Google Wallet rolls out to vending machines with coupons, real-time complaints, and requests

Thanks to Bay Area-based startup Cataloupe Systems, Google Wallet is once again expanding its reach, this time with NFC-enabled vending machines.

According to a report from All Things D, The startup has already installed Google Wallet-powered payment terminals in roughly 6,000 vending machines across Chicago, the mid-Atlantic region, and San Francisco. A good start, but a fraction of the approximately six million vending machines in the U.S., 80,000 of which Cantaloupe is responsible for.

While credit card payments among users tend to be much less for lower priced items due to transaction fees, the company plans to offset those concerns with coupons and rewards delivered to users through the app. Users will also be able to send real-time complaints and possibly even requests for particular products to be included next time the machine is restocked.

This continues Google’s aggressive rollout of their Mastercard-powered NFC tech, which as of right now is still only available to users of Sprint’s Nexus S 4G. Last month the company announced Google Wallet for 65 Bay Area Gap Inc. stores, while adding a handful of other notable retailers back in October.