Do Vending Machines Take 20/ 5/ 10 Dollar Bills? New & Old Machine

Do vending machines take 20/ 5/ 10 dollar bills? Continue reading to know what bills vending machines take and whether they give change.

Don’t you hate it when you see a large vending machine with mouth-watering snacks, but you can’t use it because you don’t have coins?

Well, you’ll be glad to know that these days are now in the past. Nowadays, vending machines can take paper currencies and give change.

But do vending machines take 20/ 5/ 10 dollar bills?

Yes, Vending machines take 20/ 5/ 10 dollar bills. But It depends on the machine and how old it is. Unfortunately, old machines only accept coins.

However, if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a new machine, you can pay with any bills and enjoy your snack.

But do vending machines take all bills? And how do they identify each note or coin? Read on to get your answers!

RELATED READ:

• Do Vending Machines Take Pennies?
• Do Vending Machines Take Dimes?
• Do Vending Machines Accept Dollar Coins?

What Bills Do Vending Machines Take?

New vending machines can take any bills. So whether you’re holding five, ten, or 20 dollars, you can get a quick snack or beverage and wait for your change.

However, this depends on whether the machine is equipped with a bill validator or not. Old machines don’t have this option, so they don’t accept paper bills or give change. Instead, you have to pay with coins.

It’s worth mentioning, though; your chances of getting change for five or ten dollars are higher than getting any for 20 dollars. This is mainly because most vending machine owners avoid putting too much money inside out of fear of vandalism and robberies.

So, for example, if you’re buying a snack for a dollar, you’ll need 19 dollars as change. However, you’d only need four dollars if you paid five. So it wouldn’t harm to carry small bills just in case.

How Do Vending Machines Identify Bills?

Vending machines identify bills by looking for their distinctive features. Although not all machines work similarly, the idea is pretty much the same. First, the machine scans your money optically to find any unique pattern that’s only found on this bill. Digital cameras or tiny photocells do this process. However, it doesn’t end here.

If machines only recognized money optically, that would make people who carry fake money very happy. Instead, real money always has safety features to protect machine owners from faking accidents, with each bill having its characteristic feature.

For instance, five-dollar notes have a security thread that emits blue light when covered with UV light. They also have two distinctive watermarks. Meanwhile, one-dollar notes have green treasury seals and embedded fluorescent ink.

Not to mention, all real money is printed with magnetic ink. So any vending machine with a magnetic reader can detect whether it’s real or not.

Some vending machines can also measure the size of each bill. All in all, many safety features allow machines to identify money. But these mechanisms aren’t the same for coins.

Vending machines identify coins mainly by their physical properties. They check each coin’s thickness, diameter, and edge ridges to know its value. For instance, a dime has 118 ridges on edge, while a quarter has 119 ridges.

Why Do Vending Machines Reject Some Bills?

As we’ve mentioned, vending machines that take paper currencies should take all bills. But if your note keeps getting rejected, there are a few possibilities for it. Here’s a brief roundup of them.

1. Not Enough Change

Vending machines that take large bills are equipped with coin mechanisms. These mechanisms are responsible for giving change. However, when the coins inside aren’t enough, the mechanism won’t work, and the machine will reject your note. If this happens to you, try putting a smaller note.

2. Malfunctioning Bill Validator

Bill validators are mainly responsible for accepting paper bills in vending machines. If they malfunction for any reason, the machine will only accept coins. If you’ve tried putting a small paper note and the machine still rejects it, then the bill validator isn’t working.

3. Hard-To-Identify Bill

If the bill you’re slipping in the machine is too dirty or torn, the machine won’t be able to identify it. Remember, vending machines identify money optically. So if the mini cameras inside can’t see the bill because it’s covered with dirt or grime, the machine will return your money back. So try again with a cleaner bill and see what happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Vending Machines Take Cards?

Yes, some vending machines take bank and credit cards. However, this feature is limited to new machines. Such machines often have a swiping slot for cards, where you can swipe yours and get the snack you want.

Do Vending Machines Accept Foreign Currencies?

No, they don’t. Vending machines are too smart for that. They’re often equipped with advanced technologies that allow them to identify bills. So, if they fail to identify the currency, which will certainly happen, they’ll reject your money.

Can You Pay a Vending Machine Using Your Smartphone?

Many vending machines accept contactless payments nowadays, whether by smartphone or smartwatch. But you can only find this feature in advanced machines. So don’t go out cashless unless you’re sure the machine in your area allows such payments.

To Wrap Up

Back in the day, vending machines only accepted coins. But with the emergence of many advanced technologies, they started accepting paper currencies.

Nowadays, you can pay a machine with five, ten, or 20 dollars and wait for your change.

However, the success of the payment process depends on whether the machine has enough change for you or not.