AADE and automatic vending machines in Greece: Why custom tokens are often smarter than replacing every machine
28 May 2026
For Greek operators who need to rethink their payment infrastructure because of the new AADE context, replacing everything is not always the smartest choice. At Mauquoy Token Company, we see that custom metal tokens often provide a practical bridge: customers buy tokens at one central point of sale and then use them to activate existing machines. This keeps operations simple, affordable and easy to manage. And this is not just a theoretical solution. In Poland and Italy, Mauquoy Token Company has already helped customers successfully switch to a personalised coin-based payment system after similar regulatory changes.
A smarter route to AADE compliance
Every location is different. We can help you assess whether a personalised token system could reduce the cost and complexity of adapting your business.
New AADE context, existing machines: What is the smartest next step?
In Greece, many operators of self-service installations are currently taking a closer look at their payment infrastructure. At Mauquoy Token Company, we are seeing this more and more often. Self-service carwashes, laundromats, campsites, marinas, truck stops, parking facilities, paid showers and sanitary installations often face the same challenge: the machines still work well, but the way payments and sales must be registered is changing.
The wash bay starts without problems. The dryer runs. The shower provides hot water. The barrier opens. The vacuum cleaner does exactly what it should do. Still, the AADE context forces many entrepreneurs to make a difficult choice: should every existing machine be adapted or replaced, or can sales be organised in a smarter way?
AADE has introduced the Μητρώο Αυτόματων Πωλητών, the register for automatic vending machines. In decision A.1143/2025, an automatic vending machine is described as a machine that sells products or provides services to consumers automatically and without staff being present. The obligation applies to operators who manage such machines, even when they rent them or when the machine is located outside their own business premises. The declaration must also be made separately for each automatic vending machine. (AADE)
The technical specifications for ΑΔΗΜΕ automatic vending machines also make clear that this does not only concern traditional drink or snack vending machines. In A.1111/2025, a carwash is explicitly mentioned as an example of an automatic vending machine that offers a paid service. (AADE)
For Greek entrepreneurs, the question therefore becomes very practical. What do you do if you do not have one vending machine, but ten, fifteen or twenty payment points spread across one site? Do you have to renew every device separately? Or can you work with one central payment flow?
At Mauquoy Token Company, we see a clear solution in many situations: one central point of sale for custom metal tokens, often recognised in Greek as μάρκες.
Do not start with every machine. Start with the sales flow.
Operators who manage multiple machines often instinctively look at each device separately. How do we adapt this wash bay? How do we modernise this shower? How do we make this dryer suitable for the new reality?
But as soon as you have several payment points, that approach becomes expensive and complex. A self-service carwash with six wash bays, four vacuum cleaners and a mat cleaner quickly has eleven payment points. A campsite with ten showers, two washing machines and two dryers faces the same issue. A marina or truck stop often combines showers, toilets, lockers, water points, vending and parking.
If every device has to process payments separately, you also need separate payment technology, maintenance, cash management, connectivity, security and fault management for each machine. Costs and complexity can quickly rise.
That is why at Mauquoy Token Company, we prefer to ask a different question: where should the sale take place?
In a token model, the sale moves to one central location. The customer buys tokens there. Afterwards, those tokens are used to activate the existing machines. The machine itself no longer has to process a complete payment transaction. It mainly needs to recognise reliably that the correct token has been inserted.
That is the strength of this model: one central point of sale, one clear customer flow and existing machines that, in many cases, can simply continue to operate.
How does a payment system with custom tokens work?
The principle is simple, and that is exactly why it works so well at busy self-service locations.
The customer pays at a central payment machine, token changer, reception desk, kiosk or cash register. There, the customer receives metal tokens. These are then used in the wash bay, shower, dryer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, locker, barrier or sanitary unit.
One token can, for example, activate five minutes of hot water. Two tokens can start a drying cycle. Three tokens can activate a standard wash programme. In a carwash, one token can represent a fixed time unit or credit value.
