Programming prices on your vending machine is one of the most basic operational tasks — and one that new operators are often surprised to find isn’t standardized across brands. Every major vending machine manufacturer has a different process, different button sequences, and different menu structures for price programming. This guide covers the most common controller types and their specific procedures.
Before You Start
What You Need to Know First
Machine brand and model: Price programming procedures are specific to the controller, not just the brand. Find this information on the label inside the machine door or on the rear of the cabinet.
Controller model: The controller is the brain of the machine. Even within the same brand, different production years used different controller models. Common controllers include:
- AMS Sensit series
- Crane Media controller, Merchant Media controller
- Dixie-Narco DNCB controller
- Royal Vendors RVVC controller
- Vendo VDI / V-Max controller
Current prices: Know what prices you want to set before entering programming mode — you’ll move through selections quickly.
Service manual: If you haven’t already, download or obtain the service manual for your specific controller. All manufacturers make these available, and they contain the authoritative programming procedures for your exact unit.
General Price Programming Concepts
Selection Numbers vs. Column Numbers
Most vending machine controllers refer to products by “selection number” — the number that corresponds to a customer button press. Selection 1 = the product vended when the customer presses “1.”
Confusingly, physical column positions don’t always match selection numbers in sequence. Consult your controller’s map of selection numbers to column positions.
Global Pricing vs. Individual Pricing
Global price: Set one price that applies to all selections. Quick but inflexible. Individual pricing: Set a different price for each selection. Allows you to price premium items (jerky, energy drinks) higher than standard items (chips, candy). More time-consuming to program but much more valuable for margin optimization.
Most modern controllers support individual pricing.
Price Format
Most controllers display and accept prices in cents (e.g., “175” = $1.75) or in dollars (e.g., “1.75”). Know which format your controller uses before entering values.
AMS Machine Price Programming
AMS (Automated Merchandising Systems) machines are widely used for snack and combo vending. Their Sensit controller series is the most common.
AMS Sensit 2 Price Programming
- Open the machine door
- Press and hold the MODE button until “PRICE MODE” appears (approximately 3 seconds)
- The display shows “SEL 01” (Selection 01) with the current price
- Use the UP and DOWN arrow buttons to adjust the price for Selection 01
- Press SELECT to confirm and move to the next selection (SEL 02)
- Repeat for each selection
- Press MODE to exit when all prices are set
To set a global price on Sensit 2: Enter price mode as above. When at SEL 01, press and hold SELECT to enter global price mode. Set the price; this will apply to all selections.
AMS Sensit 3 / 39-VCB Price Programming
- Open machine door
- Press the service button (or connect a service keypad if not accessible)
- Press “3” to enter Price Programming from the main service menu
- Scroll to the desired selection using arrow keys
- Enter the new price using the numeric keypad (in cents — enter “175” for $1.75)
- Press ENTER to confirm
- Continue for remaining selections
- Press BACK to exit price mode
Crane National Machine Price Programming
Crane machines include the Merchant Media (older) and newer Crane model lines.
Crane Merchant Media Controller
- Open machine door
- Locate the service button (green button on the control board)
- Press and hold the service button until the display shows “OPERATOR PROGRAM”
- Press the selection buttons to navigate to “PRICE SETTING”
- Press the selection button for the column you want to price (e.g., press “A1” to set price for the A1 column)
- Use the UP/DOWN arrows to scroll to the desired price
- Press “VEND” or “ENTER” to confirm
- Repeat for each selection
- Hold service button for 3 seconds to exit
Crane Media Controller (newer)
- Enter service mode by holding the service button 3 seconds
- Navigate to “SET PRICES” using arrow keys
- Select “Individual Prices”
- Press the selector button for the column you want to set
- Enter the price using the numeric keypad (in dollar format: “1.75”)
- Press ENTER to confirm
- Repeat for remaining columns
- Exit service mode
Dixie-Narco Price Programming (DNCB Series)
Dixie-Narco (now part of the Crane group) used their DNCB controller series across many bottle/can vending machines.
DNCB-5591 / DNCB-3561 Price Programming
- Open machine door
- Press the small service button on the DNCB controller
- “SERVICE MODE” or a code display appears
- Enter “2” to access Price Programming
- The display shows “PRICE B1” (or first column)
- Use UP/DOWN arrows to set the price for B1 (or enter directly if keypad available)
- Press ENTER or the service button to confirm and advance to the next column
- Repeat through all columns
- Enter “0” or press EXIT to leave price programming
Dixie-Narco price entry format: Prices entered in cents (175 = $1.75) on most DNCB controllers.
Royal Vendors Price Programming
Royal Vendors cold drink machines (RVCC, RVVC series) are common for beverage vending.
