FreshBrew Group Strengthens and Expands Relationship with USA Technologies
Commits to Connecting 100% of Machines to ePort Connect® Platform Through Premium Support Service;
Reports Early Increases in Cashless Sales on New and Legacy Installations
USA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:USAT), a premier payment technology service provider of integrated cashless and
mobile transactions in the self-service retail market, today announced that it has added FreshBrew Group, a national specialty
coffee roaster provider, supplying coffee to airlines, hotels and convenient stores, and also one of the largest privately owned
vending services providers in the Houston metropolitan area, to its growing roster of ePort Connect® customers committing to fully
connecting every machine to USAT’s cashless payments platform. As a result, USAT is working with the FreshBrew team to integrate
over 3,000 ePorts in unattended machines across the business, as well as upgrading older equipment in an effort to make 100 percent
of FreshBrew’s machines cashless and mobile-payment enabled. FreshBrew was able to commit to a rapid, large-scale deployment by
signing up for USAT's Premium Support Service offerings to manage, assist, analyze and support installation and marketing
efforts.
With a strong track record in innovation and early technology adoption, we believe that FreshBrew identified early on that
offering cashless and mobile payment options could positively impact business through increased cashless sales. However, the
company was unsure about how to deploy the technology across their entire fleet of over 3,000 single-serve coffee and vending
machines quickly and efficiently. Through USAT’s Premium Support Service, the company now has access to USAT’s premium, best-in-class support services,
including deployment planning, project management, installation support, training of staff, the marketing of cashless, mobile
payment and loyalty programs and funding support to ensure a smart, streamlined rollout and fast returns on the investment.
"It’s our view that mobile phones will eventually replace wallets, and we have to be ready with cashless solutions that align
with the modern-day payment expectations of consumers,” said Steven Weyel, chief operating officer, FreshBrew Group. “It can be
daunting for smaller operations to make the switch to cashless because, although it makes good business sense, time and labor
associated with the rollout can make it seem like a hefty investment. Working with USA Technologies, the transition has been
seamless and includes the support we need to get up and running. So far, we are happy to report that, with 76 percent of our
machines connected to USAT’s ePort Connect platform, average cashless usage is already at 31 percent, and we anticipate revenue
increases of 15-20 percent. We’re hoping that the success we’ve had will entice other smaller operators like us to take the step
towards 100 percent cashless.”
With a history in coffee sales dating back to the early 1900s, the FreshBrew Group was officially established in 1995 as the
first office coffee services supplier in the greater Houston metropolitan area to offer single brew coffee machines to clients.
Later, at the request of a large coffee services client, the company added the Vending Division. As the business grew through
acquisitions, it soon became one of the region’s most technologically advanced full-service vending companies. FreshBrew Vending
has now grown to be one of the largest, privately owned vending services providers in the region. Today, the FreshBrew Group is
comprised of a specialty small-batch roasting and gourmet quality coffee company and a first class, technology-driven vending
services company.
"FreshBrew Group has a legacy of innovation. The decision to enable every one of its machines with cashless technology is a true
testament to the industry’s growing evolution to cashless, and the benefits that forward-thinking companies like FreshBrew can
enjoy by modernizing their operations,” said Michael K. Lawlor, Chief Services Officer, USA Technologies. “Customers who use credit
cards, debit cards and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Android Pay spend more at their machines because they are not limited by
the cash in their pockets. Connected machines also create greater business efficiencies and open lines of communication with
consumers in ways that will increase sales. Going cashless just makes business sense for an operation of any size, and more and
more companies like FreshBrew are getting on board.”
Useful Links:
USA Technologies: https://usatech.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/usa_tech
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/USATechnologies
Resource Center: https://usatech.com/resource-center/the-benefits
Sales and Partnership Inquiries:
Please contact USA Technologies, Inc. at +1 800.633.0340 or sales@usatech.com.
About ePort Connect®:
USAT's ePort Connect service is a PCI-compliant suite of cashless payment and telemetry services specially tailored to fit the
needs of self-serve retail industries. Designed to be a "one-stop shop," services offered through ePort Connect include wireless
and merchant account setup, simplified processing rates, settlement and reconciliation, 24 x 7 customer service and a host of
value-added services, including mobile payment, loyalty programs and integrated payment services for micro-markets and other POS
devices.
About Premium Support Services:
USAT’s Premium Support Service bundles USAT’s best-in-class services to ensure the most effective deployments of USAT’s cashless
technology through cohesive planning that maximizes returns. Services include USAT’s Model Market program for planning, project
management, installation support, and marketing support; integration of deployment planning, installation and performance
optimization; access to USAT’s flagship Knowledge Base data; and customized reporting in support of deployment, inventory and DEX
project management. USAT’s Premium Support Service is available to customers that have made a commitment to connect a significant
portion of their locations to USAT's service.
USA Technologies:
USA Technologies, Inc. is a premier payment technology service provider of integrated cashless and mobile transactions in the
self-service retail market. The company also provides a broad line of cashless acceptance technologies including its NFC- ready
ePort® G-series, ePort Mobile™ for customers on the go, ePort® Interactive, and QuickConnect, an API Web service for developers.
USA Technologies has 78 United States and foreign patents in force; and has agreements with Verizon, Visa, Chase Paymentech and
customers such as Compass, AMI Entertainment and others. For more information, please visit the website at www.usatech.com.
Forward-looking Statements:
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All statements other than statements of
historical fact included in this release, including without limitation the business strategy and the plans and objectives of USAT's
management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this release, words such as "anticipate", "believe",
"estimate", "expect", "intend", and similar expressions, as they relate to USAT or its management, identify forward looking
statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of USAT's management, as well as assumptions made by and
information currently available to USAT's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the
forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including but not limited to, the ability of USAT to predict future
market conditions and consumer behavior; the ability of USAT to operate without infringing or violating the intellectual property
rights of others; and whether and the extent to which cashless and mobile payment options positively impact business through
increased sales. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking
statement made by us in this release speaks only as of the date of this release. Unless required by law, USAT does not undertake to
release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events.
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Media:
ANW Networks for USA Technologies
Emily Porro, +1 347-346-3663
emily@anwnetworks.com
or
Investor Relations:
Blueshirt Group
Michael Bishop, +1 415-217-4968
mike@blueshirtgroup.com
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