News

MEI #3 - Frequently Asked Questions About Bill Acceptors

April 8, 2002

Want to learn more about bill acceptors? Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about bill acceptors in retail kiosks.

How does a bill acceptor work?

All bill acceptors have one basic purpose - to accept and validate paper currency in exchange for a product or service. The consumer inserts the bill into a slot (typically called the bezel). The bill acceptor "grabs" the bill, scans it for validity, and sends a corresponding I/O signal to its output connector to record the transaction. All of this takes place in 2-3 seconds. After the bill is validated, it is stacked in a bill cassette or cashbox for easy removal by the retailer or kiosk operator.

Why do bill acceptor prices vary so widely?

Although bill acceptors look similar and perform the same basic job, they can have widely different functionality, which directly impacts their overall performance in the field. Plus, there are a host of optional features to choose from according to specific needs and applications. For example, cashbox and cassette capacities vary from 170 to 1200 bills. They can be up- or down-stacking. They can be made of different materials, and can have built-in features that make them easier to remove and swap or make them more resistant to burglary and tampering. A bill acceptor can have a standard bezel or an ergonomically designed bezel that adjusts to accept different-width bills such as international currency or custom-designed coupons. Bill acceptors can also be upgradeable and include diagnostic capabilities.

Which bill acceptors are the most user friendly?

The most user-friendly bill acceptor is one that accepts all "real money," no matter what its condition - worn, torn, wrinkled, limp, faded, marked, or dirty - without many attempts at inserting the bill. Today's advanced bill-acceptor technology allows for a minimum 95 percent first-pass acceptance rate, meaning that at least 95 percent of the legitimate bills inserted are accepted the first time. It's also vital that the bill acceptor have a high acceptance rate on each of the denominations ($5s, $10s, etc.) required for the type of transaction at the kiosk. Find out whether this rating comes from laboratory testing or actual performance in the field. Manufacturers should be able to document a strong field performance rate for their bill acceptors with a high mean time between failures. Design your kiosk to be even more user friendly and improve its transaction speed by specifying a bill acceptor with 4-way acceptance. End users will be relieved to find they can insert bills any way - either up or down, or from any direction.

How can I make sure my bill acceptor rejects counterfeit bills?

With today's advanced printing and scanning technology available to empower counterfeiters, your customers are susceptible to fraud. The good news is that bill-acceptor suppliers are constantly working to combat fraud and today's bill acceptors are incredibly good at detecting counterfeit. In addition, responsible manufacturers constantly upgrade their currency recognition software to combat fraud.

How often do bill acceptors jam?

With a state-of-the-art bill acceptor, virtually never. The biggest threat to kiosk revenues is a jam in the bill acceptor, blocking transactions and requiring service. Although unexpected situations can always arise, today's advanced models are have very low jam rates. Reputable manufacturers have proven through field tests that their acceptors allow thousands of bills to pass through before a jam occurs. However, because kiosks are often unattended, there's always the possibility of unexpected problems such as users spilling things or inserting foreign objects into the bill acceptor, which can cause a jam. To combat this problem and minimize downtime, choose a bill acceptor that is designed with an accessible bill path so the operator can "de-jam" quickly and easily. Your bill acceptor should have a user-friendly configuration and come with supplier training that teaches retailers and operators how to perform simple, at-the-machine repairs and routine preventative maintenance.

How can I combat vandalism?

One easy way to help your customers prevent break-ins is to specify a bill acceptor that has a metal bezel - not plastic. You should also look for bill acceptors that allow varying protection from vandalism, burglary, and tampering - this is ideal for retail kiosks with different security needs depending on the time of day. In addition, kiosks in remote, unsupervised locations demand bill acceptors with a physically robust design and advanced security features. Design tip: position the bill acceptor securely within the kiosk, paying particular attention to tightly fastening the bezel into the machine, to further discourage break-ins.

How does a bill-accepting kiosk communicate with my system?

Today, most bill acceptors conform to the worldwide standard in ports for PCs - an RS232 interface that connects directly to the PC's serial COMM port or the USB port on the kiosk's PC controller. In addition, higher-end bill acceptors have advanced interfaces that allow for tracking a number of different denominations per day, values, and most common errors.

How do customers receive change or a receipt from a kiosk?

In all cases, the kiosk should provide a receipt indicating the amount of change due to the customer. Depending on the type of retailer, change can be issued in several ways (however, the option for change is not recommended with pay-for-time Internet kiosks):

Are all vendors the same?

No. There are a number of bill-acceptor manufacturers, but only a handful with the experience to function as your partner in the design of your kiosk.

Choose a partner that has the experience and resources to be instrumental in product specification, development, integration, and field testing. Specifically, look for a manufacturer that:

1. invests sufficient resources in continual product development;

2. works closely with government agencies to stay on top of new bill designs;

3. maintains a network of authorized service centers that are staffed by trained service technicians; and,

4. offers a service and support package that demonstrates its ongoing commitment to customers, including a robust warranty agreement.