BIXOLON, Printec power thermal receipt kiosks push

BIXOLON has struck a partnership with Printec Group to supply thermal receipt printers for self-service and retail kiosks across Europe, starting with deployments in Slovenia.

Under the agreement, Printec has selected BIXOLON's BK3-31 open frame printer and SRP-Q300 cube packaged printer for kiosk installations used in retail and food service environments. Both models support 80mm receipt media.

Printec operates in the transaction technology market in Central and Eastern Europe. The company, headquartered in Slovenia, supplies payment solutions, self-service technologies and integrated retail systems.

Kiosk demands

Retail and food service operators increasingly use kiosks for ordering and checkout. These systems depend on reliable printing at the end of a transaction, particularly in high footfall locations.

Printec said receipt printing forms part of the customer journey at the point of sale or checkout. The company also highlighted the operational requirements for kiosk deployments. Hardware needs to fit into confined kiosk enclosures. Operators also look for equipment that handles high transaction volumes with fewer maintenance interventions.

Printec worked with BIXOLON and distribution partner Ingram Micro during the selection process. The companies assessed a range of options before choosing the BK3-31 and SRP-Q300 models.

Printec cited compact form factors and performance history in busy environments as key reasons for the selection. The BK3-31 is an open frame design intended for kiosk integration. The SRP-Q300 uses a cube format for space-constrained installations.

Integration work

The companies said the printers integrate into Printec's kiosk solutions used in retail and food service. Printec said it can standardise around the selected printer models across multiple kiosk designs.

The integration used CUPS software and network connectivity for configuration. Printec said the printers were set up for invoice printing in deployment environments.

Printec and BIXOLON began with installations in demonstration kiosks. The companies used these units to validate performance and durability before moving to production systems. Printec then proceeded with a phased roll-out.

Printec said BIXOLON provided production options and technical support during integration. Printec handled deployment and configuration at customer sites.

"Finding the right printer was a challenge. We needed a solution that wasn't just reliable, but also flexible enough to adapt to different kiosk models and scalable across multiple locations. It had to be fast, durable, cost-efficient, and capable of supporting continuous operation," said Jana Letonja, Account Manager, Printec.

"After successful testing was complete, deployment was straightforward, requiring minimal customisation thanks to the compatibility of BIXOLON printers with the kiosk systems," said Letonja.

Roll-out plans

BIXOLON said the printers are now rolling out across kiosk deployments in Slovenia. The company said future installations will follow the same approach.

Companies in the payments and retail technology sector have placed growing focus on kiosk uptime. Operators typically track printer performance closely because faults can interrupt ordering and payment flows, particularly at peak times.

"Today, BIXOLON printers are currently being rolled out in kiosks throughout Slovenia, with all future installations planned to use the same standardised approach. For the business, the solution has improved operational efficiency by reducing downtime and minimising the need for maintenance interventions. The compact design of the printers has ensured seamless integration within kiosk enclosures, while the reliability of thermal printing has lowered ongoing costs. For customers, the benefit is immediate: receipts are printed quickly and clearly at the end of each transaction, enhancing trust, convenience, and overall satisfaction," said Paul Kim, Managing Director, BIXOLON Europe.

Printec said it expects further kiosk deployments in retail and food service, with BIXOLON printers specified as the standard receipt printing option for those installations.