Vending
Classic vending, modern twist (part 2)
There may be no better example of customer-centric commerce than vending, with customers initiating, directing and controlling the experience. As demand grows for automated self-service, devices are becoming more personalized and accessible.
December 19, 2025 by Dale Laszig — Founder, DSL Direct LLC
In an on-demand world, where customers freely transact across channels and time zones, the always-on kiosk is ready to serve. Like chatbots in the physical world, modern vending machines dispense everything from food and drinks to books, toys, gadgets and lifesaving first aid in multiple languages and currencies.
There may be no better example of customer-centric commerce than vending, with customers initiating, directing, and controlling the experience. As demand grows for automated self-service, devices are becoming more personalized and accessible.
James Hawkins, head of banking and acquirer sales at Ingenico, a payments acceptance solutions provider, stated all customers deserve to have a low-friction, secure payment experience, including those with visual impairments or other disabilities.
"Electronic payment methods with growing adoption and emerging payment trends typically require a consumer to read a screen, tap buttons or a touchscreen, or sometimes talk to a cashier or sales associate," he said. "Our team has taken up the challenge of overcoming barriers when those activities aren't possible for the consumer."
Designing for inclusivity
Designing for inclusivity means creating a fully guided customer experience from start to finish, Hawkins stated, providing examples of how device manufacturers integrate accessibility into core design:
- Tactile keypads with embossed markers or audio options don't require consumers to see text on a device's button.
- LED indicators can show where to insert, tap, or swipe cards, so verbal instruction isn't necessary.
- Marked contactless zones make tap-to-pay transactions intuitive.
- Payment devices with audio instructions or accessories provide adaptive PIN entry.
- Accessibility modes are automatically activated by a simple gesture or by plugging in a headset.
- Text-to-speech tools convert visual prompts to spoken words to guide customers and protect personal and financial information.
"Look for devices that don't force consumers to use them only in one way," he summarized.
Compliance as a journey
Hawkins pointed out that device manufacturers must meet each region's accessibility requirements, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and European Accessibility Act (EAA), which he called one of the world's most comprehensive standards. In fact, he said most EAA-compliant devices meet standards in other parts of the world.
Matt Ater, senior vice president, business development at Vispero, an assistive technology provider, agreed that EAA is an ideal model for other regions, including the United States.
"The European Accessibility Act requires all the things that we've been telling people to do in the U.S. and will theoretically force U.S. vendors to be the same," he said. "Why would you build something in Europe and not provide the same equipment in the United States?"
Ater recalled a recent project in South Korea when vendors were required to make kiosks accessible by the end of 2023. Not everyone made the cut, he said, and noncompliant vendors faced fines and penalties. Vispero upgraded all of the MacDonalds that year, he added, but upgrading in a country with 400,000 kiosks is hardly an overnight process.
"The challenge with this technology is you can go through a hardware provider, software provider, or directly to a client," Ater explained. "There are multiple pathways to each client, with multiple providers and decisionmakers, many of whom are independent franchisees."
Remote diagnostics, management
Hawkins mentioned that innovative technologies have lowered costs, streamlined compliance and made it easier to add accessibility features. Ingenico launched Manage 360 in September 2025, he added, a device estate system that can be managed remotely.
"Merchants can unpack devices at their stores and receive encryption keys over the network," he said, noting that users can also set up and ping devices to confirm they're online, proactively address battery issues and request service directly from a device.
Mark Dillon, director of product and go-to-market strategy at Ingenico, said Manage 360 interacts with device estates in real time and uses predictive maintenance to identify terminals will soon need firmware updates or new batteries.
"We added cool features and separated hardware from software, so when you replace hardware, you get the same configuration as before," he said. "A new phone downloads its configuration out of the box; we want to create that same experience for merchants."
Navigating the last mile
A recent Vispero and TPGi study found 84% of blind and low-vision survey respondents will likely return to restaurants and foodservice venues with accessible tech.
"The vast majority (96%) of the 632 blind and low vision people who responded to this survey are frequent restaurant-goers, either for sit-down meals or for takeout," researchers wrote. "Most respondents (54%) use restaurants between once a week and a few times a week. Over a third of respondents (36%) use restaurants between once a month and a few times a month."
Ater said his favorite thing is to help clients assess their accessibility strategies. If a QSR wants every transaction to be under two and a half minutes, our goal is to make sure a blind person can do it in the same amount of time, he stated. A blind person who wants a cheeseburger wants to place that order without hearing all the choices. We have to figure that out and look for ways to use AI to create a more intuitive customer journey.
"We're seeing more kiosks in airports today," he said, adding he recently congratulated an airport for its indoor navigation system for the blind. While the system helped him find his way to TSA and his gate, there were no accessible machines for buying coffee or a battery pack for his phone. At another airport, he found kiosks selling everything from batteries and cables to cupcakes and perfume but none with accessibility features.
"Why limit airports to standard vending and create that barrier?" he said. "Our goal is to help everyone deploy accessible tech and it takes time to reach them all."
About Dale Laszig
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