BitePass

Inspiration

We currently have a smart vending machine and we are running into issues with the schools on how students can pay. We realized that students that have meal plans can only use them for dining credits and realized a bigger issue that we decided to explore today by decentralizing that payment restriction to allow students to have a greater variety on what they can eat, where and when.

What it does

BitePass lets university students use their existing meal plan credits outside the dining hall — on smart vending machines, food delivery platforms, or partner restaurants. Dining dollars remain valid post-graduation (usable at regular prices), while student-only discounts expire. This creates more flexibility and ensures credits don’t go to waste.

How we built it

Integrated FlowGlad for flexible wallet/payment management. Used Honcho.dev for secure client API key management and multi-university scaling. Prototyped the wallet system and student pass logic on V0/Vercel for fast deployment. Designed a simple UX flow where students scan or log in, spend credits, and track balances.

Challenges we ran into

Handling multiple client integrations (different universities, different rules). Time constraints to develop two different sides of the marketplace.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a working prototype within the hackathon timeframe. Established a clear model for extending meal plans beyond campus dining halls. Connected with mentors and learned how to integrate FlowGlad and Honcho for production-level security. Created a system that can benefit both students (flexibility) and universities (improved adoption + reporting).

What we learned

How to rapidly build fintech-style wallets with FlowGlad. How secret management platforms like Honcho are critical for real-world multi-client apps. The importance of designing clear rules for balances, discounts, and expirations. That hackathon speed requires trade-offs, but the right tools make innovation possible.

What's next for BitePass

Partner with FlowGlad to turn our idea to reality and universities to pilot the system and integrate with existing student cards. Expand into delivery services (e.g., Uber One, DoorDash Student) to let dining dollars be used more broadly. Implement a mobile-first app for students to check balances, redeem discounts, and manage their BitePass. Explore loyalty + ESG tie-ins so student purchases can support sustainable businesses.

Built With

• flowglad
• honcho
• lovable
• next.js
• react-native
• vercel