Hard-to-Read Vending Prices: Check the Label from the Customer’s Position

A price can be technically displayed yet difficult to read through reflections, small print or crowded labels. Review the information from where customers actually stand or sit, rather than judging it from a close-up photograph taken during a refill.

Check the match between price and product

Choose several selections and ask a colleague to identify each product and its price without prompting. Look for labels that sit between two rows or use an unclear selection reference. Similar packages can make an ambiguous layout worse. Record the exact positions causing confusion so the operator can correct them rather than simply adding more signs.

Look at contrast and lighting

Inspect the label under the lighting customers experience at different times. Avoid judging readability only with a phone torch or a brightly lit service door open. Universal Design facilities guidance considers the usability of controls and information. Apply those principles to the actual display, while following the supplier’s instructions for approved labels or screen content.

Keep information brief and consistent

Use a clear product identifier, price and any necessary explanation without surrounding them with competing promotional text. A separate guide should match the selections customers see on the machine. Do not cover original safety notices, payment instructions or product information. If a screen is used, allow enough time to read essential information before it changes.

Verify after every update

After changing a label, check that it still matches the configured purchase price and current product. Test at customer viewing positions and ask someone unfamiliar with the update to read it. Record the date and responsible person. Treat recurring questions about price as evidence to review the display again, rather than assuming customers are simply not paying attention.

Source: supporting primary guidance. For site-specific help, explore our fully managed vending service or contact our team. Related reading: Changing Vending Prices? Check the Display and the Transaction.