ASK Global is set to give a masterclass in payment system innovation and integration at ARE this month, with the company’s card systems now fitted as standard by many OEMs thanks to their reliability, flexibility and ease of use.

ASK Global Solutions is well established in the field of converting amusement products to accept card payments, with the UK-based company already supplying card reader conversion kits for a multitude of coin operated products – and the list grows ever longer.

Ahead of ARE 2025, director Fivos Polymniou spoke to Coinslot about how the company has grown to become a leading innovator in the payments sphere, and the exciting developments the ASK Global team are spearheading in telemetry and Open Banking. 

“We started with jukeboxes and moved quickly onto pool tables,” said Polymniou. “To date we have also supplied conversion kits for pinball, cranes, amusement machines, popcorn and candy floss dispensers and the latest popular requests include darts and football tables.”

As a result of the popularity of adding tap and play to all things coin-operated, ASK Global now works directly with several jukebox and pool table manufacturers, supplying conversion kits to the OEMs who factory fit the card reader and associated components. 

“ASK Global uses several different card reader types for its payment solutions. A PIN on glass device – although costing more than a simple ‘tap and play’ card reader – offers a much higher specification,” said Polymniou. 

“ASK Global uses its PIN on glass readers additional processing power to run different operating systems, drive LCD and Touch screen displays and run its bespoke User Interface to massively enhance the customer purchasing experience.”

Meanwhile, ASK Global is “very excited” about its new ASK Pool Server or MIS, which takes advantage of connectivity advancements in the telemetry devices that process transactions to make every pool table a “connected” product. 

“With our low power battery solution and proprietary interface board we can push and pull data and price of play changes remotely. We retrieve a host of information about draw openings, battery life, coin in, card tap, sessions of play back to the ASK server.”

“Operators have seen significant uplift in revenues when adding or using card readers on their equipment. Pool Tables, especially, have seen a resurgence in demand as many venues now allow customers to pay with their card or smartphone. Investing in product is now more viable as revenues increase.”

Those choosing contactless systems also benefit from savings in operational costs due to less coin use, more information from connectivity, and proactive alerts, with customer convenience and ease of use also key to “making the spending process as attractive as possible.”

“What can be simpler than tapping your phone to make a payment; something we take for granted in retail and food/beverage outlets. All card spend is trackable allowing customers to be aware of where and what they spend. Families especially can budget accordingly when on holiday or visiting entertainment locations.”

With ASK Global also recently announcing its move into the Open Banking sphere, adding the system to many of payment solutions that need higher transaction values, the company’s stand at ARE is sure to allow operators a glimpse into the future of card payment.