Cantaloupe Resources

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Articles

Customer reaches for door handle of Smart Store cooler packed with drinks and snacks.
Article
Turn Shrink into Sales with the Smart Store

The Cantaloupe Smart Store is a revolutionary new way to sell food, beverages, consumer goods, and anything in between. Eliminate shrink with weighted shelf technology and built-in cameras. You’ll maximize sales by accepting any cashless payment method, including mobile wallets.

Self-Service Trends, Smart Stores
3 minute read
Operator sits in front of computer looking at statistics and graphs of sales data.
Article
Optimize Your Operations and Increase Revenue with Data

Using data from vending machines helps businesses. By using solutions like card readers and kiosks, companies can select top products, enhance efficiency, and make smart choices to boost profits and lower costs.

Business Management​
3 minute read
Woman taps to pay at claw machine card reader
Article
Understanding Exact Authorization: A Guide for Operators

Exact authorization for vending machines uses G10 or G11 card readers to hold the exact purchase amount, reducing confusion and improving customer experience. It requires single-vend mode, allowing only one item per transaction.

Business Management​, Payments
4 minute read
Woman taps to pay at a micro market kiosk
Article
How to (Successfully) Launch and Test New Micro Market Products

To launch and test new micro market products, partner with suppliers, use eye-catching signs, hold customer events, and analyze sales data. These steps help make your market exciting, boost sales, and keep customers happy.

Business Management​, Micro Market
5 minute read
A micro market operated by Feel Good Market
Article
Feel Good Market: Pioneering Micro Markets in Panama

Feel Good Market, led by Aldo Tejada, is transforming shopping in Panama with staffless, cashless micro markets. They aim to expand into homes and hotels, prioritizing customer trust and convenience.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Woman pays with credit card at a Go Max kiosk
Article
The Business Benefits of Embracing Accessibility

Making businesses accessible helps everyone, including people with disabilities, shop easily. Features like voice prompts and big touchscreens let customers buy things on their own. This makes shopping faster and happier, bringing more people and sales to the store.

Business Management​
2 minute read
Two people sit eating snacks and working at a table in front of a micro market where two other people converse over snack items.
Article
Five Strategies to Increase Your Micro Market Sales in 2024

To boost micro market sales in 2024, understand customer needs, expand to new locations, use reward programs, adjust prices, and highlight high-margin products. Cashless payments, self-service kiosks, and smart coolers make shopping faster, easier, and more fun.

Business Management​
5 minute read
A panel discussion with audience at NAMA 2024.
Article
Business Transformation: Modernize Your Operation

Modernizing business operations helps solve high costs and labor shortages. It involves using technology to improve customer and employee experiences, being flexible, and engaging employees in technological changes for successful transformation.

Business Management​
5 minute read
Customer looks at product at a small micro market laid out with snacks and beverages.
Article
Driving Micro Market Success

Micro markets are expanding rapidly, with a 36% increase in locations in 2023. Nearly all payments are cashless, accounting for 96% of transactions. Consumers spend more at micro markets compared to vending machines, and sales are projected to grow by 20% in 2024.

Business Management​, Self-Service Trends
3 minute read
Vending machine with Engage card reader.
Article
Micropayment Trends in Self-Service Retail 2024

In 2024, self-service retail is shifting towards cashless payments, with vending machines and micro markets expanding. Cashless options increase spending, and card readers enhance profits. Software streamlines micropayments, simplifying shopping and enhancing convenience.

Self-Service Trends
2 minute read
A fully stocked market with coolers and snack racks by Monumental Markets.
Article
Revolutionizing Operations: Monumental Markets Streamlines Growing Business

Monumental Markets collaborated with Cantaloupe to enhance services across 500 locations, implementing new software for easier billing and improved scheduling. This upgrade speeds up service and prepares for future technological advancements.

Business Management​
4 minute read
A woman sits on a laptop in a chair with her luggage while a man looks through snacks at a micro market.
Article
Thinking Outside the Office: Exploring Locations for Micro Markets

Micro markets are spreading to hotels, luxury apartments, and gyms, offering convenience and a variety of products. This expansion increases accessibility to snacks and essentials, enhancing customer satisfaction and sales.

Business Management​, Self-Service Trends
4 minute read
Driver restocks a cooler with soda.
Article
Seed Markets: New Enhancements for Improved Efficiency

Seed Markets introduces new tools for better micro market management. Features include one-click market setup uploads, easy inventory tracking, and shortage analysis. These enhancements simplify shrinkage management and support efficient business expansion.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Man plays a claw machine game filled with stuffed animals.
Article
Three Reasons You Should Install Card Readers on Your Gaming Machines

Installing card readers on gaming machines boosts revenue and customer satisfaction by allowing cashless payments, offering business insights, and cutting operational costs. This results in higher spending, smooth transactions, and better operations for operators.

