At one Egyptian university, a student says once-routine vending machine purchases have now become app-managed transactions.
The student took to Reddit's r/MildlyInfuriating community to share their gripe.
Here's what to know
The complaint, shared in a Reddit thread, outlined how the checkout process became significantly longer than the old system.
Instead of simply paying at the machine with a card, the original poster said buyers now have to install an app, open an account, fund a wallet, scan the machine, select a product, and confirm the order before it releases anything.
OP wrote, "honestly, I'd rather pay more than deal with all this hassle just to buy a can of soda."
The switch is especially irritating, OP added, because the machines had been among the cheapest places on campus to buy something.
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Other commenters expressed similar frustration, describing the issue as part of a broader backlash against app-based purchasing for everyday tasks. One said, "Not worth it anymore. The whole point of a vending machine is [to] get something on the rare occasion you need it. Apps for everything is so pointless."
Another commenter speculated that companies "want to extract as much information as possible, so they can sell that information to third-party companies," while another joked that buying a candy bar could turn into "48 pages of terms, grant Bluetooth permissions, deposit $15 into proprietary fun-bucks, and watch a 30-second unskippable ad for dental hygiene before your Snickers drops."
A few replies imagined workarounds for the machines. One person predicted the machines would disappear, writing, "Give it a month and they'll be gone," while others suggested sidestepping them through a "not for profit snack shack" or by buying snacks in bulk and reselling them to classmates.
A user even joked that OP should "go to your local supermarket (Costco or whatever), buy a lot of them in bulk and start a smuggling business in your university." OP responded, writing, "As an engineer, I wish I had time for that. I'll keep it as a second career choice."
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