Following the integration, unattended operators will be able to offer an enhanced experience to their customers using Apple Pay, which is transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay that’s fast and convenient. In turn, consumers making a purchase will be able to take advantage of exclusive offers, promotions and discounts toward future purchases at participating self-serve machines connected to USAT’s ePort Connect platform. USA Technologies plans to roll out the technology to select unattended retail locations nationwide over the coming months. USAT will be demonstrating the technology on January 5th at The Digital Money Forum at CES 2017.

Integrating the MORE. loyalty program with Apple Pay would allow operators in the unattended market to give consumers a nearly frictionless loyalty and payment experience. Rather than going through a cumbersome process to swipe a physical card or pay with cash, consumers paying with Apple Pay at participating ePort merchant locations would simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch to the contactless reader to pay, earn and redeem loyalty points with a single motion if they are already participating in USAT’s MORE. program. If they are not yet participating in MORE., they will have the opportunity to instantly enroll and have the digital loyalty card added right to Apple Pay. The experience from start to finish is much more efficient for both operators and consumers.

“Consumers are getting more accustomed to paying with their phones, and with all of the digital noise coming at consumers 24/7, loyalty and rewards programs that easily integrate into popular payment methods like Apple Pay are a win/win,” said Maeve McKenna Duska, senior vice president of sales and marketing, USA Technologies. “By offering MORE. with Apple Pay we are giving consumers a loyalty program that seamlessly integrates with their lifestyle, rewarding them for using the one thing they always have on hand, their iPhone or Apple Watch. We expect the MORE. integration with Apple Pay will not only fuel participation in the unattended loyalty program, but also underscore the ease, security and simplicity of Apple Pay transactions for everyday purchases like those made at vending machines, laundromats, self-serve kiosks, parking and more.”

Security and privacy is at the core of Apple Pay. When a consumer uses a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on the consumer’s device. Each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code.

In connection with the integration of the MORE. Loyalty program with Apple Pay, USAT is collaborating with Urban Airship, a mobile growth company, to bring enhanced consumer marketing solutions to the mobile wallet demo of the MORE Loyalty program, via Urban Airship Reach, a simple but powerful platform that creates virtual cards for and manages the loyalty program user experience design (UX), promotions, point balances, etc. The work USAT is doing on the Apple Pay integration also makes registration to USAT’s MORE. program easier than ever before. Any consumer that presents an iPhone or Apple Watch at a participating merchant location will receive an electronic prompt to join USAT’s MORE. program. Consumers that opt in can then add a MORE. loyalty card right to Apple Wallet and immediately begin reaping benefits every time they use Apple Pay at a participating machine, as the loyalty information will be automatically shared with the transaction.

MORE. was originally designed to provide USAT merchant customers the ability to offer custom rewards and discount offers for products purchased at its ePort-enabled locations. We believe that many unattended operations have successfully leveraged the program to drive loyalty, encourage repeat business and help our customers gain a greater understanding of consumers' purchasing preferences to better meet consumer needs. In recent years, USAT expanded its MORE. program to offer rewards to consumers who register their preferred credit card with MORE. and to companies interested in offering a payroll deduct program to their population. By integrating with Apple Pay, USAT continues to evolve the MORE. loyalty program, making it more relevant to its customers and easier for them to present their loyalty information.