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Secure tokens and their cost is increasing per token

Etowah

robert roman

Bob Roman
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No it doesn’t defy reason.

Instead of receiving all quarters, I’m forced to accept a mix of tokens and coins from change machine. However, there is no beforehand sign saying this is what occurs.

Then there is inconvenience of no bill acceptor in wash bay or provision to pay with plastic.

In other words, it’s not a customer-centric place. So, lost token is only one reason I quit going.

“totally agree...but of course, we SS owners are second class citizens, so what do we know?”

I know one thing, that carwash owner lost a customer.

When I attended my first Expo about 20 years ago, one of the conveyor people told me, Bob, you can tell who the self-service guys are because they jiggle as they walk by.

Ha, Ha. That joking rib is at least 20 years old or older.

So, if this makes you feel like 2nd class don’t tread on me.

A carwash that accepts bills and plastic is like firm handshake, welcoming.

The wash I described with token profit center is like one of those limp liberal handshakes, cold clammy hands.
 

chaz

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I'm not a token guy. Don't like them, don't SELL them. I've got enough profit centers at my wash that I don't need to be in the token business too. My change machine will change bills up to a twenty dollar bill into US dollar coins. I changed to dollar coins a couple years ago, as I was always "buying" more quarters as there are many coin laundry machines in my area. Dispensing dollar coins has also increased my average sale as often customers drop an additional dollar coin into my meters, as opposed to a quarter or two from their change cup. I also accept bills at all equipment and credit /debit at bays and auto.

That said, I do understand that there are some locations/circumstances that may dictate tokens. It's my choice on weather or not to "purchase" tokens, I personally choose not to in almost all cases, especially if there's no bonus offered.
 

mjwalsh

6 bay SS w/laundromat
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Can an X series acceptor accept multiple coded tokens, or just one?
cfcw,

I remember talking to Mike Oliver from IDX at a Heartland show & it seems like the answer would be yes.

The caveat it seems would be some security lost from what IDX originally had planned with their exclusively tailored X10 tokens for some custom ordered ??? X10s that match perfectly. When costs become too high & someone is selling a huge bulk on Ebay for much less ... it seems like a possible trade off between a wee bit less security ove the absolute security promised by the X10. I am definitely not qualified to get into the intricacies of the X10 but that was my understanding. Mike Oliver a former contributor on this forum was pretty convincing that the IDX was much more secure than the 100 mile radius protection from the other "less secure" tokens. At a significant cost IMHO ... of course.

Based on Earl's posts I went ahead with Vantage paper tokens for my bill acceptors in the bays ... there the reality is the much quicker deterioration of the paper vs metal ... which makes it similar to the same taxpayer proven extra cost concerns of the fragility of any paper currency. In other words loss could come in the form of the much greater likelihood of being no longer usable because of deterioration. I definitely would see more customer acceptance problems if I insisted that mostly just tokens were made available & used whether it be paper or metal versions. Proximity of whatever is available is a factor. People are not going to use something where are too many subtle impediments to its use. Availability a few feet away is an encouragement as Chaz & we have experienced.

A long term regional professional arcade company here in town has on most of their equipment double coin mechs wired in parallel to add another layer of redundancy or reliability if you will ... to their payment method.

mike walsh www.kingkoin.com
 
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