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Vending Machine Jams — Troubleshooting the 6 Most Common Causes
Product stuck? Coin swallowed? Note rejected? A field-tested troubleshooting order for the six most common vending machine faults.
6 March 2026 · 6 min read
Work through these in order ### 1. Product jam Almost always a spiral loaded with the wrong pitch. Check the spiral matches the product width; convert to a wider-pitch spiral if needed.
2. Coin swallowed, no vend Coin mechanism jam or empty change tubes. Empty the reject chute, refill change, run a diagnostic vend.
3. Note rejected repeatedly Note reader belt worn or sensor dirty. Clean the note path with a cleaning card; if that fails, replace the belt (~$40 part).
4. Cashless declined Nayax/Vendon reader offline. Check the SIM signal LED. Reboot the reader; if repeat offences, escalate to the cashless provider.
5. Cold drink not cold Usually a dirty condenser coil. Vacuum the coil, check the door gasket, verify fan operation. If compressor short-cycles, book a fridge tech.
6. Whole machine dead Check the GPO first, then the internal breaker (top-left of most cabinets). If both are fine, the transformer is next suspect.
Escalate to our repairs and service team if you're stuck.