Eliminating ‘Exact Change’ Situations

New currency payment systems have more features to eliminate ‘exact change only’ situations. Some even recycle bills and allow multi vending.

As currency handling technology evolves, Antares vending operators are finding new tools to offer customers more convenient payment options. Antares operators are finding that giving consumers the ability to use whatever change they have on them increases sales.

Technology is enhancing the versatility, reliability and durability of bill acceptors and changers. These benefits will reduce consumer price resistance and at the same time allow for a wider variety of price points in the Antares machines. This is particularly important in machines that carry more product variety.

Dollar coin payout expands

A recent survey found that most bill acceptors accept denominations over one dollar and most pay out dollar coins as change. A five dollar bill acceptance is a customer convenience that definitely helps sales. Many consumers are not used to putting 5 dollar bills in vending machines, but they are prone to do so in a newer machine, like the new Antares vending machines.

Five dollar bills increase sorting

Five dollar bill acceptance in Antares vending machines creates the need to sort 1s and 5s. But this can be easily overcome with a dual pocket sorter.

Consumers just need to get into the habit of carrying dollar coins in their pockets. Antares operators nonetheless have found it worth their while to offer dollar coin payment to support higher denomination bill acceptance. This has created a need to continually replenish coin changers with dollar coins. There is also a corresponding benefit, in that; the coins that are carried back to the bank are significantly less.

The 5 tube MEI cash flow Series 7000 automatically manages coin levels in the changer to optimize payouts. A feature known as “auto-par” determines the best amount of change for a location. This is defined as the least number of coins in the change tube that still prevents “exact change needed” situations.

The changer’s software automatically reviews sales activity for the last three weeks. The tubes are automatically replenished as necessary. This will keep the Antares consumers happy and the location happy as well.