Big meeting coming up

[AZVendor]

I'm getting ready to add my first card reader to an AP 123 and a Vendo drink machine. Right now I am clueless to the whole enchilada. Any suggestions would be helpful. The machines are in a jammin' hotel that has been completely remodeled and is super busy every day. They bring people in by the bus load. I'm thinking that when people travel they tend to rely more on debit/credit cards than cash, so card readers seem to make sense in this situation. Recently the hotel put in an ATM machine and they said it dispenses $20 to $30K per month with a $3 fee. Maybe I'm in the wrong business?

Allen, this would be a great tool to install on your lobby machines at the very least.  It definitely sounds like the location will make card readers worthwhile. 

 

Before you actually drill holes and mount anything, you must first mock up the harnesses and antenna so you can power the unit up and do and RSSI signal strength test to ensure the reader can send it's batches out for authorization.  If you don't have a strong enough signal you can get a high gain antenna.

 

On the AP123, you will mount the card reader and antenna on the door above the control panel.  The USAT readers mount with 5 holes drilled in the face of your door - one is 1/2" (use a Varibit).  You will also drill a hole in the top of the door for the antenna.  Any holes in the face of the door can be covered with a refront kit if you take the reader off.  If you have a POS (Point of sale) sign on your door in this location you will need to remove it, but it can cover the holes later if you ever remove the reader. 

 

You will need an extension harness that goes from the reader on the door around to the hinge side and back to where the coinage is located.  The modem will mount on the area near the power supply box and it will have an MDB pigtail and a DEX cable coming from it.  You will plug the modem MDB into the machine and the validator harness already plugged into the machine then plugs into the modem harness.  If you have a DEX phono jack on your machine then plug the DEX harness into it, otherwise just coil it up out of the way.

 

That is the install except for the most important part of plugging the antenna into the card reader before you power the machine back up.  Forgetting to do that will damage the reader or modem.  The reader will then boot up and update its software before going into operation. 

 

The Vendo installation is a little easier in that you mount everything on the door with no extension cable needed.  If you have a newer Vendo that is a Vmax or later there is probably an extra opening on your door for the card reader but it will need a special bracket as the hole isn't the same size as a normal validator opening. 

 

PM me if you need the bracket as I have it in stock.

[allen watson]

Thanks guys. I only plan on putting card readers on the two lobby machines.

 

So do I have to set something up with a credit card company?

 

Will readers attach to any MDB machine?

[AZVendor]

You will have to arrange an account with any backoffice you choose to use for the settling of your card transactions and they will be the middle man between you and the card providers.  In this regard they are acting as a Merchant Service.  If you use USAT card readers they also offer the backoffice service (they also supply their service for the Mars Easitrax system) and you can use it or any other backoffice you choose.  There will be an activation charge for the cellular modem per machine and then you'll likely pay a set fee per month plus a percentage of each card transaction. 

 

You can install card readers onto any machine that is using the MDB interface.

[allen watson]

Thanks, that will get me started.