Royal Vendors RVVC Controller
- Open machine door
- Locate the service controller box (typically on the right side interior)
- Press and hold the “PROGRAM” button for 3 seconds
- Navigate to “PRICES” using the UP/DOWN buttons
- Press “SELECT” to enter price programming
- The display shows Column 1’s current price
- Use UP/DOWN to adjust price
- Press “SELECT” to confirm and advance to Column 2
- Repeat for all columns
- Hold “PROGRAM” to exit
Setting Columnar Prices on Royal RVCC
On some Royal models, prices are set by entering the service code directly:
- Press and hold service button
- Enter code ”# # # #” (or the 4-digit service code for your machine — see manual)
- Navigate to PRICE SET
- For each column: press the column selection number, then enter the price
- Press “ENTER” to confirm
Vendo Machine Price Programming (VDI / V-Max)
Vendo is a major brand for cold drink machines.
Vendo V-Max Controller
- Open machine door
- Press “SERVICE” button on the controller
- Enter dealer/operator password if prompted (factory default varies by model — check your manual)
- Select “PRICES” from the main menu
- Choose “INDIVIDUAL PRICES” or “GLOBAL PRICE”
- For individual pricing: use UP/DOWN to navigate to each selection, enter price with numeric keys or UP/DOWN
- Press “SAVE” or “OK” to confirm each price
- Exit when complete
Vendo VDI Series
Older VDI controllers use a simpler process:
- Enter service mode with the service card or button
- Press “P” for price programming
- Press the column selection button
- Enter the price amount
- Press “ENTER”
- Repeat for each column
Programming After Adding a Cashless Reader
When you add a cashless reader (Cantaloupe ePort, Nayax, etc.), prices may need to be configured in both the machine controller and the cashless reader platform:
In the machine controller: Set the price as described above. This is what the machine charges for cash transactions.
In the cashless reader platform (web portal): Enter the same prices for each selection. The cashless platform uses these prices to charge card/mobile pay transactions.
Keeping them synchronized: If you change a price in the machine controller, update the cashless reader platform too. Mismatched prices confuse customers and may cause revenue tracking discrepancies.
Some advanced setups allow the cashless reader to pull prices directly from the machine controller via MDB. Check whether your specific reader and machine combination supports this.
Price Programming via Telemetry (Remote)
If you have a telemetry platform (Cantaloupe Seed, Parlevel, Nayax Management), you may be able to change prices remotely:
- Log into your management portal
- Navigate to the machine you want to update
- Select “Prices” or “Product Configuration”
- Update the prices for each selection
- Submit — the change propagates to the machine at its next sync
Important: This typically only changes the cashless prices. Cash prices in the machine controller still require physical access to change on most setups. Verify your specific platform and machine combination’s behavior.
For more on remote price management, see our guide on dynamic pricing in vending.
Common Price Programming Mistakes
Not exiting properly: Exiting service mode by just closing the door without using the proper exit procedure can cause settings to not save. Always use the designated exit process.
Entering prices in the wrong format: Entering “1.75” when the controller expects “175” (or vice versa) results in wildly incorrect prices. Know your controller’s format.
Not updating cashless reader: Setting a new price in the machine controller but forgetting to update the cashless reader platform causes mismatched pricing.
Programming the wrong selection: Selection numbers don’t always match physical column order. Verify which selection number corresponds to which physical column before programming.
FAQ: Price Programming
What if I forget what button sequence enters programming mode? Look for a label inside the machine door — many manufacturers print a quick-reference service guide there. Your machine’s service manual is the definitive source.
Can I password-protect my price settings? Many controllers have a lockout feature that requires a PIN to enter service/programming mode. This prevents unauthorized access (e.g., location manager employees changing your prices). Consult your controller’s manual for password setup.
My prices reset to zero after a power outage. What’s wrong? This can indicate a failing backup battery on the controller board, which maintains programming memory during power loss. Replace the battery (usually a CR2032 or similar coin cell) on the controller board. If the board lacks a backup battery, look for a EEPROM (non-volatile memory) issue — may require control board replacement.
I programmed a price but the machine still charges the old price. What’s wrong? Verify you exited price programming properly. Some controllers require you to press a “save” button or exit the service mode through a specific sequence for changes to take effect. Also verify that the cashless reader (if applicable) has the updated price.
Need a New Controller?
If your machine’s control board or display is damaged or malfunctioning to the point that price programming is impossible, Fast Vending Machines carries control boards compatible with major vending machine platforms.
Parts ship free. We accept bank transfer, Zelle, Chime, and Apple Pay.
Browse control boards or contact us with your machine model for compatibility guidance.
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