PIT or Mifare®?
The key is a very popular element for purchasing drinks and snacks from vending machines, not only in Italy but all over the world. In offices or other private or semi-public places, employees or collaborators who regularly frequent company spaces can request a key at the secretariat or directly from the manager, generally in exchange for a small deposit.
This key can be recharged with coins, banknotes or even a credit card, depending on the peripherals installed on the vending machine, becoming an essential accessory for coffee breaks. Woe betide you if you forget it around!
However, before the key reaches the user’s hands, the operator must make some important decisions to ensure the correct functioning of the system and to maximize earning opportunities. Let’s see together the choices to make!
Part 1: Choose the type of Key: PIT or Mifare®.
Paytec’s offering features two key technologies: Mifare® and PIT.
Mifare® is a widely deployed global contactless smartcard technology, patented by NXP Semiconductors. Paytec has integrated and adapted Mifare® technology to the specific needs of vending.
This allows you to exploit the great advantage of the Mifare® platform, which offers the possibility of using the same contactless support for payment at vending machines and for many other applications, such as public transport, event tickets, access control, company cards, school cards, city cards, parking cards, and electronic purses for canteens and cafes.
Paytec’s range includes both Mifare® keys and cards. Furthermore, with the License Programmer, it is possible to purchase and write the Paytec application on Mifare® media already owned by the customer, such as cards, pendants and tags. This flexibility allows vending operators to easily integrate into pre-existing contexts.
PIT contactless technology, on the other hand, is a proprietary solution from Paytec, specifically designed for the vending sector. It is based on extensive experience in the field of vending payment systems. The PIT Key has recently been further improved to ensure advanced technical control, while offering reliability, security and versatility. The PIT2 key therefore further raises security standards, making the key practically inviolable against attempts at cloning or forgery.
Both types of PIT2 and Mifare® keys offer a series of features that facilitate not only the payment process, thus increasing sales opportunities, but also customer loyalty through easily configurable solutions, such as differentiated prices, free sales, free credits , bonuses, and more. (Further details on these features will be covered in a forthcoming article.)
The initial choice between PIT and Mifare® is crucial, since the key readers installed on vending machines are not interchangeable, and the keys themselves cannot be converted. Changing technology after making a choice involves a significant investment.
All Paytec keys are available in a wide range of colors, such as red, green, yellow, blue, black, transparent and transparent orange. PIT keys can also be personalized with the operator’s logo, offering an additional means of loyalty.
For personalized advice and to make the right choice, we invite you to contact our customer service. If you’d like to see a preview of what a custom Paytec key would look like for your business, send us your logo and we’ll give you a preview, along with a special offer.