# Contactless Drink Machines Coca-Cola's Freestyle Fountains Let Customers Order & Pay Via Phone By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2020-11-05 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cocacolas-freestyle-fountains References: [nfcw](https://www.nfcw.com/2020/11/04/369030/coca-cola-to-roll-out-contactless-drinks-vending-machines-across-the-us/) & [blog.aboutamazon](https://blog.aboutamazon.com/innovation/coca-cola-and-aws-reimagine-the-future-of-contactless-experiences?utm_source=social&utm_medium=tw&utm_term=amznnews&utm_content=AWS_CCFreestyle&linkId=102999495&tag=bisafetynet2-20) By the end of the year, all 52,000 [Coca-Cola's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cocacola-flex) Freestyle fountains in the US will give customers the ability to place their orders and pay for drinks with a mobile phone. The "mobile pour" solution was created as a completely contactless option and already, thousands of dispensers have been upgraded with the touch-free system. While it may seem as though the interactions with the machine are happening locally, this isn't the case. As Coca-Cola Freestyle’s Michael Connor describes, "What’s actually happening is a series of signals and steps taking place in the cloud—verifying that each phone is connected to the right machine, only in-stock beverages are shown as flavor options, and that pours start and stop with the touch of a button on the phone screen. All this needs to happen in near-real time." Image Credit: Coca-Cola ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.3/10 - Popularity: 9% | Activity: 50% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Drinking](https://www.trendhunter.com/drinking) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Contactless Ordering:** Developing contactless ordering systems for food and beverage industry to enhance customer convenience and safety. - **Mobile Payment:** Promoting mobile payment solutions to streamline payment processes and reduce physical contact. - **Cloud-based Operations:** Utilizing cloud technology to enable real-time communication and coordination between mobile devices and machines. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food and Beverage:** Implementing contactless drink machines and mobile ordering in the food and beverage industry. - **Technology:** Developing innovative mobile payment and cloud-based solutions for various industries. - **Retail:** Expanding contactless ordering and payment methods in the retail industry to provide safer shopping experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Low-Maintenance Drink Dispensers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cocacola-flex.md) - [Smart Soda Dispenser Trials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-compact-freestyle-machine.md) - [Gesture-Based QSR Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/touchless-menu-gesture-technology.md) - [Refillable Retail Soda Machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soda-refill-machine.md) - [BYO Bottle Drink Stations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/refilled-refiller-stations.md) - [Customization-Focused Drink Machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/juli-connect-beverage-dispenser.md) - [Robotic Beverage Machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/frazybot.md) - [Automated Beverage Dispensing Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/automated-beverage-dispensing-solution.md) - [Bottle-Free Beverage Dispensers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bon-aqua-water-bar.md)