Micropayment Trends 2025

The landscape of self-service retail is undergoing significant transformation, fueled by technological advancements and a shift in consumer preferences. Our report has taken the latest data from points of sale in self-service settings: food & beverage vending, standalone micro markets, Smart Stores, and amusement & gaming machines. Then we turned that data into valuable industry performance insights, pulled out trends in consumer behavior, and did some forecasting for the year ahead.

 

If you want to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market, you should keep reading.

Cashless dominates the self-service retail industry.

Based on the last few years of data, the growth rate of cashless transactions at vending machines is starting to slow – a sign that we could be reaching a stable mix of cash versus cashless consumers. But emerging segments like micro markets and smart stores are overwhelmingly cashless (96% and 100% respectively) as new kiosk and machine technology moves away from cash.

The smartest solutions bring in the highest ticket sizes.

The trend toward smart technology brings more opportunity for higher revenue. The gap between micro market and vending transaction totals grew significantly in 2024. Last year, consumers spent 53% more at micro markets than at vending machines. Add to that the data on Smart Stores*, and the move towards cashless-heavy or cashless-only solutions looks very “smart.”

 

*based on four months of data

Average Ticket Size

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Smart Store (four months of data)

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Micro Market

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Vending Machine

Tap to pay is gaining steam.

Overall, contactless payments with either card or mobile made up an average of 77% of all cashless sales. This is a big jump up from the previous year (when the average was 65.5%).

Consumers are getting more comfortable using mobile wallets – and most major credit cards now offer tap to pay. Contactless methods are proven to be more secure than swiping or inserting chip cards, which are vulnerable to card skimmers.

Inflation is still impacting prices
and driving ticket sizes up.

 

However, it’s not scaring off consumers from making purchases.

Though the 2024 annual rate of inflation cooled compared to 2023, the average cost of goods remains very high. But that hasn’t scared off consumers from making vending and micro market purchases.

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2024 avg inflation rate
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2023 avg inflation rate
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Consumer Price Index 2024

Want to dig deeper?

Want to see our predictions for next year and the in-depth data we pulled from hundreds of thousands of card readers and kiosks? Download the report now to get the full view of the numbers and what we think is coming the rest of the year.

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Payment Data

While the economy ebbs and flows, one thing that has remained consistent the last few years is the growth in the self-service industry and the increase in cashless payments. Our data shows that consumer’s wallets have been hit by inflation and slowed sales growth in the food & beverage vending and in the amusement & gaming sectors. However, the growth in micro markets remains very high — possibly because they can stock higher-margin essential home goods as well as traditional vending snacks and beverages.

Food & Beverage Vending

Consumer spending at vending machines rose by $500 million in 2024 compared to 2023 — that’s a 15% increase. While this rate of growth isn’t as high as 2023, it is consistent and promising given the economic factors at play.

ADDITIONAL VENDING INSIGHTS

Amusement & Gaming

Similar to the growth seen in the food & beverage vending segment, amusement & gaming saw a modest increase in spending in 2024. Last year consumers spent $108 million on amusement & gaming machines — an 8% increase. In comparison, overall spending rose 17% the year prior.

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Micro Markets

Micro markets continue to be a major source of growth for the self-service retail industry. They can fit nearly any space and stock a wide array of SKUs, including high-margin consumer goods make them very appealing to operators.

Last year, the number of micro market locations grew by 28%. And overall, micro markets accounted for over $1 billion in sales and over 377 million transactions! That’s an increase of over 27% from the previous year.

VIEW MORE MICRO MARKET TRENDS

Industry Outlook

Looking to 2025, we can see the continued rise of smarter, technologically-advanced self-service solutions such as Smart Stores. While Smart Stores started gaining steam midway through 2024, the data we’ve seen from them so far is inspiring (find those stats in the report).

The trend towards expanding self-service options beyond traditional vending machines brings opportunities for higher revenue. While there is still growth opportunity in traditional vending machines, operators looking to grow their business should consider branching out into more “sophisticated” vending technologies, since these solutions are largely cashless and the data shows that consumers are less price-sensitive for cashless.

College students gathered around a high top table in front of a fully stocked micro market.
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Download the Trends Report

Ready to unlock the secrets of the future of retail? Download our Micropayment Trends Report and discover how cashless transactions and smart retail solutions are revolutionizing the way we shop. From micro markets to Smart Stores, this report is your ticket to staying ahead of the game. Don’t miss out on the insights that could transform your business!

 

 

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