Digital payments: changing consumer habits and opportunities for the vending industry

Tapping a card or smartphone against a payment terminal has become an increasingly familiar part of everyday shopping. For the vending industry, this shift highlights the growing importance of payment systems in the consumer experience, with convenience, speed and choice becoming key considerations in service design.

Contactless payment: what the BCE data reveals

Figures published by the European Central Bank (BCE) in July 2026 confirm this upward trend. In the second half of 2025, card payments across the euro area reached 47.8 billion transactions, an increase of 7.9% compared with the same period the previous year. Contactless payments rose by 11.9% to 32.9 billion transactions, accounting for 85% of all card payments made at physical terminals. These figures also include transactions made using digital wallets linked to payment cards, which allow consumers to pay with their smartphones.

Cashless payments in the European and Italian vending markets

The European vending industry already has a strong technological foundation. According to the latest market report from the European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA), 85% of pay-to-use vending machines are equipped with cashless payment systems.

In Italy, the latest Credit Cards and Digital Payments Observatory report by Assofin, Ipsos Doxa and Nomisma, with contributions from CRIF, presented on 30 September 2026, confirms the growing adoption of digital payments for everyday purchases. In 2025, transactions made at point-of-sale (POS) terminals using debit and prepaid cards reached 10.6 billion, up 14.8% in volume and 9.1% in value.

Within the vending sector, research conducted by JAKALA for CONFIDA and presented at Venditalia 2026 shows that 38% of vending machines support app-based, mobile and contactless payments. Meanwhile, the value of transactions made through apps increased by 33.8% compared with 2024.

Digital payments and cash: why choice still matters

Despite the growth of digital payments, differing consumer preferences remain an important consideration. An BCE survey found that 55% of consumers in the euro area prefer cards and other cashless methods when shopping in physical stores, while 62% still consider it important to retain the option of paying in cash.

For vending operators, these findings highlight the need to tailor payment options to their customers and the specific characteristics of each location.

At Venditalia 2026, digital payments were among the most dynamic and well-represented exhibitor categories, highlighting the central role these technologies play in the evolution of the vending industry.

The continued growth of cashless payments and changing consumer habits are paving the way for an even stronger presence of specialist companies at the next edition in 2028, showcasing increasingly smart, user-friendly payment solutions.

For manufacturers and operators, the event will provide an opportunity to explore and compare the latest technologies, identifying systems that combine ease of payment, machine compatibility and the economic sustainability of vending operations.

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