A place I often go to has card readers on all the games that only read their custom cards (controlled by a raspberry pi) on all the coin doors. They sell cards and will top them up at the front. The machines also take coins the normal way. It is Blizzard Mountain Pinball, and I know the owner is sometimes on Pinside and might answer what software is used to do everything.

Change machine with credit card would serve the cashless customers along with providing cash customers with quarters/tokens. That’s what’s on location at Boxcar arcade near me. I think it would be more expensive to put the special devices on each pin??

I’m just using dbv on each pin at my brewery and don’t currently have a change machine

I use DBV's on my newer pins and they also take coins. I also have Rowe bill changers that accept $1 - $20's at my locations. No credit card reader on my stuff and I have no plan to change over to credit cards at this time.

exactly what I did, except I put payrange on the change machine which is basically the same thing. You loose a percentage much like you would if you were processing credit cards, but its the same thing as putting them on each machine. Made it a lot easier making sure one device works correctly vs. 20 or more.

I'll probably do a straight CC change machine next time since its more main stream. Problem is it's technically illegal to give change out through a change machine using a CC (which is why you only see token machines with CC's on them). At least that's what the standard change people told me when I was asking how to integrate payrange. The bigger change machines use MDB protocol with multiple hoppers, so I had to buy a special device. The majority are pulse, so it's fairly simple to setup.

The only place where I've seen credit cards accepted is at an arcade using a swipe card system for all their games. There are kiosks that dispense/refill the swipe cards with credits. Conversely, another nearby arcade is still cash-based with change machines and an ATM.

Interesting, I was not aware of this.

Screw CC on games themselves...
CC on change machine is groovy.

Boxcar bar+arcade uses a credit card change machine but their entire arcade runs on tokens. $1= 4 tokens

card readers are the way to go but the kiosk costs to much unless you have a large great earning location to coincide. ticketless redemption as well. no ticket costs or jams.
its great not having coin or bill jams, the number one reason a game is placed out of order.

I used to deal with annoying coin jams all the time. Then I started tossing away those troublesome plastic coin mechs at the first sign and replacing them with these
http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=10_601_603&products_id=936
Last month I had 2 jams, but it was due to a wpc box lid cuout not being big enough. I cut it out a little wider with a Dremel and haven't had a jam in 3 weeks.

alternatively imonex carries those opto ones with no moving parts that are 100% jam proof. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $120 bucks per coin slot.

if a canadian coin or magnetic token gets put in one the magnet grabs the coin and makes usa quarters just drop through to the coin return. thats not good.
imonex plastic are the best for location, the ones you can open wider to accept both a quarter and a .984 if needed, or just usa quarter.
They don't grab magnetic coins, so no jams unless someone puts paper, paper clips, or other non coins in there.
Nothing is jam proof when people stick straws and other crazy items in the slots.

if the wrong coin gets used, it gets sent back down the coin return. They sell that same coin mech in candian and tokens as well (on a different website). Yeah luckily I don't have deal with kids, only drunk people. Most are pretty respectful of the machines, So I don't see straws getting jammed down the coin chutes to often. It works really well, and jams aren't an issue for me anymore. I have used to have plastic ones in some arcade games (don't think they were imonex), and they jammed all the time.

I've found imonex are the best. No moving parts and do not jam with canadian coins like was said previously. That's my biggest issue is someone puts a canadian in and it sticks to the magnet and then all the other coins just get jammed behind it. Real PITA.

I have a payrange system and not really sure I'd recommend it. Depends on your location. It's a pretty steep up front cost so unless you have a high traffic location I'd probably stick with cash.

Putting one on the changer is a good idea I haven't thought of. People do complain that I don't have it on every game but it's too cost prohibitive to do so.

I have seen many Pinball machines use PayRange.

https://www.payrange.com

Yeah but who is going to police that?

Those shifty Canadians keep messing up peoples coin mechs! Guess I'm lucky I'm far away from Canada, so I don't have to worry about it.
You got me curious now to see what will happen with this coin mech. Just need to find a Canadian coin.

There are a lot of things that people do around me that are illegal, but unless someone dimes them out no-one cares (including the policing authorities)
I have one brewery near me with no permit stickers on any of there machines, and they have like 20 machines that take coin drop.
I have another place that plays music without a BMI license.
There are 100's of places that have nintendos and playstations out for people to play in commercial locations, you technically need a license for that to. I can guarantee almost no-body does.

I've found more and more lately I have zero cash on me. I've been caught multiple times showing up for my local pinball league nights and needing to borrow cash from another player. The march away from cash continues, so I'd think it would be wise for any operator to have alternatives to cash available.

ATMs? Or is this different because it’s debt?

Yeah, that's pretty curious. ATMs are legal, but change machines with a debit/credit card setup isn't?

https://www.gumball.com/collections/credit-card-change-machine

those are all token machines, not change machines.

Might be the same reason your CC company usually charges you a higher interest rate when you withdrawl cash. Higher risk maybe?
didn't press for specifics, I'll ask them next time.

How hard is it to set up an ATM? Is there a monthly fee, straight %, WiFi/Ethernet capable or phone line only?

