I am wanting to start vending tokens from a vendor where you buy several and get a few free. I have a hamilton ACW4 which will take hamilton tokenotes or token coins? If I go with coins I can use them in the selfserve bays also. If I go with paper there is an additional $120 hamilton set up fee. Is there an advantage to one or the other? Is one more secure than the other?
Tokens, Paper or Coins?
- Thread starter sparkey
- Start date
Bubbles Galore
Active member
Far and away the token coins are a better choice in my opinion since they can be used multiple places versus just the IBA. I have both and use the token coins far more frequently than the paper tokens. In full disclosure though, I like the paper tokens for refunds and marketing with local businesses.
J
Sparkey,
I actually use both the paper token note AND the metal tokens.
I do not have an ACW, but I do vend tokens ($1) from my one Hamilton coin changer. It takes both cash and token notes. I am also in the process in setting up a credit card swipe to vend cc to tokens in the same machine.
I use the token notes for refunds, promotions, and for my detail shop for detail prep.
The paper token notes do not last very long, but can be programmed to vend any amount. The refund token note that I send to customers is valued at 2 ($1) tokens. I also have some that are valued higher.
If you go with the metal tokens, you HAVE to get special bi-metal tokens that are high security from one of the token vendors (mine are from Van Brook). If you get the "generic" token the 70/30 80/20, or even the 85/15 (ratio of different metal content), you WILL get a whole bunch of other tokens from other places on a daily basis. I have over 20,000 different tokens from all over the country. Eventually, I had no choice but to change.
As far as security, I feel the paper token note is more secure. It cannot be "copied" as it has magnetic ink on the one side.
The metal tokens are secure as long as you use a bi-metal token. Most other tokens will not give you any security at all. I still get an occasional "other" metal token every now and then (maybe 2 or 3 a month) / (before I switched to bi-metal I was getting over 100 a month at the peak). So, it would depend on how you would feel about getting some "other" tokens every now and then.
Mike
I actually use both the paper token note AND the metal tokens.
I do not have an ACW, but I do vend tokens ($1) from my one Hamilton coin changer. It takes both cash and token notes. I am also in the process in setting up a credit card swipe to vend cc to tokens in the same machine.
I use the token notes for refunds, promotions, and for my detail shop for detail prep.
The paper token notes do not last very long, but can be programmed to vend any amount. The refund token note that I send to customers is valued at 2 ($1) tokens. I also have some that are valued higher.
If you go with the metal tokens, you HAVE to get special bi-metal tokens that are high security from one of the token vendors (mine are from Van Brook). If you get the "generic" token the 70/30 80/20, or even the 85/15 (ratio of different metal content), you WILL get a whole bunch of other tokens from other places on a daily basis. I have over 20,000 different tokens from all over the country. Eventually, I had no choice but to change.
As far as security, I feel the paper token note is more secure. It cannot be "copied" as it has magnetic ink on the one side.
The metal tokens are secure as long as you use a bi-metal token. Most other tokens will not give you any security at all. I still get an occasional "other" metal token every now and then (maybe 2 or 3 a month) / (before I switched to bi-metal I was getting over 100 a month at the peak). So, it would depend on how you would feel about getting some "other" tokens every now and then.
Mike
Last edited:
pitzerwm
Active member
Don't make the freebies enough to get people to buy from the vendor and standing there selling them.
