Telemetry for vending and drinks dispense

For fixed vending or drinks dispense equipment sending small periodic reports, Ireland multi-network 50 MB is a starting plan at €0.99 per active SIM per month. Test that Vodafone, Three and eir provide a suitable connection at the machine's location, then include payments, status traffic and updates in the usage estimate.

Ireland multi-network roams across Vodafone, Three and eir and uses whichever is strongest where the machine is. That matters for a unit fixed in a forecourt shop, a hotel corridor or a factory canteen: the spot only needs a good signal from one of them, not from a network chosen in advance.

Establish what the machine sends

Ask the machine or telemetry supplier which information travels over the connection and how often. That might include readings, stock information or fault reports, depending on the equipment. Count the functions your actual installation uses rather than assuming every machine sends the same messages.

Keep cashless payment traffic in the discussion. If the payment terminal has its own SIM, estimate it separately. If it shares the telemetry router, its traffic belongs in the same total. Card readers supplied by a payment provider usually come with the provider's own SIM, so check the provider's requirements before replacing or introducing a SIM used by a payment terminal.

The drinks and vending sector page covers the wider use case. A data SIM for a card machine explains the checks for a payment connection, including the need to confirm that the terminal accepts a separately supplied SIM.

A worked telemetry calculation for a vending machine

Suppose the equipment sends an assumed 2 KB report every 15 minutes, throughout a 30-day month. Use 1,000 KB as 1 MB for this example. The report size is an illustration, not a figure promised for vending equipment.

This example fits within 50 MB. The assumed extra 15 MB is not a standard payment allowance; replace it with the supplier's estimate or measurements. Include any firmware or software download separately, because a single update can change the total more than routine reports do.

If the equipment reports more often during busy trading periods, calculate that pattern too. Do not base the whole month on a quiet test outside opening hours. How much data a device needs explains how to turn representative measurements into a plan choice.

Test inside the finished installation

Confirm the device accepts the chosen SIM format and supports the mobile networks it will use. A physical ThingSIM provides mini, micro and nano sizes. Choose eSIM only if the equipment supports installing the supplied QR code; physical SIM and eSIM both cost €2.49 per SIM once.

Activate the SIM in the ThingSIM portal when you are ready to test. Enter the APN displayed against that SIM using the equipment's supported configuration method. Billing starts on activation, or 30 days after despatch, so order SIMs close to the installation date.

Run the real reporting task with the machine in its final position and its covers closed. Check that a fresh record reaches the management platform. If payments share the connection, run the payment provider's approved test too. A successful telemetry report does not by itself prove the payment application is configured correctly.

Check coverage with a site test

A machine's position may be constrained by power, plumbing or customer access. Test the mobile device and antenna arrangement within those constraints before treating the installation as complete. Ask the equipment supplier about placement or compatible antenna options where needed.

ThingSIM does not supply antennas or site surveys. If the first position is unsuitable, compare practical alternatives and repeat the same reporting test. Keep a record of the working location and settings for the next maintenance visit.

Do not use a good result from one machine as proof that another machine elsewhere in the building has the same connection. For machines in the border counties, also check which network the equipment reports, because a device near the border can pick up a Northern Ireland network. Will my device get a signal covers site checks in more detail.

Monitor without overcomplicating it

For one or two machines, check usage in the portal after installation and after changing the reporting pattern. Plans offer 50 MB, 250 MB, 1 GB and 5 GB. If the smallest allowance is too tight once updates are included, move to the size that fits the complete workload.

At the allowance limit the SIM pauses instead of charging overage. You can upgrade immediately, paying only the difference for the rest of the month, or wait for reset. Keep an active SIM in equipment that is expected to remain available; pause only when the machine's connection is no longer needed.

Order up to 25 SIMs per order request. For larger deployments, use fleet enquiries. The API provides the same SIM controls as the portal if you later need to manage more equipment.

Common questions

Why is a multi-network SIM a good fit for a vending machine?

A machine stays where it was installed. A multi-network SIM uses whichever of Vodafone, Three and eir is strongest at that spot, so one weak network at the site does not leave the machine offline.

Does 50 MB include room for payment traffic?

Calculate the combined workload if payments share the SIM. The example's payment and other traffic figure is an assumption to replace with your own data.

Can I pause a machine that is still taking payments?

Do not pause a SIM while payments or telemetry depend on its connection. Pause only after confirming the equipment no longer needs mobile data.