More than 200,000 self-service stations across America -- including vending machines, coffee brewers, parking pay stations, kiosks and laundry equipment --Â will gain compatibility with Apple Pay, thanks to support from USA Technologies Inc.
The maker of wireless, cashless payment solutions for self-serve retailing industries announced its support for Apple Pay, effective immediately, on Tuesday. Its products are geared toward small-ticket, unattended retail aplc
"Our customers are excited to accept Apple Pay at the self-serve locations they operate," said Stephen P. Herbert, chairman and chief executive officer of USA Technologies. "We anticipate that the millions of consumers who frequent these locations will appreciate the convenience and security of using Apple Pay for their everyday purchases, and we believe that Apple Pay will help to drive additional sales for our customers."
The company began building NFC capabilities into its products a decade ago, and currently supports cashless transactions through its flagship ePort systems. Its products include partnerships with Visa, MasterCard, Verizon, Coca-Cola and others.
"USA Technologies has always sought to provide convenience, security and an easy way to pay for consumers who are less and less likely to carry cash," Herbert said. "We recognized early on the potential for mobile payment, and promoted the technology to ensure our customers were ready for this shift to occur."
Support from USA Technologies follows an announcement by Western Union revealing that it has also begun accepting Apple Pay for money transfers and bill payments. MasterCard and the PGA Tour also announced their support for concessions purchases this week.
Apple Pay contactless retail and point-of-sale payments debuted last October. At launch, it had support from a number of banks, credit card providers, and an estimated 225,000 retailers, and those numbers have only grown since.
Support for Apple Pay is currently limited to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but it will also be featured in the forthcoming Apple Watch when it debuts later this year.