Analysis of feasibility for payment system by offline smartphone in vending machines

• Grant number: 17/15858-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: March 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Marcello Rodrigues de Oliveira
• Grantee: Marcello Rodrigues de Oliveira
• Company: Mercúrio Automação Ltda. - ME
• CNAE: Telecomunicações sem fio
• City: Campinas
• Associated researchers: Leandro Victor Fidelis
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/15362-9 - Analysis of feasibility for payment system by offline smartphone in vending machines, BP.TT; 18/15228-0 - Analysis of feasibility for payment system by off-line smartphone in vending machines, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The objective of this project is to analyze the technical and economic feasibility, especially in terms of security, of constructing a payment system for vending machine using cellular that operates with an offline cell phone and a vending machine offline. Currently, the means of payment that exist for vending machines that do not operate with cash, known as cashless systems, are not economically viable for most of the machines in the Brazilian market, since these sell low value added products with not very significant monthly revenue, such as coffee machines. The reason for current price of cashless solutions is the need to keep the machine online in places where there is not always a network available, which requires investment in both equipment and 3G, with significant monthly cost. With the popularization of smartphones, we have a new possibility in this scenario, because with an offline payment system would not be necessary complex equipment and the cell phone could synchronize the information after being in a network coverage area, making the business feasible due to the simplification of the equipment and maintenance fees. For technical feasibility analysis, we will validate the communication of the smartphone with the machine and implement a digital signature, testing the security of this solution through three scenarios of fraud. We will consider the feasible system if it operates in a fast way, with interference-free communication and fraud prevention. For economic viability analysis, we will perform a comparison of the final price of the product with the equipment that exists in the market to accept cash in kind from the machine. If there are few variations in this comparison, we will consider it viable. We expect at the end of the research to obtain a specification of a product with a final price of sale low enough to enable the business financially and safely to ensure the robustness of the system. The impact of this research on the company will be the increase of technical knowledge in the area of vending machine and payment systems, and in case of convergence to the expected result, we will launch an innovative product in the vending market, increasing the possibility of sales of the final products and thus increasing Mercurio Automação ability to generate revenue, in addition to enabling it to position itself as one of the most innovative companies in the industry, which is part of its vision. (AU)