Unattended. Automated. Self-service. These terms are hot right now in many industries: vending, parking, mobility, retail, hospitality, and more. Businesses of various types at different stages of growth are turning to efficient automation. As the technology improves, it will permeate areas of our lives that we could never have expected.
Unattended payment terminals must be reliable, consistent, and accurate. If you want to avoid costly repairs, lost sales, and a bad brand reputation – the technology must be dependable. Indeed, if you want to be future-proof for upcoming years, the technology must also be upgradeable to move with changing consumer trends.
Vending machines have been our flag-bearing unattended heroes for decades. As our article on vending trends suggested, these machines are now getting smart. They’re getting connected. The same can be said for unattended terminals in parking, mobility, and elsewhere. Machines can identify customers, share real-time data, and offer multiple payment methods. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what will come in the near-to-mid future.
At CCV, we’re always looking forward. Across the globe, payment methods are fragmented. Within Europe alone, different countries have varying reliance on cash, card, and mobile payments. Rather than force consumers down one route, we just make payments happen. Whichever way your customers prefer to pay, we make sure you’re ready.
As we integrate smarter technology, it’s important to recognise the impact of past innovations in getting us to where we are today. A big moment was the launch of CCV Motion, our contactless solution (hardware and software) for service stations, car parks, and public transport. We’ve now reached the milestone of 10,000 installations, and it’s time to celebrate!
The early days of CCV Motion
Initially, one deal kicked everything off. Our partnership with Q-Park to supply unattended terminals was a key moment. The CCV technical task force was focused on developing essential parts of a new terminal, and CCV Motion 0.5 was soon borne.
Mid way through 2013, Q-Park requested a contactless solution. This resulted in CCV developing completely new architecture, including a payment application built from scratch. We encountered a whole host of challenges on the way, but after heavyweight trials and tests, we had a fully-operational terminal by 2015. Welcome CCV Motion 1.0!
In January 2015, Jelle Jousma and colleagues embarked to Apeldoorn for the first installation of CCV Motion 1.0. For the first time since its development, the technology would be operationally live. Everything went remarkably well. For Jelle, it was an exciting moment to see the first contactless card being held against the terminal – opening the gates of the car park. This type of contactless transaction was something new – an important step forward for all stakeholders.
After this first success, CCV Motion was implemented as a test at a bike parking garage in Amsterdam, and also in various on-street parking locations. The all-in-one contactless access and payment solution has since formed the backbone of our offering, and its flexibility to work with bank cards, petrol cards, smartphone wallets, and close-loop loyalty schemes (e.g. OV Chipcard) is welcomed by clients operating in various industries across the European continent.
One of our proudest achievements is the project for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which can be seen in the video below:
The solution has been constantly updated and upgraded over time – to improve the user experience and give our clients better visibility over data. 10,000 installations later, here we are!
Looking ahead to the future
Contactless bank cards (and cash) will stick around for the foreseeable future. However, more is being done with personal devices. Smartphone wallet payments are on the rise. By 2022, it’s estimated that the transaction value of mobile payment apps will reach almost $14 trillion.
Furthermore, tokenised payment solutions and loyalty schemes will become more appealing to brands who want a seamless customer experience. This requires smart connected terminals, with complex back-end rules. The advent of open-loop payments in public transport, and the shift to Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) will change how people move around, and how they pay.
These are exciting times. CCV Motion still has huge potential in the self-service market. But there’s more innovation on the horizon. Indeed, it’s happening right now. We’re due to launch an exciting new self-service solution in the spring of 2019, so stay tuned as this develops.
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