PanPacific Dispenses Beer with Biometric Vending Machines

PanPacific International is rolling out a new line of vending machines that will use biometric verification to deliver age restricted products. The SmartPan Pro Beverage Dispenser uses finger vein biometrics to confirm the age of registered customers, allowing for self-service with goods that previously needed to be stocked behind the counter.

The new vending machine can be configured to dispense any age-restricted product, but will be stocked with beer when it debuts at this week’s NAMA One Show in Las Vegas, an event focused on the convenience service industry. Anyone looking for a drink will need to complete a one-time registration with PanPacific, at which point they can use finger-vein authentication to access any machine in the network.

The SmartPan Pro allows operators to set purchase and timeframe limits for their machines, which theoretically means that no one will be able to buy too much beer until they’ve had a chance to sober up. It also means that the machines can be safely deployed in bars, sports arenas, and other high-volume, high-traffic settings, although the use of finger-vein biometrics does raise some sanitary concerns if large numbers of people are using the same sensor.

In that regard, the SmartPan Pro breaks from other biometric retail solutions. Yoti has been pioneering self-checkout technology that uses facial recognition to verify the age of customers at grocery stores, and has also partnered with Jägermeister to explore the prospect of legal alcohol sales online.

SmartPan Pro owners will be able to regulate their machines from a PC or smartphone thanks to the cloud-based management system, while the machine itself will monitor sales, stock, and other useful information. The vending machine will be on display from April 24th to 26th at booth 1446 at the NAMA One Show in Las Vegas. 

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April 24, 2019 – by Eric Weiss