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.