Business Management​, Payments
3 minute read
An employee loads a cart full of soda in a warehouse.
Article
How Warehouse Picking Software Will Streamline Your Vending Operation

Warehouse picking software improves vending operations by speeding up order picking, reducing errors, and decreasing paper use. It displays pick lists on tablets, allowing workers to manage multiple orders simultaneously.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Woman taps card to pay at a Cantaloupe Go MiniX kiosk.
Article
Best Practices for Securing Your Micro Market

To secure a micro market, choose safe locations, install security cameras, use live monitors, manage remotely, put up signs, adjust prices, and use kiosks with cameras. These steps help prevent theft and protect your business.

Micro Market
4 minute read
A kegerator vending machine with a Cantaloupe card reader.
Article
Drinks on Demand: How KVM and Blue Agave Elevate Self-Serve Coffee with Kegerator Machines

KVM and Blue Agave introduced kegerators, self-serve coffee machines that allow users to pour and pay for the exact amount they drink. Cantaloupe’s Seed Pro software tracks sales, enhancing efficiency and popularity in locations like apartment buildings.

Self-Service Trends
4 minute read
Man pays with a chip card at a Smart Cooler
Article
Smart Coolers: The New Alternative to Vending Machines

Smart coolers are a cost-effective alternative to vending machines. They use less energy, offer more product choices, and accept cashless payments, making them convenient for customers. These features enhance business efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Self-Service Trends
4 minute read
Two people sit in front of a desktop with RPC on the web page.
Article
Operator Stories: Remote Price Change

Cantaloupe’s Remote Price Change tool lets vending machine operators change prices from afar, saving time and money. It helps keep profits steady and customers satisfied with fair prices. It’s a smart way to control vending machine costs.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Woman pays at a self checkout kiosk at a micro market.
Article
How Technology Adds Value to Your Vending Operation

Technology in vending operations offers real-time sales and inventory insights, simplifies processes such as price adjustments, and boosts customer loyalty with rewards. It supports cashless payments and personalizes experiences, enhancing efficiency and satisfaction in self-service retail.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Woman plays a claw machine full of stuffed animals.
Article
How to Make More Money with Your Gaming Machine

Implementing cashless payment options in gaming machines boosts revenue by enabling higher spending per transaction, enhancing customer satisfaction, and providing a seamless gaming experience. Real-time sales tracking and integrations also optimize operations.

Payments
2 minute read
Woman swipes credit card at a vending machine card reader.
Article
What is Two-Tier Pricing at Vending Machines?

Two-tier pricing in vending machines means charging different prices for cash and card payments. It helps cover card fees and increase profits. Most customers don’t mind paying a bit more with cards, making it a smart choice for operators.

Payments
4 minute read
Woman holds card with contactless chip up to Engage card reader.
Article
2023 Payment Trends in Vending

In 2022, vending machine sales increased by 19%, with 67% of transactions being cashless. People like using contactless payments such as tapping cards or mobile wallets. Offering different payment methods can help meet customer needs and increase profits.

Self-Service Trends
3 minute read
Driver using Seed Driver app to reload vending machine inventory.
Article
Three Reasons You Need a Mobile Servicing Solution

A mobile servicing app is crucial for businesses, helping save time, money, and effort. It ensures efficient service management by reducing unnecessary trips, enhancing accountability, and simplifying inventory processes. It acts like a helpful assistant for service operations.

Business Management​
3 minute read
A woman shops at a micro market looking through a rack of snacks.
Article
The Best Locations for Your Micro Markets

Micro markets are ideal for busy areas like colleges, hospitals, and hotels. They require minimal space, cater to small crowds, use smart technology for convenient shopping, and can expand to public places like airports with proper security.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Woman presents card reader to tap for payment at an Engage card reader.
Article
How Does a Cashless POS at a Vending Machine Work?

A cashless POS system in vending machines allows payments via cards or phones, speeding up transactions and enhancing convenience. It helps operators monitor sales and expand product offerings, increasing their revenue.

Payments
4 minute read
Worker moves a pallet of boxes down a warehouse hall
Article
Five Ways to Run a Leaner Warehouse

To run a leaner warehouse, work with suppliers for just-in-time stock delivery, use demand forecasts for dynamic ordering, implement visual cues for efficiency, optimize the warehouse layout, and adopt a warehouse management system.

Business Management​
3 minute read
Woman at a vending machine paying with a mobile wallet juxtaposed with a man paying at a micro market kiosk.
Article
Should You Install a Micro Market or a Vending Machine?

Micro markets and vending machines provide self-service shopping. Micro markets, ideal for busy places like offices, offer a wider product range and are cost-effective. Vending machines are better for less busy areas and fit small spaces.

Business Management​
4 minute read
Woman pays with her mobile wallet at a vending machine card reader.
Article
Five Reasons Your Vending Business Should Accept Cashless Payments

Vending businesses should accept cashless payments because it’s more convenient for customers, increases spending, reduces vandalism, offers better security, and provides real-time sales data. This helps businesses grow by making it easier for customers to buy and track sales.

Payments
5 minute read
Small white micro market with a customer looking at products in the cooler.
Article
What are Micro Markets?

Micro markets are small, self-service stores found in places like offices. They offer a variety of food and drink options, including fresh choices. They are cost-effective for businesses and provide customers with quick and easy access to meals and snacks.

Self-Service Trends
5 minute read