It looks like you won't have to fish for change to get that bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Diet Coke for lunch out of the vending machine. Thanks to a partnership between MasterCard and Coca-Cola, vending machines are now taking all forms of payment, including credit and debit cards. In Philadelphia, 1,000 of these card-swiping vending machines have been rolled out.
At first, it sounds great. "Wow! I can use my credit card! I don't have to carry change anymore!" But, as the article states, the concept "inevitably raises questions about when a convenience might become an enabler, encouraging consumers to drink more soda or buy more candy, while spending money they don't necessarily have" and health professionals are worried.
Now, I am all for convenience when it comes to shopping, and a credit card certainly makes it easier to make a purchase. However, if you don't have seventy-five cents, do you really need to take out your credit card and charge that tiny amount? If you don't have the change, skip the snack and wait for a real meal.
8-23-2006 @6:42PM George said... I don't buy the premise that not being able to use your credit card is
a) a deterrent to purchasing junk food
b) impactful to those spending money they don't have
For a), if you're dealing with a non-credit-card machine and you don't have the change, you're going to borrow some from someone else in the office, or break a dollar with someone nearby. Often, change machines are available next to vending machines to solve this very problem.
For b), we're talking $0.50-$1.25 for typical sodas and snacks. Yes, this money adds up, but this is probably the smallest expenditure one could make over the course of a given day. Let's talk about the pricier food items like lattes, or gas for your vehicle, or any number of other more expensive expenditures (not all optional, mind you) over the course of a given month. I don't think vending machine charges are going to break anyone's bank nearly as much.
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8-24-2006 @1:10PM Mike said... "Spending money they don't have" seems to make the original article's author ignorant of debit cards. Ignoring vending machines if you didn't use plastic you'd be walking around with plenty of cash in your pocket all the time or writing checks everywhere. Should you use plastic in instances where you previously used cash, you do have the opportunity to review your purchases on your statement. Even the most meticulous person is unlikely to remember where they spent all their quarters last month.
"I spent $35 just on Coke machines last month? I better cut back."
Of course the card issuers are all for this due to the fees involved, but collecting counting and transporting heavy coins isn't free either.
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8-24-2006 @4:40PM jOHN said... I agree with the post stating that it would allow larger cola/chip/snack consumption. Hell, if Starbucks didn't take credit cards, I wouldn't go there on so many occassions.
The only thing I'll agree on is that sometimes you are just thirsty or hungry and need water or food, but you don't have a lick of cash. I've been to college and I know that feeling. Even after college, I can't always keep cash in the wallet.
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