Editing Vending machine (section)

==Mechanisms==
[[File:Sagamihara Vending Machine Park – restocking udon.jpg|thumb|A vending machine at the [[Sagamihara Vending Machine Park]] in [[Sagamihara]], [[Kanagawa Prefecture]] being restocked with freshly-cooked [[Udon]]]]
Internal communication in vending machines is typically based on the [[Multidrop bus#MDB in vending machines|MDB standard]], supported by [[National Automatic Merchandising Association|National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA)]] and European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA).

After payment has been tendered, a product may become available by:
* the machine releasing it, so that it falls in an open compartment at the bottom, or into a cup, either released first, or put in by the customer, or
* the unlocking of a door, drawer, or turning of a knob.

Some products need to be prepared to become available. For example, tickets are printed or magnetized on the spot, and coffee is freshly concocted. One of the most common forms of vending machine, the snack machine, often uses a metal coil which when ordered rotates to release the product.

The main example of a vending machine giving access to all merchandise after paying for one item is a newspaper vending machine (also called vending box) found mainly in the U.S. and Canada. It contains a pile of identical newspapers. After a sale the door automatically returns to a locked position. A customer could open the box and take all of the newspapers or, for the benefit of other customers, leave all of the newspapers outside of the box, slowly return the door to an unlatched position, or block the door from fully closing, each of which are frequently discouraged, sometimes by a security [[clamp (tool)|clamp]]. The success of such machines is predicated on the assumption that the customer will be honest (hence the nickname "honor box"), and need only one copy.