The Coca-Cola Company and ValidFill have agreed on an exclusive five-year licensing agreement for Coca-Cola’s freestyle beverage service. Combining ValidFill’s technology with Coca-Cola Freestyle will allow guests to serve themselves with RFID enabled cups, thus eliminating the typical waits and lines for pre-paid fountain beverages created by guests wanting refill.

The Coca-Cola Company’s exclusive five-year agreement with ValidFill means the interactive fountain dispenser will be able to communicate with reusable, RFID-enabled beverage cups. Using ValidFill’s patented control technology, tagged cups will trigger participating Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers to pour. No tag, no beverage.

An additional benefit of the ValidFill cup tags is the ability to track each cup owner’s consumption. That data can then be used to determine the value of beverages per pour and track which brands and day parts prove most popular.

“Our partners in the entertainment and lodging industries are looking for ways to enhance the guest experience, while at the same time improving operations. ValidFill’s technology will allow us to answer a real need within those segments,” said Gene Farrell, vice president & general manager, Coca-Cola Freestyle, The Coca-Cola Company. “The possibilities for targeted marketing and promotion are endless.”

“Control allows operators to put self-serve in more locations and improve guest throughput,” said Greg Edelson, President, ValidFill. “Prepaid beverages improve convenience for the guest and drive up sales. The refillable vessel provides a platform for successful promotions. The Coca-Cola Company’s investment in fountain success for the food service operator is unchallenged.” Based on an aggressive development schedule, RFID cups will be available exclusively to Coca-Cola customers starting later this year. Future applications for QSRs and FSRs are in development as well.