In other words, when you need a Snickers bar you can pull out your card, wave it in front of the scanner, and bill your card for that tasty snack. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) announced it would be installing this technology on its vending machines; if you think about how many of these machines exist across the country, you start to see why USAT's products will be in increasing demand in the coming years.

In addition to its non-cash technologies, USAT also offers energy-management devices to cut down on the amount of electricity consumed by refrigerated vending machines and glass-front coolers. If our age is increasingly automated, it's also increasingly energy-conscious, and USAT will stand to profit from its strengths in this area as well.

USAT has yet to turn a profit, but I think this is a company with a great deal of upside, and I'd recommend it for investors who can handle a bit of risk.

Type of stock: A leading manufacturer of payment devices for vending machines, laundry machines, business service centers, and many other automated devices.

Price target: This one is currently trading at $53, near its 52-week high, but I think it's going to trend upward from here, especially as more customers sign on to its new Mastercard venture and investors start responding to increasing revenues. Given the uncertainty of its profitability in the short term, it's only for investors who can handle some risk, but I think it's one to buy now.

Hilary Kramer is a financial editor and money coach for AOL and an authority on investing. Visit her at www.hilarykramer.com.