CHICAGO — Vending operators today must answer five questions when planning to add cashless mobile-payment capability to their equipment, according to PayRange founder Paresh Patel. Offering an overview of the newly expanded PayRange system, Patel recalled that he was an operator himself (he founded Portland, OR’s Courtesy Vending while still in college, and built it into one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest independent operations). The challenges he confronted prompted him to invent novel solutions, of which a Bluetooth payment system is the latest.

The five key questions for vendors seeking to boost sales and profits by meeting the market’s demand for convenience and versatility are: