How Do Vending Machines Give Change? Old & New Machine
While we all love using vending machines, little is known about them, especially when it comes to what they can and can’t do.
For example, one of the most popular questions regarding vending machines is “do vending machines give change?”
Yes, the majority of vending machines out there will give back change. However, like many other features in vending machines, owners can adjust the machine so that it only accepts the exact price of the item.
In today’s guide, we’ll walk you through a brief guide that answers all of your questions regarding vending machines and change.
So without further ado, let’s dive right in!
RELATED READ: Do Vending Machines Accept Dollar Coins?
Do Vending Machines Give Change?
Technically speaking, almost all vending machines out there will have specific mechanisms to give back change.
This is because vending machines will usually have dedicated storage inside of them that contains change money and is usually refilled by the owner or the operator of the vending machine.
However, these mechanisms are adjustable through the inner control panels, which allows the owners to enable or disable this feature.
When disabled, the machine will only accept the exact price of the items for payment so that it doesn’t have to give back change.
Did Old Vending Machines Give Change?
Vending machines are a lot older than many people think. The oldest types of vending machines were gumball vending machines found in New York City train stations, dating back to the late 19th century.
Back in the day, these machines needed the exact change in order to operate. A few decades forward, some machines with a primitive change system were introduced.
These machines required manual refilling of change by the operators and gave back specific coins as change, so it was somewhat limited.
Today, the most advanced vending machines can give out the exact change in a variety of coins and even bills, depending on one what’s stored inside the change slot in the machine.
What If the Vending Machine Doesn’t Have Enough Change?
Vending machines are programmed so that they’ll reject the transaction if the product is not available or the machine doesn’t have enough change to pay you back.
If a vending machine doesn’t have enough change, the machine will simply reject the payment and return the money back, either through the same unit that you’ve inserted your money in or through a specific refund slot.
Modern vending machines can also detect when the change slot is running low. When that happens, some machine will display a message on its screen that requests payments in exact change only.
Will a Vending Machine Give Back the Change in Coins and Bills?
Some old vending machines used to give back change in coins only, which were refilled by the vending machine operators consistently.
Alternatively, new vending machines can now return change in the form of either coins or bills, depending on what they have in store.
How Much Change Can a Vending Machine Store?
The answer here depends on a variety of factors, such as:
- The size and model of the vending machine in question
- Whether the machine can store coins only or bills too
Ideally, old vending machines could store up to $40 or $50 worth of change in coins. However, newer vending machines that can give back change in bills can store upwards of hundreds of dollars at a time!
READ: Do Vending Machines Charge Extra For Debit Cards? 2 Possible Reasons
Can You Pay for Vending Machine Items with Pennies?
In the majority of cases, vending machines don’t accept pennies as a form of payment because of their very low value.
They end up taking a lot of space in the money storage slot, which can be tedious to collect and somewhat costly to convert into bills.
Can You Pay for Vending Machine Items with 50 and 100 Dollar Bills?
Most regular vending machines are yet to accept large denominations like 50 and 100 dollar bills and will spit it back out immediately and only a few of them will simply accept the bills and give you change back accordingly.
However, vending machines are evolving with time, and many of them now accept 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills.
Why Does a Vending Machine Reject the Exact Price of an Item?
If you paid the exact price of an item and it still rejects your payment, there are a few reasons that might explain that, here’s a quick look at them:
1. You’re Paying with Money That is Unacceptable by the Machine
For example, if the item’s price is $1 and you pay with pennies or nickels, the machine may simply refuse the transaction, especially if it’s designed to only accept dollar coins or bills.
2. The Machine is Malfunctioning
Vending machines are bound to malfunction or display errors from now and then, especially if they’re due to maintenance. This may affect the bill validator mechanisms, which can put the machine out of order.
3. The Money Storage in the Machine is Full
Lastly, even if the machine is operating normally and you’re paying in the exact change required by the machine, it will still reject the transaction if the money storage is full.
However, this is quite rare now because slot machine operators empty the machines as early as 80% full to avoid that.
What Should You Do If a Vending Machine Doesn’t Give Back Change?
If the machine accepted your payment, it means that it verified that there’s enough change in its slot. If the money doesn’t come out, it’s usually due to jamming or malfunctioning.
In that case, your best bet is to look for the contact details of the vending machine operator, which is usually responsible for handling transaction issues.
Wrap Up
There you have it! A complete guide that answers some of the most curious questions about vending machines and how they give change.
With the advancement in machinery and technology, vending machines are becoming smarter by the day.
This allows the machines to manage their cash inventory to give back change with relative ease.
If the machine rejects a transaction that requires no changes, there’s a good chance that the machine’s money storage is full or malfunctioning.
