FAQ

Every machine is configured on its own product page before it goes in the cart. Depending on the model you choose the condition grade, whether you want a credit card reader, the money system (none, reconditioned or new coin mech and bill acceptor), custom graphics, and the warranty term. Add it to the cart and check out.

Our terms are explicit about what that means: “you enter into a legally binding contract to purchase an item when you commit to buy an item and you complete the check-out payment process,” and “you are responsible for reading the full item listing before making a commitment to buy it.” If you’d rather have it priced for you than configure it yourself, contact us or call (817) 586-1242.

Four things. City and state, because freight is the single largest variable in any machine quote. Whether the delivery is commercial or residential, because access changes the cost. The machine types you want — drink, snack, combination, or “not sure yet, advise me.” And your timeframe, anywhere from this month to sometime next year, because it changes what we recommend.

Not sure which machine fits? Say so. Working that out with you is the part we’re actually good at. Start at contact us.

Our published price-match table lists what ships with all machines: the Limited Parts Only Warranty, shipping insurance, lifetime live video tech support, lifetime technical support via chat and phone, machine configuration, a dedicated sales representative, and dedicated support staff. Free shipping applies as well, on the conditions set out in our shipping policy.

None of that is an add-on or a limited promotion — it’s what our published terms already say, which means you can weigh a quote from us against one from anybody else on the same basis.

Yes — a 7-Day Price Match Guarantee. It applies to identical, in-stock items available from a competitor with a physical brick-and-mortar store, where that competitor offers comparable sales experience and after-sales support such as machine configuration, lifetime technical support and warranty. Same brand name, model, size, weight, color and specifications. The item must be in stock and available for shipping, delivery or pickup within 10 business days of purchase at the time you submit. Pricing must be the “all-in” price including shipping and handling, add-ons, customizing, applicable taxes and any other charges.

Submission must be made within 7 days of the original purchase, emailed to accounting-team@vendingconcepts.com with the business or name the order was processed under, the date and the invoice number. Allow 7 business days for review and another 5 days to process the adjustment. Full rules on the price match guarantee page.

Bundles, package deals and special promotions such as buy-one-get-one. Clearance, closeout, liquidation and going-out-of-business sales. Auctions, marketplace vendors, membership clubs, and third-party sellers on online marketplaces including Facebook, eBay, Craigslist and Amazon. Prices requiring a coupon, promotion code or rebate. And typographical errors in advertisements or online listings.

We also reserve the right to verify the lower price and availability with the competitor, and to limit the quantity of items available for price matching. See the full policy.

Cancellation and return requests must be made in writing to sales@vendingconcepts.com. If the request is submitted on an eligible order within 24 hours of the order being placed, there are no fees or costs to cancel. After 24 hours, cancellation of an eligible order is subject to a 25% restocking and reprocessing fee plus shipping charges.

The full language is in our policies, terms & conditions.

No. There are no cancellations or returns on special orders, custom orders, or rush orders — new machines, custom graphics and rush orders among them. All such sales are final and 100% non-refundable.

That’s worth knowing before you configure custom graphics or order new. See returns for the rest of the policy.

Both are strong options. New machines come with modern features, warranties and the latest technology, and make sense if you want the newest payment system out of the gate or you’re buying in a procurement-heavy environment. Professionally refurbished machines offer excellent return at a lower entry cost.

The honest caveat: a refurbished machine is graded, and a Grade B or C machine will not look like a reconditioned one. For the fussiest and high-end locations we recommend going with reconditioned. Tell us the location and budget and we’ll recommend the mix. See machine condition details.

Every used machine we sell carries a grade based on cosmetic condition. A — Excellent: cosmetic 9–10, painted and bodywork where applicable, detail cleaned. B — Good: cosmetic 6–8, normal visible wear and tear, minor scratches, nicks, dents, scuffs and dings, wiped down but not detail cleaned. C — Fair: cosmetic 3–5, blemishes that exceed normal wear and tear including rust, wiped down not detail cleaned. F — Bad: cosmetic 1–2, severe blemishes such as rust, large dents, severe scratches, major cracks or see-through graphics, not cleaned at all.

What doesn’t change with the grade: every machine, A through F, is thoroughly tested and working, with serviced money systems. The bill and coin acceptors are serviced and the control board is fully tested on all four grades. The full definitions are published in both summary and long form.

Buying a reconditioned vending machine is much like purchasing a certified pre-owned car. The machine is thoroughly tested and repaired in advance so it functions as designed, and parts are changed as needed to ensure that — but parts are not unnecessarily changed, the same way a CPO vehicle’s tires aren’t automatically replaced unless they’re out of tolerance.

Cosmetically, a Grade A includes thorough cleaning, working lighting, necessary bodywork, a fresh coat of exterior paint, reconditioned trim where applicable, tough front refacing on snack machines where applicable, a new sign for drink machines, higher requirements for all visual components, and a very thorough visual inspection by a manager before the machine ships.

Only if you’re willing to do the cosmetic work yourself. Mechanically it is tested and repaired so its primary purposes function as designed — takes money, gets cold, dispenses product, locks — and it is warrantied as stated. Secondary functions such as lights or hinges may not function at all, or not optimally. Bill and coin acceptors are serviced and the control board is fully tested.

Cosmetically it is sold “as is, where is.” We do not clean it at all; it will be dirty, and it will have severe blemishes — rust throughout, cracks, major dents, severe sun fading, scratches, nicks, scuffs and dings. It is entirely up to the buyer to spend the time needed to make it ready for a location.

Yes — that’s our AI Retrofitting program. We take used or broken “dumb” coolers and convert them into Smart AI machines. Broken coolers that can’t be repaired as refrigerated units become Ambient AI machines. It lets operators reclaim total-loss equipment as working, revenue-generating assets.

