicago at the event, don’t forget to drop by to see Vianet at booth 2213 and chat to the team to find out how we can help you with data insight, remote asset management & contactless payment in vending & unattended retail!
Venta SVS Ltd is a provider of disposable e-cigarettes to mental health services, with over 74 vending machines in their estate.
Venta SVS Ltd’s vending machine in-situ with Vianet’s SmartContact installed
With the cost of products higher than a typical vending machine, they were able to benefit with Vianet’s rental scheme and low transaction charges, saving 1.5% in transaction fees across their turnover.
Find out more by clicking the image below to read our strategic partnership with Venta SVS Ltd in further detail.
If you’d like to find out more about how our products and services can transform your vending business performance, please check out our vending solutions.
Go Vending are a vending machine supplier for the drinks and snacks sector based in Scotland.
(Go Vending’s vending machines in-situ with Vianet’s SmartContact installed)
Vianet’s contactless payment, telemetry, and data insight solution has driven both an increase in sales and a measurable reduction in cost for Go Vending. They continue to receive a positive experience and invaluable service as a Vianet customer.
Find out more by clicking the image below to read our strategic partnership with Go Vending in further detail.
If you’d like to find out more about how our products and services can transform your vending business performance, please check out our Vending Solutions.
Contract Announcement
Vianet Group plc (AIM: VNET), the international provider of internet-enabled, cloud-based, telemetric and data services to the hospitality, unattended retail vending, and remote asset management sectors, is pleased to announce a significant new contract for its fast-growing Smart Machines Division.
Following a rigorous tender process, Lavazza Professional UK Limited has awarded Vianet a three-year contract to provide contactless payment, telemetry, and data services across their unattended retail estate. Vianet’s leading end-to-end solution, including real-time monitoring, business intelligence, and contactless payment, will allow Lavazza Professional UK to maximise operational efficiency, stock control, and cash flow whilst reducing the estate’s carbon footprint.
Whilst not having a material impact on the current financial year, this is a financially significant new three-year contract for Vianet. It includes a commitment to provide Vianet’s services to 3,000 units in Lavazza Professional UK’s managed estate and gives Vianet preferred supplier access to a further 10,000 machines in Lavazza Professional UK’s direct estate providing coffee solutions to vending operators and end-users.
Commenting on the contract announcement, James Dickson, Chair and CEO said:
“I’m delighted that we have secured this long-term contract with Lavazza Professional UK, who, following a rigorous process, clearly understand the significant brand and financial benefit to be derived from rolling out SmartVend, our leading end to end solution.
“Over the past 18 months, we have made significant investments in our product and people, laying a strong foundation to address our exciting growth opportunities, which has resulted in a strong sales pipeline for the division.”
Commenting on the contract announcement, David Harrison, National Sales Director, Lavazza Professional UK, said:
“Delivering a quality coffee solution efficiently is vital to our growth plans, and I’m really pleased that we have chosen to partner with Vianet, who have the product, people and culture to support our growth initiatives.”