Card-activated draft beer machine: how does it work?

That's just the banking app, not counting the many other apps that are a real lifesaver. All of this makes our lives easier and gives us more independence and speed.

In the world of beer, things are also constantly moving and developing. The card-activated draft beer machine, or self-pour system, is here to stay. With it, customers can pour their own draft beer, without needing someone to do it for them. But how does it work? Can you just swipe any card?

How does the card-activated draft beer machine work?

The card-activated draft beer machine is basically a regular line of taps, but automated. So you, the bar owner, have a number of draft beer taps (you choose how many) lined up along a wall with digital screens and card readers, available for your customers to use.

Customers arrive at your establishment and complete a quick sign-up to receive an exclusive RFID card. Then they go to the beer machine, decide which beer they want to drink, swipe the card on the reader, the tap is released, the customer pours their own beer, and only the milliliters they poured are charged to the card, not one drop more or less.

Photo @galpao17

Although self-pour for draft beer is the most common use in this beverage segment, it isn't only for draft beer and craft beer. The taps can also serve wine, kombucha, cocktails, water and other drinks.

Imagine the memorable experience your customers will have trying different kinds of drinks and talking about them with their friends. It will certainly be an experience that sticks with them.

Features of the draft beer machine

Above each tap there are screens that can show different kinds of information, including the drink name, beer description, brewery information, ABV, IBU and price per ml - all the information a customer wants to have when deciding what to drink.

Having a card-activated draft beer machine at your bar will make your life easier and can increase sales by 45%, because people will come from everywhere to have this experience. With self-pour draft beer you can also increase profits and reduce waste to less than 1%.

Read also: Draft beer machine for bars: how does each part work?

What about my servers?

A good bartender probably prefers making cocktails to pouring draft beer. Installing self-pour draft beer will give your bar the chance to focus on offering better cocktails and service.

Will a draft beer machine with cards reduce labor costs? If you are in the planning phase of opening a bar, you will certainly save a lot of money by not having to hire as many servers, since customers pour for themselves.

If you already have a bar and want to implement self-pour draft beer, your servers and bartenders will no longer need to pour draft beer, which will give them more time to build relationships with customers, explaining more details about the drinks.

It's important to remember that today an estimated 15% of a 50-liter keg is wasted. With self-pour, customers are charged for every ml that comes out of the tap, paying precisely for what they poured, resulting in a yield of almost 100% versus the 15% loss the bar owner suffers today. The return on investment will undoubtedly be high.

The big advantage of the card-activated draft beer machine

The big advantage of the card-activated draft beer machine from the customer's point of view is the convenience of the service. It's as if they were at home and could go to the fridge and grab another beer. Except the fridge is much bigger and has really amazing taps. There is also the matter of paying exactly for what you pour and the chance to try several draft beer options.

Another big advantage of the draft beer machine from the bar owner's point of view is the big reduction in waste, which raises profits even further.

We live in times when experience weighs the most when choosing a place to drink with friends. Venues need to be more creative, attractive, efficient, accessible and memorable than ever, which is why self-pour draft beer makes perfect sense. It's a differentiator that will make all the difference at your bar and may be the change you've been wanting to take your service even further.

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