Vending Dictionary, a Glossary of Vending Terms

The Vending Terms Dictionary© – reprinted from The Vending Start-Up EKit©

Acceptor: The part of the coin mechanism that sorts, accepts or rejects coins.
Allied Products: Additional products offered other than the original service. Diversification of added products.
Amusement Machines: Vending machinyeiles that vend for amusement or entertainment. Such as: pinball, kiddie rides, etc.
Bank of Equipment: Two or more vending machines in a row, a Line Up of Vending Machines.
Broker: A person or company selling products usually Food & Beverage to vending companies.
Bulk Vending: Large quantity vending of small items, usually vending from a free
standing unit. A large variety of products/items can be vended this way.
C-Store: Short for Convenience Store.
Category Management: A process of managing your products vended from machines, set up by category: (much like a retail store), candy in one area or row, salty snacks in another, etc. For example: There are 11 categories for a snack machine:.
Changer: A machine that makes change for coins or bills without vending merchandise.
Circuit Board: The electronic board inside of a vending machine, it has components
that controls the electronics mechanisms.
Cleaning Card: A card that cleans dollar bill validators.
Coin Mechanism: The mechanism within a vending machine that dispenses change or counts coins.
Coin-Op: Short for Coin Operated, ie coin-op amusement games.
Coin Sorting: The process of sorting coins.
Cold Food Merchandiser: A vending machine or cooler that vends a variety of refrigerated foods (entrees, fruits, sandwiches, etc.)
Commissions: A percentage of the machine revenue paid by the vendor to the location management for use of the space, or flat fee.
Contract Vending: Vending service company writes the contract of services for the location. ie The installation and operational services of vending machines, by a private contractor, who retains title to his vending equipment while performing his services under a signed contract or agreement with the location.
Conversion Kits: Changes an amusement game to another type, in one kit package,
using the same cabinet.
Cylinder Lock: A Lock that can slide in and out of a vending machine (circular key) used to open the door of the machine.
Debit Card: Cards used to charge a designated account for goods purchased.
Dispensers: Machines used to vend products.
Distributor: A person or company acting as a middleman for the manufacturer to the consumer. Usually with product or machines warehoused, on hand, available for purchase.
Dollar Bill Changer: A change machine capable of vending a product or 100 % change.
Dolly: A 2 wheeled equipment devise used to move vending machines.
Equipment Distributor: A company that warehouses coin-operated and related equipment and parts for sale to vendors. They also play a role in new equipment training, maintenance and repair, and equipment financing.
Food Service: Specializing in providing food services…manual or by machine.
Forced Vend: A vending machine “setting” that requires the buyer to make a purchase
before receiving change, thus a “Forced Vend”.
Free Vend: A machine adjustment or setting that makes the product to vend at no charge
Full Line: Complete full line up of Vending Machines, including Snacks, Drinks, Coffee, & Foods. Refreshment service through vending machines.
Full Line Vendor: A Vending Machine Operator who vends Snacks, Drinks, Food as well as other major product lines.
Four C Vendor: The 4-C’s are: Cold drinks, Coffee, Candy & Snacks and Cigarettes.
Gross income: The total amount of money collected from all machines on locations, before commissions, taxes, etc.
Installation: The placing of vending equipment for operation at a particular location.
Kick Plate: The lower front base cover of a vending machine.
Kiosk: A small building or structure open on one or more sides, used as a newsstand, refreshment stand, etc.
Knockout: The capability of a vending machine having a dollar bill acceptor installed.
LED: Legs: The leveling devises on the bottom of a vending machine.
Lexan: The front plate or panel advertisement on a vending machine.
Location: One building or site with vending machine(s) on it. A site that provides space for vending machines.
Manual Foodservice: Vending offering conventional cafeteria or table service where the customer is served, not by a vending machine.
Manufacturer: A company that actually makes the vending machines, products, coin & currency validating devises, or other equipment for the use of vendors. Most manufacturers sell the majority of their machines & products through Distributors: Distribution Companies. Some manufacturers use their own sales department to create sales. and for customer service.
Mixed Route: A route that is planned to handle several types of products and machines.
Music & Game Operators: These companies install and service the video games, pinball, pool tables, cranes and jukeboxes.
Net: The total amount of cash left after subtracting product and other costs.
OCS: The initials stand for, Office Coffee Service. A service specializing in coffee services.
Operator: A person or company specializing in vending machine services.
Par: The amount of units to fill a vending machine.
Pour-over: A term used describing a type of coffee dispenser, where the water is poured into the top of the machine.
Prepaid Phone Card: Cards sold in vending machines used for long distance phone calls, prepaid before use.
Product Mix: The variety of products vended.
Redemption: Equipment dispersing tickets to turn in (redeem) for products.
Route: A sequence of locations or sites for coin-op vending. Many separate buildings or sites with machines on or in them. (all Vending Machine locations/sites together form a route).
Route Technician: The person who services one or more vending machines.
Satellite Location: A site removed from the main location but is serviced by the same vendor operator.
Shelf Life: The length of time a product will keep without deterioration.
Smart Card: A term for a debit type card used–Amusement Games Rooms, Breakrooms of Large companies. The money is transferred to the card to be swiped at the machines. card used to debit an account when purchasing vended items.
Token: A coin to use in a machine, or used to redeem for products.
Token Dispenser: A machine used to change money to tokens.
Truck Lift: On the back of the truck, it is the tail gate that automatically lifts machines into truck.
Validator: Accepts dollar bills, registers credit on vending machine. After vend cycle coin mechanism will return appropriate change.
Vend: To sell (goods) through vending machines, kiosks, and/or vending carts. To vend merchandise or products.
Vend Cycle: Length of time a vending machine takes to vend one unit (product).
Vending Brokerage: A company that represents certain Supplier, calling on operators to introduce new items, describe special promotions, get information on the success of particular items to relay to the supplier, and take orders. The orders may be filled through vend-product (or other) distributors, or by direct shipment.
Vending Cart: A push cart used for vending products, can be relocated easily.
Vending Machine: A machine that “vends” items or products after a paid purchase.
Vending Operator: A person that owns in a variety of vending machines on location, fills them with products to be sold, services them, and collects the money.
Wholesaler: A company that purchases from the manufacturer, selling products or goods less that retail costs.
Yield: To produce a volume or return from goods.

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