California-based ViaTouch Media and New York firm MM Hayes have combined technologies to provide safe, contactless shopping for healthcare and hospital workers.

ViaTouch is integrating the MM Hayes Quickcharge platform so shoppers at healthcare and hospital sites can use employee ID badges in its Vicki vending machines for frictionless, safe payment for goods and snacks.

“Our partnership with MM Hayes is a natural fit as the company is at the forefront of enabling cashless, contactless payments,” said ViaTouch Media CEO Tom Murn. “It supports the way people want to shop now, avoiding pandemic exposure and, over the long term, purchasing food and beverage, electronics or health products with greater efficiency and with the added experience of Vicki’s interactive communication. The combination of Vicki smart shopping and Quickcharge cashless payments represents the store of the future.”

Quickcharge is already integrated with Vicki at New York Presbyterian hospital. Physician residents can use their employee badge and monthly stipend account to purchase food and beverages, all in a safe, contactless environment. Similarly, other hospital employees can use their payroll deduction account to charge purchases at Vicki stores.

Faced with the shutdown of the usual food buffet and other services, New York Presbyterian’s food service company approached ViaTouch Media after seeing how seamless and safe Vicki was in enabling purchases. A key benefit to the hospital is Vicki’s cleaning methodology: the inside surfaces and products in the kiosks are automatically sanitised with UV-C lighting after each customer visit.

“Healthcare and corporate campuses are adapting to the rapidly changing onsite retail landscape with new approaches to service delivery and payments,” said David Hayes, managing partner at MM Hayes. “Partnering with ViaTouch Media enables our Quickcharge acceptance at Vicki retail installations, expanding service to our clients and their employees. Adding Vicki to our Quickcharge services represents the newly evolved means of payments – safe, frictionless and easy.”

Vicki’s AI platform also enables smart store, dynamic interaction, Alexa style, with the customer to offer product selections based on customer preferences and to answer questions, all in a contactless environment.

“Now, MM Hayes Quickcharge account holders can use their employee ID badges to make purchases at Vicki machines just as they can at other retail outlets on campus, such as cafes, micro markets, coffee shops, pharmacies and more,” said Brian Dunn, senior vice president at MM Hayes.

Vicki provides an AI computer vision driven, contactless retail environment at the point of sale.

Founded in 1971, MM Hayes is a software company with products for point of sale, cashless payment and mobile ordering for workforces.