The pitfalls of gacha machines and unmanned stores: Counterfeit 100-yen coins causing customer loss and countermeasures stores should take.

In recent years, the market for capsule toys (gachapon) and unmanned stores has been booming like never before.

According to a market trend survey by the Japan Capsule Toy Association (JACTA) , the market size based on product shipments in fiscal year 2023 exceeded approximately 115 billion yen. Due to the improvement in product quality, the unit price per play has risen to 400 to 500 yen, resulting in a massive circulation of 100-yen coins within stores.

However, are you aware that behind this boom, serious anxieties are spreading among consumers, mainly through social media?

That's the problem of "counterfeit 100-yen coins" coming out of currency exchange machines in stores and other places.

Counterfeit coins from the year "Heisei 16" are being reported one after another on social media.

Recently, there have been frequent reports on social media of people receiving counterfeit 100-yen coins from currency exchange machines.

The counterfeit coins (or game tokens that have been misused) that have actually been reported often exhibit the following characteristics:

• The inscription on the back reads "Heisei 16" (2004).
• Compared to a real coin (such as one made in 1980), the rim is noticeably thicker.
• The jagged grooves that should be on the side are missing.
• The surface has a unique design that resembles a game center token.

Because the size and weight are cleverly made to closely resemble real money, they can slip through the detection of simple currency exchange machines and ticket vending machines. As a result, a serious situation is occurring where these fake coins end up in the hands of ordinary customers as "change."

The true business risk is far greater than just a "100 yen" loss.

From a store management perspective, the direct financial loss from a single counterfeit coin is only "100 yen."

However, the biggest business risk inherent in this problem lies in "loss of customer trust and serious customer attrition."

Consumers who actually receive counterfeit coins often experience strong psychological trauma, thinking things like, "What if another counterfeit appears next time?" or "I'm afraid to exchange money at this store."

Just one counterfeit coin can completely destroy a customer's sense of security towards a store, making it highly likely that they will never use that store again.

The limitations of visual inspection and technology to maintain trust

In a retail environment where large quantities of coins are collected and replenished daily, it is impossible for staff to visually or tactilely check each coin for things like "edge thickness" or "whether or not there are serrations on the sides."

Human error inevitably leads to oversights, and the workload on staff can reach an unrealistic level.

To protect customer trust and maintain a safe store environment, it is essential to implement reliable technology in the cash handling process in the back office.

This is where Moricash's high-speed coin counting and sorting machines come into play. Our equipment does more than just count coins at high speed.

Precise internal sensors instantly and automatically detect even the slightest differences in the "thickness," "diameter," and "material" of coins. This makes it possible to accurately reject (eliminate) counterfeit game tokens and non-standard coins, which have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years .

Summary: Automating cash handling protects store credibility

Before reloading the coins collected as sales revenue into the change machine, ensure they are properly filtered using a high-performance machine.

Automating and thoroughly implementing this process is the most reliable way to improve operational efficiency while simultaneously protecting a store's brand and reputation from customer loss due to counterfeit coins.