Our story

Smarte Carte, Inc. was founded in 1970 by Jim Muellner in the United States. At the time, Muellner saw an opportunity to provide a new level of convenience and service to travelers by creating a self-serve luggage cart kiosk for airports. Working together with airport authorities, Smarte Carte designed and manufactured the first self-serve luggage cart kiosk that was easy to use and accessible to everyone.

1970-2023

The kiosk was a hit, and soon 
airports across the United 
States were adopting the 
Smarte Carte luggage cart 
kiosk as the new standard.

Our story
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Since those early days, Smarte Carte has continued to innovate and expand its product and service offerings.

Our story

Today, we operate in airports, rail and bus stations, theme parks, and retail centers around the world, providing millions of customers with a diverse range of products and services.

As a global leader in self-service solutions, 
our mission is to transform the travel and 
leisure experience through customized 
and industry-leading solutions that enhance 
and elevate the journey for millions of 
people worldwide.

Our story

1967

1970

1983

1987

1989

1990

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

2008

2016

2018

2024

1967

1967

The first self-serve luggage cart was invented.

1970

1970

Smarte Carte was founded and entered the U.S. market.

1983

1983

Entered the retail sector with incentive-based shopping carts.

1987

1987

Expanded globally with the installation of the 1000th CMU in Frankfurt, Germany.

1989

1989

Launched the EZ Rider Shopping Cart.

1990-part-1

1990

Introduced Shopping Cart Strollers.

1990-part-2

1990

Reached 22 million rentals annually, serving 89 airports and 25 international terminals.

1991

1991

Achieved distribution in 100 locations worldwide.

1992

1992

Launched Smarte Locke Storage Lockers at 476 locations globally.

1993

1993

Introduced the Outdoor Stroller for amusement parks.

1994

1994

Became the first vended product to offer credit card payment options.

2008

2008

Launched the Massage Chairs division.

2016

2016

Introduced Passenger Services.

2018

2018

Added Airport Mobility Services.

2024

2024

Expanded to destinations including Norway, Ireland, Mexico, and Spain.

Throughout its history, Smarte Carte has remained committed to its core values of providing exceptional customer service and innovative products. The company’s success is built on a strong culture of teamwork, collaboration, and customer focus. Smarte Carte’s dedicated employees work tirelessly to deliver intelligent solutions that enhance the guest experience, excite team members, and support client visions within the travel and leisure industry.

Our story
Our story

At Smarte Carte, we are proud of our history and excited about the future. We remain committed to our core values and our mission of creating and reliably delivering intelligent solutions that enhance the guest experience, excite team members, and support client visions within the travel and leisure industry.

Join Smarte Carte

Careers

We’re an innovative service and concessionaire
company in fast-moving spaces. Join our team —
we aspire to be the best place you’ve ever worked.

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