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MECSEL SUPPORTS MOBILEPAY
MobilePay is a welcome addition to the range of payment options
Mecsel Oy’s long-term plan has been to equip self-service vending machines with new and practical payment methods. Coins and banknotes have so far held their own alongside new methods, however, competition between means of payments is becoming ever tighter and there is a clear trend away from the use of cash.
Originally launched in Denmark, the MobilePay payment method has arrived in Finland and is also quickly increasing its number of users.
Mecsel Oy has applied the MobilePay payment method to self-service vending machines. The product has now been certified and is part of the Mecsel product range.
Consumers who have downloaded the MobilePay application and taken it into use can also start using it with self-service devices, in so far as there is a MobilePay sticker on display.
Easy merchant deployment of MobilePay
The good news for vending service providers is that the MobilePay function can be introduced easily in the familiar Mecsel way. No changes are required in such vending machines that already use the so-called “Mecsel payment system”. In practice, the service provider only has to add the MobilePay QR code sticker to their vending machine- and that’s it!
Typical payment use cases
Mecsel is able to offer the most common payment methods for all self-service vending devices on the market, such as sales vending machines, parking, car wash, car refuelling, and photocopier machines. The list goes on.
The most popular payment methods offered by Mecsel are currently, alongside cash, mepay SMS, mePay application, business card solutions, debit and credit cards, and contactless payments, including Apple Pay Payments.
Denmark got there first
The first Mecsel MobilePay installations have been introduced in the MobilePay motherland of Denmark, by our representative, Unipaysystems ApS.
Installations in Finland will start over the coming days.
MobilePay is also a welcome addition to the consumer’s freedom of choice to also use payment methods that they have already taken kindly to.
For a service provider, MobilePay is a very affordable way to get products delivered to consumers.
Payment habits are changing
The concept of payments is becoming a self-service event. Payments to a vending machine or at a service point will become very similar events in the future. The flexible payment methods offered by Mecsel Oy also allow independent payments in stores. Kiosks, cafes, restaurants, market stalls, sports facilities are typical service points that will benefit from new terminal-free payment methods.
Managing Director release
Markus Koskinen has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Mecsel Oy. Koskinen has over 20 years of experience in the vending industry, from various management positions and business development.
The former Managing Director and founding partner, Jyrki Virtanen, will continue in the organization as Technical Manager.
“I see excellent opportunities for growth in a constantly evolving industry of unattended payment and IoT. I am very excited getting the possibility to continue the development of Mecsel to become an even stronger player”, says Markus Koskinen.
“Over the years, Mecsel has invested heavily in product development. We have created a great service package together with leading domestic and Nordic service providers. Now is the time to take the next steps with a new Managing Director. We are pleased to have Markus Koskinen lead this development, ”says Jyrki Virtanen.
“Koskinen’s expertise in developing international service concepts and Virtanen’s long-standing industry experience provide great opportunities to strengthen the development of Mecsel in a rapidly growing industry,” says Erik Wiljanen, Chairman of the Board.
More information:
Markus Koskinen, tel. +358 44 322 2073, markus.koskinen@mecsel.com
Jyrki Virtanen, tel. +358 400 447 398, jyrki.virtanen@mecsel.com
Mecsel Oy, founded 1991, is a leading Finnish service provider in the field of unattended payment solutions. Mecsel offers global solutions in all categories of unattended payment and telemetry, for online administration and optimization of point of sales. www.mecsel.com
COOPERATION WITH SELECTA FINLAND EXPANDS
The long term cooperation between Mecsel Oy and one of the leading vending machine providers in Finland, Selecta Oy, will continue to deepen. Selecta’s kiosk vending machines are a familiar sight, for example, on metro and railway platforms. Selecta is one of the leading suppliers of Office Coffee systems.
Mecsel has long provided coin payment devices to Selecta. The cooperation that has now begun will provide consumers with the possibility to pay, in addition to cash, with the mePay SMS payment and mePay smartphone application by mobile phone. SMS is a familiar and secure payment method approved by the consumer. The smartphone application is an ever cheaper way to pay by mobile phone. An ever-expanding range of payment methods have been built into the app.
Deliveries and installations took place at a fast pace at the turn of the year. The feedback from consumers has been positive and trade has begun immediately at a high speed. Mecsel Oy’s product portfolio and automated management tools allow Selecta to provide consumers with the most trusted mobile payment functions.
