Editing Vending machine (section)

===Food and snack vending machines===
[[File:HK Sunday night West Kln Promenade Food Vending Machine 小食 01.JPG|thumb|upright|A [[snack|snack food]] vending machine in [[Hong Kong]]]]
[[File:Distributeurs de soda 'Coca-Cola' - La Louvière (BE).jpg|thumb|upright|A [[Coca-Cola]]-branded vending machine in a hospital in [[La Louvière]], [[Belgium]]]]
Various types of food and [[snack]] vending machines exist in the world. Food vending machines that provide shelf-stable foods such as chips, cookies, cakes, and other such snacks are common. Some food vending machines are refrigerated or frozen, such as for chilled soft drinks and ice cream treats, and some machines provide hot food.

Some unique food vending machines exist that are specialized and less common, such as the [[French fry vending machine]] and hot pizza vending machines, such as [[Let's Pizza]]. The [[Beverly Hills Caviar Automated Boutique]] dispenses frozen caviar and other high-end foods.

====Bulk candy and gumball vending====
{{Main|Bulk vending|Gumball machine}}
[[File:Vendstar3000.JPG|thumb|[[Bulk vending]]: a bulk candy machine containing [[M&M's]], [[Skittles (confectionery)|Skittles]], and [[Runts]]]]
The [[profit margin]]s in the bulk candy business can be quite high – [[Chewing gum|gumballs]], for instance, can be purchased in bulk for around 2 cents per piece and sold for 25 cents in [[gumball machine]]s in the U.S., and other countries. Gumballs and candy have a relatively long shelf life, enabling vending machine operators to manage many machines without too much time or cost involved. In addition, the machines are typically inexpensive compared to soft drink or snack machines, which often require power and sometimes refrigeration to work. Many operators donate a percentage of the profits to charity so that locations will allow them to place the machines for free.

[[Bulk vending]] may be a more practical choice than soft drink/snack vending for an individual who also works a full-time job, since the restaurants, retail stores, and other locations suitable for bulk vending may be more likely to be open during the evening and on weekends than venues such as offices that host soft drink and snack machines.

The [[Bulk vending]] machines of today provide many different vending choices with the use of adjustable gumball and candy wheels. Adjustable gumball wheels allow an operator to not only offer the traditional 1-inch gumball, but they can also vend larger gumballs, and non-edible items such as toy capsules and bouncy balls. Adjustable candy wheels allow an operator to offer a variety of pressed candies, jelly candy, chocolates and even nuts.

====Full-line vending====
[[File:Vending machines at hospital.jpg|thumb|A [[Full-line vending|full line of vending machines]] in a hospital cafeteria, including machines for drinks, snacks, and microwaveable foods]]
{{Main|Full-line vending}}
A full-line vending company may set up several types of vending machines that sell a wide range of products. Products may include candy, cookies, chips, fresh fruit, milk, cold food, coffee and other hot drinks, bottles and cans of soda and other drinks, and even frozen products like ice cream. These products can be sold from machines that include hot coffee, snack, cold food, and {{convert|20|USoz}} bottle machines.<ref name="Billboard p. 77">{{cite book | title=Billboard | date=1946-01-05 | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_cxgEAAAAMBAJ | language=de | access-date=6 June 2017 | page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_cxgEAAAAMBAJ/page/n76 77]}}</ref> In the United States, almost all machines accept bills with more and more machines accepting $5 bills, along with payment from traditional [[debit card|debit]] and [[credit card]]s, or a [[mobile payment]] system. This is an advantage to the vendor because it virtually eliminates the need for a [[change machine|bill changer]]. Larger corporations with cafeterias will often request full line vending to supplement their food service.