Cashless technology expands unattended retail’s cashless payment capabilities beyond just accepting transactions. One such development is consumer engagement tools and digital loyalty, which can boost interaction and sales and is the natural progression in the cashless payment scene.
Nayax launched a consumer engagement platform along with its own mobile wallet app, Monyx Wallet, last September. ‘The platform allows operators to integrate tried and true retail marketing concepts into their vending businesses’, Nayax UK Operations Director Lewis Zimbler said. ‘Since consumers already frequently interact with their phones, our digital channel gives operators a means to communicate more meaningfully with consumers. At the same time, consumers benefit from a richer sales experience. Monyx Wallet provides digitized punch cards, gamification with cashback, bonus credit and discounts, along with the customization of the app’s look and feel with operators’ own branding.’
A feature of Monyx Wallet that operators are sure to appreciate is that it can deliver instant digital refunds, providing immediate customer satisfaction should a vend ‘fail’ for any reason. It works in one of two ways: if a consumer doesn’t have the app, they are sent a link to download Monyx Wallet after contacting the operator and they’ll find the refund waiting for them. If they already have it, the operator refunds the money directly to Monyx Wallet.
Westways Vending is an early adopter of the technology. ‘We started with Nayax right at the beginning of our cashless development’, Finance Director Natalie Baker said. ‘That was around 6 years ago and gradually, it’s built up and built up and built up. When the Monyx App was launched, we were immediately interested in it and so are our customers: they think it’s a really good thing to be able to offer people.
‘Going forward, it’ll be an additional benefit, something that will help us to stand out from the crowd by giving us a u.s.p; but to begin with, we’ve been adding the facility to our existing machines. Our sales team is raring to go with it, we think it’s going to be something that will appeal to the younger generation.’
‘As usual, Nayax is being very supportive as we roll the product out’, Natalie says. ‘We can access help via telephone or e-mail and the guys at the other end are brilliant. Any questions I’ve had have been answered right away; but to be honest, the user guides that they send you get you through most of the initial issues. They walk you through what needs to be done step-by-step, so you can just run with it.
‘A large percentage of our equipment is fitted with Nayax units and it’s our intention to add Monyx Wallet to the vast majority of them. Cashless is built into all of our deals. Every new machine we send out has a Nayax reader. We made that decision a couple of years ago but now, as a consequence of COVID-19, the demand for cashless is unprecedented. Many retailers are simply refusing to take cash. We’ve had quite a few requests to ‘turn off cash’ on our existing machines. That’s not a problem, because we have our Nayax units. Everybody has a card in their purse or their wallet, or on their phone, so I’m sure we’re not losing any sales by not taking cash.
‘Besides, cashless is much easier for us’, Natalie adds. ‘We don’t have to handle coins and that has a lot of benefits, for instance in lowering our costs and helping to eradicate fraud. Having Nayax on board eliminates those issues, so our job is to try and get as many of our customers as possible to embrace cashless and come with us on our customer engagement journey. The addition of Monyx Wallet to the offer is going to make the customer’s decision that much easier.’
