Error States

Modified on Thu, 2 Apr at 12:46 PM

Below are tables outlining certain error states of machines that you'll see on the individual pod pages in Mother VMS.

We've also included guidance on what each error state means along with the relevant step-by-step action you'll need to take in order to fix an issue.

If you can't fix the issues then as feel free to get in touch with our support team at support@thisismother.com.

Valid Sates

State	Meaning	Information	1st action	2nd action	3rd action
Valid	Valid order	The order was successful	No action
Partial	Partial order	A multi-item order vended only some of the items. Most likely due to incorrect stock levels or an accidental double vend.	No action
Not taken	Order not taken	The vending machine didn't think any items were collected from the hatch	If repeatedly happening, check to see if the hatch is unlocking correctly. This may be an early sign of an "elevator jam" or "item below elevator"
Needs collection	Order needs collecting from hatch	The vending machine didn't think any items were collected from the hatch	If repeatedly happening, check to see if the hatch is unlocking correctly. This may be an early sign of an "elevator jam" or "item below elevator"
Unconfirmed	Order unconfirmed	The payment was unable to be confirmed automatically (most likely due to poor signal) and needs to be done manually	The order will need to be manually confirmed via NMI's WebMIS or similar platform
Door	Door open	The vending machine's door was opened before or during this order and we therefore assume a customer got their items and the order should be assumed valid	Ask site, operator to check if the door is closed / locked correctly.	Open the door with the key and shut it again, wait for the elevator to move to the top and down.	If it moved, no action needed, just let Mother know. if it doesn't then log a call. it might be a locking or sensor issue.
Door unconfirmed	Door unconfirmed	The vending machine's door was opened before or during this order and we therefore assume a customer got their items and the order should be assumed valid, however the payment was unable to be confirmed automatically (most likely due to poor signal) and needs to be done manually	Ask site, operator to check if the door is closed / locked correctly. The order will need to be manually confirmed via NMI's WebMIS or similar platform	Open the door with the key and shut it again, wait for the elevator to move to the top and down.	If it moved, no action needed, just let Mother know. if it doesn't then log a call. it might be a locking or sensor issue.
Manual refund	Manual refund	A refund has been issued manually. This is simply a flag that removes this order from the sales totals.	No action - this was triggered by a Mothership user

Cancel States

State	Meaning	Information	1st Action	2nd Action	3rd Action	4th Action
Cancelled	Cancelled	The order was cancelled by the customer. Customer was only browsing.	No action

Invalid Card

State	Meaning	Information	1st Action
No card	No card presented	Customer was only browsing. No order was attempted.	No action
Declined generic	Declined	Card declined	If there are multiple card declines then there may be a connectivity issue.
Declined bad card number	Bad card number	Card declined due to an incorrect PIN	No action
Declined blocked	Card blocked	The card is blocked so the transaction was declined	No action
Declined expired	Card expired	Card is expired	No action
Declined fraud flagged	Card flagged for fraud	The card has been declined. Normally when a card is stolen will you get this response	No action
Declined insufficient funds	Insufficient funds	Not enough funds on the card	No action
Declined invalid card request	Invalid request	The message from the vending machine to the pay reader has been garbled in some way	No action
Declined invalid card	Invalid card	The card details or card itself are not valid, or the system cannot recognise it properly. Fake card / Card number not recognised / Damaged card / Wrong card format	No action
Declined refer to issuer	Refer to issuer	The card issuer declined the transaction	No action
Declined unsupported card	Unsupported card	Card is valid, but our system doesn’t accept that card type. (e.g. AMEX)	This will need to be raised to payter since we do not control what card types are accepted.

Invalid Pay

State	Meaning	Information	1st Action	2nd Action	3rd Action
Pay busy	Busy	The reader is currently processing another payment, locked from a previous transaction, or failing within milliseconds due to a decision made by the pay reader.	If the machine is constantly throwing pay busy errors, you will need to completely powercycle the machine to try and kick it out of this state. The powercycle will restart the payreader and allow it to continue processing new payments.	We mainly see vianet or Nayax related payreaders throw this error. We may need to re-evauate what reader we use in the pod if the paybusy errors are constant.	Replace the reader with a payter.
Local comms	Local comms	The reader cannot communicate with the vending machine controller	Check logs / mypayter. Identifying the specific time that the error was thrown will allow the tech team to pinpoint the issue.	Look for active errors on the dashboard. If its Lease related, then you'll see an "invalid ip address" error associated with paylocal comms error.	If there’s an active error on the reader, someone will need to investigate on site. It could be a loose cable or a faulty reader, so it is highly unlikely it can be resolved remotely. If is configuration related, generally for payters, will require its device to be checked on the router side and mothership side to determine whether its missing a static ip lease or if the payreaders configuration has been correctly pushed to the PC.
Process error	Process error	The reader failed during the payment processing flow.	Check logs/ mypayter.	Do a full power cycle to the machine.	Replace reader if constant.
Set up	Set up	The reader is not configured correctly.	Log onto mypayter and check the settings are correct	If the settings are believed to be correct, contact Payter for further support.
Internet comms	Internet comms	The reader cannot reach the payment network due to internet connectivity failure. Could be SIM/WiFi issues, poor signal, or blocked network.	Check connectivity and network settings on the reader.	It typically happens on a Nayax or Vianet reader, mainly because they use their own 4G sims and areals.	If the network signal is poor and the reader is using its own 4G connection, the solution is to connect the reader to the vending machine so it uses the machine’s signal. For example, if the machine is whitelisted to a WiFi network, the reader will also get connectivity through that whitelist. This should improve network stability. If the vending machine itself has poor network coverage, the whole unit may need to be relocated.

