Credit card or Bill acceptors

[Bubbles Galore]

Does anyone have more info about the e-port option? I think this would be a great addition to a vac island.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I have to respectfully disagree. Why wouldn't you want to take whatever form of payment your customer was willing to use? I don't mind sorting if I know my customers doesn't have to worry about whether or not they have the right type of coin.

Why? Simply it is how I value my time. Managing 4 Tunnels with my partner, one with gas and one with the 8 Bay SS, plus the sno plowing in season, practice of Law (Maybe I will get it right), and teaching 3 nights a week, and of course there is the family stuff makes it necessary for me to prioritize. Sorting thru ducats is way down the list.

 

[Earl Weiss]

We used Etowah add on bill acceptors (less than $600/bay). The heavy box fit perfectly on side of our MK VII boxes. Ours are back to back so we bolted side of Etowah to MK VII box and also bolted through wall to box in next bay. We basically have the 4 boxes bolted together with concrete block wall between pairs. We then blocked up to match up.

Ted

Did you just drill thru the sides of the boxes to run the wires? Do you use a box heater for the bill acceptor?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

That's fine. I don't have a problem with that at all. I'm just saying that I would want to give my customers all options to pay for my services.

 

[rzeavy]

coin sorting

Earl W.
I use a machine (mag 303) I think, to sort dollars coins and quarters.
My two car washes are some of the busiest in the country, and it takes me a few minutes to sort them out.
Customers like to save time and work using the dollar coins.
I like customers to spend more money treating it like "change"

 

[kabak]

I have E-Porte in self serve bays abaut 9 monts working great

 

[MEP001]

Our in-bay bill acceptors are Mars - they've been completely trouble free for over five years. I did drill a 1/2" hole in the bottom of the plastic "snout" so water can escape rather than get onto the board. I had one get wet and quit working until I took it apart and dried it out. The only maintenance has been wiping them clean once a month with a damp cloth.

 

[Jack]

I agree with Mars. 4 way acceptence and they work great in the wet.

 

[Wally]

rzeavy

I have dollar coins and quarters also. I use a shaker tray to seperate them.
What part of the US are you in and what do you attribute to being one of the busiest in the country to?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I also am interested in that statement. I don't want you to think I am calling you on it. I'm just curious about that statemnt like Wally is.

 

[rzeavy]

rzeavy

I have dollar coins and quarters also. I use a shaker tray to seperate them.
What part of the US are you in and what do you attribute to being one of the busiest in the country to?

Wally
My car washes are in Burbank CA. and North Hollywood, CA.
The one in Burbank is the only one (8 bays) in a city of 110,000 people and the neighboring city of Glendale has none (200,000 people.)
Both cities do not allow any more ss car washes.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Sounds like a pretty sweet gig.

Didn't you mention using the e-port at the vacs earlier in this thread?

 

[Wally]

rzeavy

Thanks for the reply. That is certainly an unusual situation. I hope you do well. I' ve got washes in two cities and plenty of competition. You can build them side by side around here.

 

[wasiknator]

Have you used the eport system? How do you hook up the timers, bill acceptors? I have a Coleman system and when looking at the Etowah Valley system, I was going to have to purchase a door, new timer, etc.

 

[slash007]

I am planning on adding bill acceptors to my bays but one thing that I am worried about is how wet they will get. My coin boxes are located right in the middle of the bays and the quarters are always wet when I pull them out. That tells me that if I put the bill acceptors right next to the coin box, they will be constantly sprayed with water as well. Will they still work, or will the constant water cause me a lot of issues? I was planning on adding the add on boxes from etowah valley.

 

[captain cw]

The coinco vantage can handle it. You'll make a lot more money. I wouldn't own a wash without bill acceptors in the bays.

 

[Reds]

I have Mars bill acceptors in the bay where they get overspray all the time and they are very reliable.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I am planning on adding bill acceptors to my bays but one thing that I am worried about is how wet they will get. My coin boxes are located right in the middle of the bays and the quarters are always wet when I pull them out. That tells me that if I put the bill acceptors right next to the coin box, they will be constantly sprayed with water as well. Will they still work, or will the constant water cause me a lot of issues? I was planning on adding the add on boxes from etowah valley.

You could run a piece of conduit from the current bay Box to the acceptor box putting it closer to the door. Above the conduit would be a sign & arrow indicating where the acceptor box was.

 

[slash007]

You could run a piece of conduit from the current bay Box to the acceptor box putting it closer to the door. Above the conduit would be a sign & arrow indicating where the acceptor box was.

I thought about that but would much rather have them next to each other. I have decided for sure that I want to add bill acceptors and credit card acceptance to all bays, just haven't decided on the details. For credit cards, I am leaning towards cryptopay but like the features of Wash card. For the bill acceptor I am leaning toward the Etowah Valley box and placing it right next to my coin box, but I am also considering buying a whole new coin box and then relocating it away from the middle, closer to the exit. Not sure yet what to do. Changing the box or relocating it would be alot of work.

 

[ScottV]

Slash007 I had the same problem and kept having to send the Coinco validators back to Jim at Etowah Valley for repairs due to water damage. I finally took the advice of another wash operator and installed clear vinyl covers over the bill slot. We had some stainless steel strips made by a local machine shop which were 4" L x 3/8" W x 1/8 T. We drilled two holes in the stip and cut some pieces of heavy gauge clear vinyl (like would be on a curtain wall) at 4" x 4". Drilled two holes in the face plate just above the bill slot and attached the vinyl and SS strip with stainless screws. We have not had a bill validator failure in two years due to water damage. Cheap fix.