A Pizza ATM Greets Students At Xavier University

We’ve all done our share of crazy things when we were in college, things that, today, might seem beyond all logic. Eating pizza at bizarre hours, for example, may be the leading qualifier.

At Xavier University, that next pizza will likely never be far away as the school now features a vending machine that dispenses pizza at most any time of the day or night.

Built at a cost of $55,000, the pizza vending machine will be stocked daily with a variety of pizzas, ranging from cheese to pepperoni with cheese to cheese and various vegetables.

A 12-inch pizza sells for $9—a decent price for a 12-inch pizza—and is stored in an internal refrigerated compartment, to be restocked daily.

Upon ordering, the pizzas are cooked in an internal convection oven and then placed in a box, served to a customer, and taken away all in one package.

If that sounds amazing, it will be an even bigger shock to discover that the pizza ATM has been around for over a decade in Europe. Originally created by a French firm, it’s part of the growing slate of vending machine-style services for a variety of goods, even going as far as some cars.

This is also a banner time for mobile payments, because when it comes to vending machines, mobile payments are definitely quite a bit easier than sending bills sliding through a mechanical collection slot. With a mobile payment system, payment can be as easy as scanning a QR code.

If it’s that easy, then there no longer needs to be a cash slot, which means owners need only restock merchandise as needed, making it safer to own and operate such systems even remotely located.

No matter what’s being paid for, vending machines can make an efficient process out of selling almost anything. Mobile payments have a great potential to be the weapon of choice when it comes to buying from a vending machine, and turning not only payments into a mobile prospect, but also shopping itself.