{"id":282661,"date":"2026-04-29T12:26:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T12:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aztek.testpw.link\/?p=282661"},"modified":"2026-05-05T10:14:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:14:24","slug":"hybrid-payment-open-loop-closed-loop-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aztek.lu\/en\/paiement-hybride-open-loop-closed-loop-hopital\/","title":{"rendered":"Hybrid payment on vending machines: why combining open loop and closed loop is more profitable?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00abShould we choose banking or private payment?\u00bb On a mixed site: hospital, university, train station, administration, the real answer is: neither one nor the other. Both, on the same reader. This is hybrid payment. A practical demonstration at a hospital.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction: Why the \u00abOpen Loop vs. Closed Loop\u00bb Debate is Misguided<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the automatic payment market, the same question is still heard regularly: \u00abshould we choose banking or private?\u00bb. The real answer, on the majority of mixed sites, is: neither one nor the other alone; both, on the same terminal. This is what is called the hybrid payment<\/strong>. And nowhere is the demonstration clearer than in a hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article explains why combining Open Loop (bank payment) and Closed Loop (private payment) on the same machine is today the most profitable model, using the concrete case of a hospital. The reasoning applies equally well to a university, a train station, an administration receiving the public, or any site that mixes occasional visitors with a recurring population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Open Loop, Closed Loop, Hybrid: What They Mean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Open Loop \u2013 bank payment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The user pays with their contactless bank card, phone, or smartwatch. No registration, no card to carry. Universal, immediate, perfect for a one-time visitor. The downside: a bank fee for each transaction, and the manager knows nothing about the buyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closed Loop \u2013 Private Payment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The user identifies themselves via a badge, an internal card, or a mobile application<\/a> linked to a prepaid account. They recharge this account (online, by credit card, or via employer contribution), then make internal transactions without fees. This is the model for loyalty, personalized pricing, and fine-grained control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hybrid \u2013 one reader, two worlds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The hybrid payment<\/a> enables both modes to coexist on the same reader, often with a third component: the ability to top up the private account directly by credit card at the machine. The user chooses their mode in one second. The operator retains all the benefits of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Open Loop only = you capture the passerby. Closed Loop only = you retain the regular customer. Hybrid = you do both, without compromise.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

2. The Hospital Case: An Ideal Ground for Demonstrating the Value of Hybrid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A hospital is the archetype of a mixed site. It houses three populations that do not buy at all similarly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n