Delivery, unpacking, and assembly
The vending machine is always delivered with all scales and shelves installed inside the machine. On the back, you will see the system unit installed, with two cables extending from it.
The shelves are probably secured for transport with zip ties. Cut all of them off.
Make sure that all shelves are positioned correctly and are stable. Are the grilles properly in place? See the image showing how it should be attached between the scale and the grille. It is very important that the grille is attached to the plastic fixture shown in the image.
Each grille is attached to four identical fixtures.
Connect the network
A network cable extends from the back of the vending machine. Connect another network cable to it, connected to your network through a switch/router or similar device. A Smart Vending machine must always be connected to a local network via a network cable. Wi-Fi does not work.
Connect the power
Double-check all connections, couplings, etc. Double-check that all shelves are positioned correctly and are stable.
Now connect the extension cord to a wall outlet so that both the vending machine and the system unit receive power.
Within a few minutes, the vending machine should have connected to the network and HonestBox. Continue to the next step to configure all shelves in HonestBox Admin.
Configure all shelves in HonestBox Admin
All shelves must be configured, and each product to be sold must be assigned a specific location. All products must be weighed. So remember WEIGHT and LOCATION—essentials for the machine to work!
Measure and weigh all products
All products to be sold must have a height, width, depth, and weight. It is extremely important that these details are determined accurately. So get out the measuring stick and start measuring. Get out a scale and start weighing.
All of these details must be entered for the product in HonestBox Admin, under the respective product. All products must be weighed 5–20 times, and all weights must be entered separated by commas.
The difference in weight between the lightest and heaviest item must be within +/- 10%.
Fresh food
Enable this setting if you are going to sell, for example, prepared meals, salads, etc. that may not have exactly the same weight. This setting accepts a greater variation between the lightest and heaviest weight. A product of the Fresh food type should be weighed 10–20 times.
The difference in weight between the lightest and heaviest item must be within +/- 50%.
The minimum weight of a product on the top shelf is 75 grams. The minimum weight on the other shelves is 30 grams. Maximum 40 kg per shelf.
Place all products in the vending machine
Place all products to be sold in the vending machine. Note that there are certain rules for this to work:
- Two products with exactly the same weight cannot be placed on the same shelf.
- Two products with almost the same weight should not be placed on the same shelf.
- Be careful to place them so that they fit and do not overlap. Feel free to use the dividers. See the images below.
Configure the shelves in HonestBox Admin Planogram
HonestBox Admin - Products - SmartVending Planogram.
Start by clicking on a shelf—a row. Preferably the first one.
You can now add the products that should be on that shelf by searching for a product under "Choose product" and then clicking Add.
You can now increase or decrease the number of products across using the minus/plus icons. Note that the minimum width is 120 mm.
Continue by adding the next product.
If the number of products does not "divide evenly," click "Fill shelf with the last product" to fill the shelf to 100%.
When a shelf is full, click Validate. If successful, click Save. If successful, click Activate, and the shelf is now ready.
Continue with the remaining shelves.
When you are finished, you can go back to see an overview of all shelves in one view.
Payment solution
The only payment solution that works with this vending machine is Viva.
You must determine a reservation amount and enter it under Company settings.
If a customer picks up items so that the total amount exceeds the reservation amount, the system will try to charge the full total amount. If there is enough money for the full amount, the purchase is completed using the total amount. If the card has no more money available than the reservation amount, a coupon will be created so that the purchase amount equals the reservation amount. You, as the store owner, must then manually reconcile the difference with the customer. You will also receive an email about this. Soon, customers will be able to shop for more than the reservation amount.
When the customer starts shopping, the reservation amount will be reserved on the customer's card. After the purchase, the difference from the actual amount the customer shopped for is released.
What is an appropriate reservation amount? It is difficult to say. On the one hand, it should be high enough that, if a customer chooses to steal, that amount can be charged to the customer. On the other hand, it must not be so high that some customers cannot shop because they do not have that much money on their card. In addition, the amount will be reserved for approximately 24 hours, and during that time the customer cannot use that money to shop. You simply have to try it out.
Shopping
As always when you have set something up, it is a good idea to make a test purchase. When you have made changes, it is a good idea to make a test purchase yourself. Here is a description of how a purchase works for your customers:
Scan the QR code
As always in the HonestBox world, the customer starts by scanning a QR code. The customer uses their mobile phone and camera app. That app has a built-in function for interpreting the QR code and opening the HonestBox system, which is a web page.
No login is required. Those of you who are familiar with the HonestBox system from before will notice that the customer does not need to log in. Everything is designed to make the process as smooth as possible.
The customer now reaches a view showing an overview of how everything works—a step-by-step guide.
The customer proceeds and sees a price list with all the products available in the vending machine.
When the customer is ready, they choose to continue.
Now an amount must be reserved from a card—a credit or debit card. Apple Pay/Google Pay also works, of course, for customers who use it. Once the customer has paid the reservation amount, they are prompted to start shopping by opening the door.
The customer opens the door and the view with the price list appears again.
The customer can now pick up the items they wish to purchase, one at a time.
As soon as an item is picked up, it is displayed on the mobile phone and automatically and instantly added to the customer's cart.
If the item is put back, it disappears from the cart just as quickly. If the item is put back in the wrong place, the customer is prompted to put it in the correct place.
When the customer has picked up the desired items, they appear in the cart and the total amount is displayed. When the customer is finished, they close the door. The purchase is complete, and the money/new amount is adjusted based on the reservation price.
Customers see a receipt on their mobile phone, and the purchase is complete. If an email address is linked to the customer, the receipt will also be sent by email.
The purchase is displayed under Sales/Receipt in HonestBox Admin. A purchase can be refunded.
No money in the account?
You set a reservation amount under Company settings, for example, SEK 200.
If the customer does not have SEK 200 on their card, they cannot proceed. The customer can neither shop nor unlock the door.
If the customer is approved for the purchase, the reservation amount will be reserved in the customer's account. One of the transactions below will then occur:
- The customer shops for less than SEK 200 --> the difference will be released within 1–2 days, depending on the bank
- The customer shops for more than SEK 200 --> the excess amount will also be reserved, and the total will be charged to the customer's account within 1–2 days
- The customer shops for more than SEK 200 but has only SEK 200 in the account --> Only the reservation amount will be charged. The sales amount will be settled with a discount code, and the accounting will match the amount actually charged to the customer's account (the reservation amount). An email will be sent to you with information about the debt so that you can handle it manually with the customer.
- The customer does not shop at all --> The reservation amount will be released
- The customer doesn't even open the fridge --> The purchase will be cancelled and the reserved amount released.
FAQ