Australian shoppers will soon be able to buy a can of Coke from a vending machine by swiping their smartphone.
The soft drink brand’s local subsidiary Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) is set to allow smartphone payments on its vending machines.
The technology will use near field communications (NFC) in the same way already implemented by Visa’s PayWave and MasterCard’s PayPass.
NFC lets cardholders tap their card onto a machine without entering a PIN or signing a signature.
CCA is trialling the NFC app, QuickTap, in New Zealand, reports Fairfax.
QuickTap is already used at some venues in Australia, such as universities.
CCA isn’t the first local FMCG brand to experiment with new vending concepts in the Australian market.
In 2012, Kraft Foods rolled out a vending pilot program in Melbourne with touch screens to help consumers choose products and view valuable product information.
The Australian first featured LCD touch screens instead of a vending machine’s traditional glass panel.