Selecta is a pioneer in the automotive field in Finland. Many innovations in the vending field have been introduced for the first time through Selecta. Selecta’s dynamic, renewing and high-quality approach makes it a very good partner. We believe that this expansion to our co-operation will merely be the start of a long journey together.
MECSEL® SMART 4G MODEM
Over the years, Mecsel has connected thousands of vending machines online.
The implementations have successfully used many kinds of modems and routers.
However, a majority of the supplies have been made with our own Mecsel® Smart brand.
There is a need for a new affordable 4G Usb modem. In online developments over the coming years, practical needs will focus around 4G technologies.
The utilisation of a moving image in sales vending machines will increase the need for ever quicker internet connections. For this purpose, the 4G modem is very suitable.
In some of the largest locations, amplifiers have been introduced to improve signals in well insulated premises with heated glass. In these cases, the technology often chosen is 4G.
The experience and wishes of Mecsel have been taken into account well in the implementation of the modem. The quality of modems have slowly improved, thanks to the wishes of Mecsel Oy. This same beneficial development is now reflected in the 4G modem.
Mecsel telemetry devices, together with their own modem, comprise a reliable product.
The intelligence of the modem is based on the Mecsel® Smart device control. This facilitates the introduction of new technology and the utilization of previous experiences.
The Mecsel telecommunications package consists of a Mecsel automation telemetry device, Mecsel modem and the globally operating Mecsel VPN Sim card. The functional Mecsel product enables unrivalled online connectivity in almost any location around the world.
HARTWALL AND MECSEL DEEPEN THEIR COOPERATION
Oy Hartwall Ab and Mecsel Oy have entered into a cooperation agreement.
The agreement between Mecsel Oy and Hartwall Ab, the Finnish subsidiary of the Danish company, Royal Unibrew, will extend the companies’ long-term cooperation to cover a wider range of unattended payment methods and Mecsel cloud services.
New methods will be introduced, such as EMV debit and credit card payments, contactless card payments, MobilePay, and Operator Invoicing supported by telco companies.
Card payments were first introduced in Hartwall Pepsi vending machines at the international Slush exhibition in October 2017.
The new forms of payment will give the consumer the choice of the payment method that they deem to be the most appropriate. The vending machine operator is then given the opportunity to profitably offer so-called “Cashless payment methods” to gradually replace cash payments in vending machines.
TINE AS Norway
TINE DAIRY FINDS THEIR CONSUMER
The Norwegian dairy giant has built a direct vending machine distribution channel from the producer to the consumers.
Delivery project
Mecsel was chosen to implement the goal of the Tine dairy to sell dairy products directly from the manufacturer to the consumer. The only payment instrument used in schools are student cards instead of cash, as well as credit and debit cards in public places for the general public.
The aim of the delivery project was to provide consumers with a reliable and easy to use automated service. This was implemented in cooperation with Mecsel® Smart telemetry equipment, Mecsel SaaS telemetry and payment services.
Schools
Pupil can buy healthy dairy products from snack vending machines. The parents of pupils purchase the service in advance via an online store and are able to monitor its use.
Tine takes care of filling the machines with up-to-date information provided by the system.
Utilizing IT technology
Tine has use of the latest IT technology applied to the automated environment.
The vending machines are monitored on a continuous online basis, each automated graphical product chart can be remotely viewed and monitored. The electronic prices of the products can also be changed remotely. Sales data is collected remotely and can be used to compile route plans and fill-in plans.
The right product is delivered at the right time to the right vending machine. The product sell by dates and the availability of the products can be taken care of. Vending machines that operate through electronic money are also cheaper to run when there is no requirement to function with physical money, as well as the service and maintenance that is necessary.
Tine’s maintained vending machine operation is an example of how to get a self-service channel to work directly from the producer to the consumer. It has taken care of the two most important elements, the ease of purchasing and the reliability of the service.
The sales service has been greatly taken on board by the users. Mecsel Oy strives to support its cooperation partners with new innovations. Tine is an ambitious and quality-conscious company that wants to disseminate the teaching of new generations to use diverse dairy products and ensure their easy access.
Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, the Finnish Carlsberg Company enabled mePay™ phone App in vending machines
The introduction of mobile phone payments
Carlsberg company Oy Sinebrychoff Ab in Finland has taken mePay™ mobile phone App into use in all their sales vending machines in Finland. Due to the entire package implemented by Mecsel Oy, the consumer can now buy, for example, Coca-Cola from vending machines, quickly and safely using mobile App!
The benefits of mobile payments to Consumers
Mobile payments are performed either via a mePay™ smartphone App or by a mePay SMS message. The smartphone app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store and Apple stores. The payment via SMS message is made in accordance with the instructions of the vending machines.
With the mobile phone payment, consumer will always be able to purchase drinks, without worrying about cash. Various payment options allow the consumer to decide where the actual payment for the product should be directed. The most popular smartphone application options are credit or debit cards. With an SMS payment, the purchase will be charged on the consumer’s phone bill. With smartphone application payments, the consumer only pays the costs that are notified on the vending machine, with no additional charges.
Due to the location intelligence of the application, the consumer can verify the location of the nearest vending machine to him or her. The application allows the consumer to choose the most suitable payment method for each case. E.g. car washing, parking or refuelling can be made with a business card, and, for example, personal purchases, such as soft drinks, can be made by using one’s own personal card at vending machines. The consumer can easily obtain receipts for all purchases from the consumer’s personal MymePay – portal.
The benefits of mobile payments to Merchants
Sales increases at unattended payment locations, such as vending machines, when mobile phone payment options allow consumers to purchase products or services in precisely the payment method they desire. The vending machines provided with Mecsel’s solution are in constant online contact with the server, whilst sales tracking, as well as sales settlements, take place automatically, without the trouble of expenses concerning the handling of cash.
mePay™ application as an interactive marketing tool
The software provides corporate companies with unprecedented opportunities for active interaction with the consumer. The application allows, among others, targeted campaigns, product launches or discount codes to be directed towards consumers. The software also enables a loyalty and bonus system without the need for a card.
Mecsel Oy
Mecsel Oy is Finland’s leading company involved in the supply of unattended payments, vending machine telemetry and Vending Management System. Mecsel solutions contain either partial deliveries or complete systems including; telemetry appliances, payment solutions, data connections, server solutions and software.
For more information of the most advanced unattended payment App in the market please contact Jyrki Virtanen on +358 400 447398 or jyrki.virtanen@mecsel.com
Mecsel Watch gets delivered to Sinebrychoff
Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, a Finnish Carlsberg Company, has taken a major step forward in streamlining and optimizing their unattended vending operations by deploying Mecsel Watch –Mecsel’s vending management system-.
The scope of the project included the monitoring and managing of Sinebrychoff’s unattended vending fieldbase, stock, re-filling schemes, staff, vehicles, cash flow and cash reconciliation, and its corresponding integration to the company’s existing SAP ERP system.
Thanks to the new system, Sinebrychoff is now able to plan site visits and servicing proactively, which has resulted in increased product availability and greater levels of consumer satisfaction.
SMART IS BLUE
Mecsel Oy is proud to announce the launch of Mecsel® Smart’s Blue Line. The new blue line introduces a powerful internal “watchdog” process that monitors the well-functioning of all components of the unit’s firmware and SW applications, resulting in much greater performance. Mecsel watchdog is also capable of resolving issues that may arise with host terminals.
The “watchdog” loom currently in use for Mecsel® Smart’s brown line is no longer required for the vast majority of site applications, saving in accessories (the loom) and freeing one RS232 port that can be now used for additional communication purposes.
“The unattended environment demands deep and clear knowledge and skills on different areas like handling mobile and fixed online, vending protocols and control of use cases in vending, parking, carwash” mentions Jyrki Virtanen, Mecsel’s Managing Director. “Behind the proven success of the company’s flagship product -Mecsel® Smart- is the know-how we have developed by continuous innovations and field experience”, he adds.
As per its name, Mecsel® Smart’s Blue Line units will be easily recognised in the field by its distinctive blue casing. All new model of Mecsel® Smart are tohough backwards compatible.
Mecsel Oy Ltd is a pioneering company within the mobile phone-based payment sector in the Nordics. Mecsel’s solutions have enabled consumers to pay at more than 6,000 unattended vending machines by means of the -now obsolete- service numbers and SMS since 1997.
For more information please contact Jyrki Virtanen on +358 400 447398 or jyrki.virtanen@mecsel.com