Seems like if it is secure physically at the location an ATM is an option. The only dedicated pinball place has an ATM, but they don’t own it. They house it and get a split of some sort.

Check in your area, companies do this. If you don't want your own.

You do raise the risk of robbery and burglary. Any thief knows there is $3K to $5K in there.

LTG : )

It's pretty easy, cost is around 3500-4k. no monthly fee, just need to connect it via ethernet.
They sent someone out to set it up and bolt it down as part of the total cost
you are taxed on all transactions and surcharge is up to you.
if you get anymore fees then this you need to find another ATM company. I use payment alliance international.
don't buy a used ATM, because it probably won't have the up to date protocols.

Biggest pain is keeping it filled and you have to have a descent amount of float, rarely have issues with them. Think I had a sensor get dirty, a keypad that needed a new master code (idk?), and update to EMV reader

Payment Information
Allpoint Surcharge Income 77 x $0.25
Interchange Fee 379 x -$0.20
Net Interchange Income $XXXX
Surcharge Income $XXX x $3.00
Total Income: $XXX

down voting just because payrange is NOT worth it in my experience.

Rarely used (even by those that specifically requested it for use), they take a % even after you by the equipment, they did in the past... share your data, and just a waste of time and resources.

The #1 thing you can do as an operator is install DBVs but more important if you think lack of access to funds is the issue... then install an ATM and put it directly next to a change machine that takes all denominations and new/old style bills.

You can make a cut on ATM fees to pay for the machine over time. You then also have easy access to change. Dealling with change is actually much easier than dealing with paper. (weigh coins to count them and bill counters kinds stink IME)

Am I reading it correctly that you are charged/taxed .45 per transaction and get $3 as a fee with each transaction?

that's the interchange fee, I only get taxed for that. it's .20 cents per transaction regardless if they just check their balance or W/D.
If they only check their balance I loose .20 cents and don't make anything on the transaction.

As for the allpoint surcharge that's a positive amount, no idea what that's about. I get money from it every month, so I'm fine with it .

I wouldn't recommend payrange but I think it does helps get a few dollars out of people that don't have cash. I actually saw a nice increase in sales after installing the system. Not enought to pay for it. It cuts down on cash handling also.

It has a nice accounting feature also where you can just print out a report of all your earnings each week and it breaks it out by machine so you don't have to count via each machine or use the audits. It's pretty nice.

I still don't think it's worth the cost. I didn't know they share information. That isn't cool.

I am almost positive that AC 5000's have a credit card option through USA Tech or similar. The box is essential a pulse until that tells the brain to the changer how much credit should be exchanged for currency at that site (tokens or quarters).

I recommend calling a local atm provider though. Anytime you expect your site to manage cash in any manner outside of their own operation, then I feel us as operators should provide the solution.

If I have time I will dig up a manual for AC 5000 and I'm almost certain there is an offer from the factory for CC payment.

If not talk to Maryland CNC, they definitely have a solution for you but you would have to check local regulations and legality etc.

That's going to be an expensive lesson. A location near me recently had all their properly permitted pins sealed for improperly displaying the stickers. I don't know how much it cost them to get that straightend out.

Atms are cash withdrawal. A normal cc transaction is a purchase... not a cash withdrawal. Cash advances are a separate thpe of transaction with different limits and fees. So they dont want merchants using “purchase” transactions for cash advances.

Its not so much “law” as it is about the merchant and bank agreements.

Walk into any casino and you’ll find the machines happy to let you take cash advances iwth your credit card. Most atms will too. Key is its processed as a cash advance.

Dave & Busters will sell you a swipe card with game credits on it. A token machine would be the same thing.

For pinball immonex. I prefer comparitors but they are not for pinball machines at this time.

Most processors allow a cash advance on credit cards. How that transaction is process differs from account withdraws. You can have your atm terminal set up to allow this or not but you must notify your ISO because the set up is different on the banks side.

Could be a lot. Some cities fine double the cost of each license. Some cities can confiscate unlicensed equipment.

LTG : )

For the first 6 years I never had anyone check on my decals. I got lax about it, when they finally did last year I was missing 2 or 3. The guy was cool about it. He just told me to unplug the machines until I got the decals.

He came back again this year and was missing one, he said it's fine as long as I get a kiss machine next time. Think its a division of the county police department.

Doubt they would check on you if you weren't registered with them. So many locations and not enough man power, still not worth taking the chance though.

Someone turns you in. Other ops, other locations. They come running if the city needs money.

LTG : )

Licensing differs based on device type. The city of Pittsburgh never lets us slide on anything. To be quite honest I have seen some of my competition get away with this but I refuse to attempt it. Other Municipalities let us slide on 'toys' of we are paying for other devices but really that is a very small part of our operation. Either way some local governments are more picky than others but we have never really slide stepped this because it's an expense and even though it's not justified, it's in writing and in the operation agreement of each city, county or local government.

I've never been one to report. I won't change my way but it's funny how that works with the new guys. They are in love with calling. I'll just stick to my rationale and do my best to respect others space.

PS can't wait to see you expo. Hopefully you have a minute to chat with me.

Me either.

That is minor. I've known ops that took matters into their own hands. Often violent.

I hope to see you too and have a few minutes together.

LTG : )