Invalid Vend

State	Meaning	Information	1st Action	2nd Action	3rd Action	4th Action
Vend busy	Busy	The machine is currently busy processing a vend or still completing a previous cycle. It should clear automatically.	If not do a full power cycle.	Check signal	Site check connections and wiring
Local comms	Local comms	The machine cannot communicate with the PC, Often caused by a loose connection, faulty cable, or internal board (PCB) iss	Check vending logs	Site visual checks	Engineer call out
Process error	Process error	The vend process failed during transaction (transaction was attempted but the machine failed internally). Could be software or mechanical failure during the vend process.	Check logs / ask tech to investigat	Do a full power cylce the machine	Engineer call out ,on site investigation
Config	Config mismatch	The machine configuration is incorrect or not set up correctly.	Run a bin report via mothership	If the bin report indicates an incorrect bin/config setup, rearrange the layout on Mothership.	If that’s not possible, the physical connectors / side connectors on the machine will need to be changed.
Elevator generic	Elevator jam	The elevator physically can't move to collect the purchased item, theres is a physical obstacle in along the way	Look at the last successful order on the machine and look at the vending logs.	Check for anything that stands out. Start with the collection hatch. If it is locked out, release it by unclipping the inner locks simultaneously. The collection hatch should always be closed unless a vend has completed and it’s time to remove the products. If it’s not locked, the issue will be with the collection hatch being locked out.	If it’s not the collection hatch, check for anything else that stands out. The elevator should always be at the bottom collection position. If it isn’t, check that every shelf is fully pushed back until they click into place. If the elevator is stuck in the middle, it usually means the shelf above it hasn’t been pushed in fully.	Once the physical error is cleared, close the door and wait for the elevator to reset and complete a full cycle to ensure it works correctly. If the machine status is set to Closed, don’t forget to reopen it on Mothership.
Elevator top	Item above elevator	Something is blocking the elevator from moving up freely. This may be a product that's fallen from a channel on to the elevator, or the elevator itself may hitting something such as a tray not fully pushed back	l require someone onsite to visit and remove the blockage	If no blockage has been observed, then this could possibly be a sensor related issue which in this case requires an engineer visit
Elevator bottom	Item above elevator	To unlock the hatch, an elevator needs to be able to reach the very bottom of the elevator shaft. If an item has fallen down, below the elevator then it may prevent the elevator reaching that position	Will require someone onsite to visit and remove the blockage	If no blockage has been observed, then this could possibly be a sensor related issue which in this case requires an engineer visit.
Vend error	Error	A generic error from the vending machine that something is wrong but not recognised as what	We generally see vend errors in conjuction with either elevator jam/ item below/above the elevator or a vend local comms errors	Determine what type of error is being flagged alongside the vend error by going into the order logs and troubleshoot them accordingly.
Sensor generic	Sensor jam	Sensor fault - generic sensor error . Could be any sensor issue (door, elevator, temperature, etc).	Check that nothing is blocking the sensors, especially the elevator sensor. Most often a product (e.g., a pack of crtisp or bottle) has been left standing upright and just needs to be cleared.	Check sensor and replace if needed.	Elevator replacement if needed.
Channel	Channel jam	Most likely a faulty motor or faulty connection to the motor	Attempt a vend for this channel	Do a full power cylce the machine and try again	Engineer call out
Board	Board error	A board (PCB) fault has been detected.	Do a full power cylce the machine	Engineer call out	Replace board
Stock mismatch	Stock mismatch	The stock level in the system does not match the physical stock in the machine.	Ensure correct stock numbers are enterred when stocking the machine	Always aim to update stock live when stocking the machines.

Software

State	Meaning	Information	1st Action	2nd Action	3rd Action	4th Action
Software error	Software error	There's an unknown error with the software that hasn't triggered one of the other errors so is most likely a critical issue	Will need tech escalation to investigate the root cause. Please raise a ticket with tech.