After the ePort Connect Device by USA Technologies was installed into four snack vending machines before Winter Break, students are now increasingly using the feature that allows Apple, Android and Samsung Pay as a form of payment.

“I started using it as soon as it came out,” junior Omar Juma said. “Last year, I rarely got snacks because I never carried cash on me. Sometimes when you carry dollar bills, you lose or drop them, anything can happen. But, when you have Apple Pay, it just takes one click of a button to get any item.”

Apple, Android and Samsung Pay are based on near-field communication technology that allows people to pay for items using the credit and debit cards saved on a device.

“It made my life a lot easier because I carry my phone with me every day,” Juma said. “I now don’t have to carry my wallet or anything. If I’m ever in need of a snack, I just carry my phone, use my finger print and pay.”

The new touch-pad attachment can also provide information on the nutritional facts of the items inside the machine.

“If you click on the nutrition button, it will tell you about sodium, calories and more,” Andrea Brehn, who works for the Supreme Vending Company, said. “Before, you couldn’t see those facts until you got the item, but now you can check them out before you even buy it.”

Senior Ryan Nguyen said he pays with his device because he receives rewards every time he uses it.

“They (rewards) add up pretty quickly if you use it often,” he said. “I use it on virtually every purchase because they sometimes offer promotions where they give away gift cards from using the app too.”

Juma said the feature is very simple to use.

“Everytime I use it in front of people, they are fascinated,” he said. “I would recommend it to everyone because it isn’t complicated at all. If you’re ever in a rush, you just scan, choose, grab your snack and go.”

If the machine malfunctions, people are able to report the problem immediately and leave a call back number through the attachment.

“If it happened to rip someone off, we can refund it through the device, you don’t even have to call anyone,” Brehn said. “It has made it easier for everyone, from customers to the workers.

The machine keeps track of the stock.

“I can tell what is missing from the machine and bring those items without having to come to the school to see,” Brehn said.

The new feature has made Brehn’s job easier, she said.

“Before, I would have to walk into the school and see what each machine needed and then go to the truck to get them,” she said. “But now, I just have to make one trip instead of two because I can tell what is needed.”

Brehn said that the feature is used more by high school students than those in middle school.

“Most of the younger students don’t have debit and credit cards, and some don’t have phones,” she said. “But they can still use the nutritional facts component.”

While the new device also accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, the machine continues to take cash.

“Samsung Pay is pretty convenient to use,” Nguyen said. “Most students will continue to use pocket change, but the addition of the new forms of payment will make it easier to get snacks.”