MARS introduces $1 & $5 bill recycler

[Uncle Sam]

MARS has developed a new Bill Validator called the 2700 series which can have a bill recycler added to it. The Mars booth in Las Vegas at the Car Care World Expo last month was showing this new product to the attendees. The 2700 series will accept $1-$20 and the recycler will roll either $1 bills or $5 bills to give to the customer as change. This means that if a customer puts a $20 bill into a vending machine to buy a $2 item, a recycler filled with $5 bills will return 3 -$5 bills and the last $3 will be paid in coin, $ or quarters. If the bill recyler is filled $1 bills then the recycler will return $18-$1 bills. The recycler will hold 30 bills and will refill as bills are tendered to the validator.

We have seen these before and, frankly, they didn't work very well. If Mars lives up to its reputation, this recycler should work very good. These 2700 series validators probably won't be available until June/July, 2009.

My question to Forum people is this: Would you purchase one of these recylers if it works well or do you think it is technology that we do not need? Please give us some feedback on this question.

Uncle Sam

 

[Kirb]

Jim,
I think this would be a great addition to both my Shurvend and my pay station. Do you know the price of the upgrade?
Thanks,
Kirb

 

[Uncle Sam]

Kirb,

We don't have any pricing on the 2700 with the recycler yet, but I will try to find out. The geometry of the bezel on the new 2700 might cause a problem with the alignment of the validator with the bill slot on the ShurVend mask, but that can be solved relatively easily. We'll just have to physically test this geometry when we get the new validator.

Uncle Sam

 

[MEP001]

My question to Forum people is this: Would you purchase one of these recylers if it works well or do you think it is technology that we do not need?

I would love to see some retrofit for a bill changer to let it give a $10 bill and the rest quarters when a $20 is inserted. "Bill breaker" changers are outrageously expensive, particularly for something that makes no money at all.

 

[Uncle Sam]

MEP,

I certainly understand the Bill Breaker feeling, but the Mars design people don't ask for input from many of us out here in the real world. I would think giving back 2-$5 bills would solve the $10 dollar bill problem. I thank the Mars people for at least responding to the need for returning change in dollar bills rather than coins. Let's hope it works well and solves some of our problems.

Uncle Sam

 

[Uncle Sam]

Kirb,

I received some info on pricing and availability of the Mars VN2700 validator and the recycler unit from my supplier. The VN2702U5M validator should be available in a few weeks with the price tag of $375-$400. The recycler plug-in for this validator will not be available until about July with the price tag for this unit of $375-$400. That price is probably not too bad when compared to a bill breaker unit.

The VN2700 validator will accept $1-$20 bills and the recycler will accept $1 bills or $5 bills.

Uncle Sam

 

[Chris F]

The geometry of the bezel on the new 2700 might cause a problem with the alignment of the validator with the bill slot on the ShurVend mask, but that can be solved relatively easily. We'll just have to physically test this geometry when we get the new validator.
Uncle Sam

The 2700 w/recycler will be available with any of the standard MEI bezels. We showed it with the new High Viz bezel because it attracts more attention.

We are also working with the change machine MFG's to integrate it for bill pay back to eliminate the need for a breaker in some applications. I still think that in high volume locations the 30 bill capacity may not be sufficient but it may allow you to get away in lower volume locations.

 

[MEP001]

We are also working with the change machine MFG's to integrate it for bill pay back to eliminate the need for a breaker in some applications. I still think that in high volume locations the 30 bill capacity may not be sufficient but it may allow you to get away in lower volume locations.

I think depending on how it's programmed that a 30-bill capacity would be sufficient for a "high volume location." I would call our wash one, and in a week we won't take in 30 $20 bills in each validator. If it would always return a $10 bill with a $20 and the rest quarters, it would extend the range of the quarters and it would never run out of $10's.