It’s a common request from operators servicing government contracts. Tell us what you have and we’ll tell you what it can become.

Our machines are MDB-compliant and card-reader compatible, and card readers are an option you select on the product page before checkout. On the VC 9009-5C, for example, the published options are a credit card reader or a touchscreen credit card reader. Tap, chip and mobile wallet are supported by modern readers such as the Nayax VPOS Touch, which accepts over 80 forms of payment in over 50 currencies.

One caveat straight from the product page: not all machines are cashless capable — check the machine’s parameters for compatibility, or ask us and we’ll check it for you.

Yes. Our AI machines are 100% cashless by design, and our VC-line combo and Smart machines can be configured with card readers. We can set up an entire fleet for cashless operation.

Cashless also dramatically reduces the incentive for break-ins, which is why it comes up so often for laundromats and unattended sites.

Money systems are a configurable option at checkout — none, reconditioned, or new. On the VC 9009-5C the reconditioned option includes a 5-tube coin mech and a $1–$5 bill acceptor. Whatever grade of used machine you buy, the bill and coin acceptors are serviced and the control board is fully tested before it ships.

Parts including bill acceptors, coin acceptors, credit card readers, spirals and motors are sold separately in our shop.

Yes. Our AI Smart machines integrate with major campus card systems — Blackboard Transact, CBORD, Atrium and Heartland OneCard among them — and support both meal plan dollars and dining points. We handle the integration during install.

For hospitals and workplaces, we have options that let you use your existing employee ID cards. See colleges & universities and hospitals & healthcare.

We offer machines with vend-sense technology — if the product doesn’t drop, the customer gets their money back automatically. No lost sale, no angry customer, and no refund headache for you. Machines with this feature list a vend sensor and a guaranteed vend system, which holds the credit until product is actually dispensed, in their published specifications.

A 30-Day Limited Parts Only Warranty on all machines sold, beginning upon delivery. New machines are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty instead.

Parts only. It does not cover service calls, labor, shipping costs, freight cost, handling cost, normal wear and tear, or any damage, failure or loss caused by improper set-up, assembly, maintenance, storage, misuse, defacement or vandalism. It is void if the product is used in a manner other than its intended purpose, or modified in any way after shipping from Vending Concepts. Full text in policies, terms & conditions.

Yes. Extended parts-and-labour warranty terms are selectable on the product page — on the VC 9009-5C, for example, 2-year and 4-year options sit alongside the standard 30-day parts-only cover. The extended warranty is offered through a partnership.

On new commercial equipment, 2- and 4-year extended terms start after the OEM’s 1-year warranty for a possible 5 years total. On refurbished equipment, 2- and 4-year date-of-purchase terms have the provider taking over at day 31 for both parts and labour. Both cover on-site service and all parts and labour, are transferable, carry a low deductible or service fee payable at time of claim, and do not cover accidental damage or gross misuse.

We provide free lifetime technical support on equipment bought directly from us — technical support by phone and chat, plus live video support. If you have any issues, we’ll be able to assist you with diagnostics and troubleshooting.

Open a ticket on the technical support page and tell us the make and model, what the machine is doing, and any error code on the display. A photo of the error screen tells us more than a paragraph does.

Submit a ticket through the website or call our main number Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Central. Have four things ready: the invoice number, the name the machine was purchased under, the model of the machine, and a brief description of what the support is regarding.

Once a ticket is created there is a 1–2 business day response time. Our support team provides instructions and, if they deem it necessary, will schedule an appointment for live phone support — which can only be done while you are in front of the machine.

Vending Concepts will only support what we have sold directly to the customer. If the customer chooses to resell the equipment, support is not grandfathered into the new ownership.

That’s worth knowing in both directions: it’s a reason to buy from us, and a reason not to assume support transfers when you buy privately.

Yes — that’s a service request, as opposed to a free remote support ticket. The form’s first two questions decide whether we can take it: whether the machine is in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, and whether you purchased the machine from us. We also have a nationwide network to assist with on-site repairs when needed.

Start with a ticket rather than a truck where you can — free lifetime technical support fixes a lot of machines without anyone getting in a vehicle.

If technical support fails, which is uncommon, and you are unable to find a local technician, we typically can screen some choices and refer a qualified local option!

Moves are quoted separately. Send a machine move request with the pickup and drop-off details and our team will reply within 24 to 48 hours with a price quote. A move is quoted on access at both ends, not on distance alone, so the form asks for door measurements, where the machines sit, and any obstacles at each site.

Four conditions apply to every move: all machines must be completely empty before pickup, payment is required prior to pickup or delivery, you need to be present on-site during both pickup and delivery, and the quote comes back within 24 to 48 hours.

We do on occasion. Just fill out this form and we’ll get back to you!

We accept drink, snack and combo vending machines and more. Tell us about your machine — the more details the better. The form asks for your company and contact details, the address the machine is at, your asking price, and photos.

Because we only buy on occasion, this is a real review rather than an automatic yes. If we’re not the right buyer this time, you’ll hear that too.

You’ll get a response quicker if you provide high-resolution images of your machine. Photos are a required field: send the front, the sides, the back and the door open. Accepted file types are jpg, jpeg, gif, png and pdf, up to 100 MB per file.

Photograph it the way a grader would, and include an honest shot of any rust, dents, scratches or cracked graphics — the same A, B, C and F condition grades we publish are how we assess a machine you’re offering us, so it’s worth knowing them before you set an asking price. Pointing out a flaw yourself costs you nothing and saves a round of questions. iPhone users: set Camera Capture to Most Compatible instead of High Efficiency under Settings > Camera > Format.