For the customer, the process is clear: pay, take a token, use the service. For the operator, the payment structure becomes simpler. The modern payment technology is concentrated in one central, better-controlled location. The existing machines mainly continue doing what they were built for: delivering a service.
A token model does not remove fiscal obligations, of course. The sale of tokens, their use and their administrative processing must always be correctly aligned with a Greek accountant, installer or tax advisor. We therefore do not see custom tokens as a way to bypass rules but as a practical way to organise the sales flow in a smarter, simpler and more manageable way.
Why this model fits Greece so well
Greece is a market with many self-service services, strong tourism and major seasonal peaks. A carwash in Athens works differently from a campsite in Crete. A marina on Lefkada has a different audience from a truck stop along the motorway. A beach facility on Rhodes experiences very different pressure in August than in November.
Still, these locations often have one thing in common: several simple paid services are grouped together. Showers, washing machines, dryers, lockers, toilets, water points, vacuum cleaners, wash bays, barriers and vending machines together form one site, but not always one clear payment structure.
Tourism adds another layer. According to ELSTAT, in 2024, 56.9% of arrivals and 63.8% of overnight stays in hotels, similar accommodation, tourist campsites and short-stay accommodation were recorded between July and October. Non-residents accounted for 73.7% of arrivals and 83.8% of overnight stays.
For many Greek operators, this means one thing: during a few very busy months, everything has to work. You do not want a payment system that can fail in ten different places. You want a solution that works quickly, is easy for international visitors to understand and remains reliable in heat, dust, salt, humidity and intensive use.
A metal token is tangible, recognisable and language-light. The customer does not need to download an app, create an account or read lengthy instructions. They buy tokens and use them. That makes the system particularly suitable for campsites, beaches, marinas, ferry ports, carwashes, laundromats, truck stops and tourist parking facilities in Greece.
One central machine instead of a completely new machine park
The financial advantage of a token model lies mainly in centralisation. Anyone who wants to equip every existing device separately with a new payment solution pays not only for hardware. Installation, wiring, connectivity, software, maintenance, updates, security and possible downtime are also involved.
With one central point of sale, the investment remains much more focused. You modernise the place where the sale happens. Existing machines remain in use where technically possible. In many cases, an existing coin slot or coin acceptor can be checked and recalibrated to work with a custom token.
For a carwash with ten payment points, a campsite with fifteen showers or a laundromat with machines of different ages, that can make the difference between an expensive full replacement and a feasible payment flow that fits the new AADE regulations.
At Mauquoy Token Company, we do not call this a temporary patch. We call it a smart bridge: you adapt the payment flow without unnecessarily saying goodbye to machines that are still technically perfectly usable.
Experience from Poland and Italy
For Mauquoy Token Company, this model is not theoretical. In countries such as Poland and Italy, we have already successfully helped customers who faced the same exercise: new rules around registration and sales processing, combined with an existing infrastructure of machines that were still technically perfectly usable.
There too, operators chose not to replace every device immediately. Instead, they centralised sales and switched to a personalised coin-based payment system. Customers buy their custom tokens at one central location and then use them to activate the existing machines.
That experience is especially relevant for Greece. When regulations change, the first reaction is often to look at full replacement or heavy technical conversion. But practical experience in Poland and Italy shows that a smarter payment flow is often much more feasible. By working with personalised metal tokens, operators were able to keep using their existing installations for longer, limit the number of new payment points and keep their operations simpler.
For Greek operators of carwashes, laundromats, campsites, marinas, truck stops, paid showers, sanitary facilities and parking areas, that is an important signal: you do not necessarily have to renew your entire machine park to be ready for a new fiscal reality. Sometimes it is enough to organise sales differently.
An important moment to think ahead
The regulations around automatic vending machines are still evolving. With decision A.1202/2025, the exemption from registering sales for automatic vending machines was extended until 30 June 2026, with examples including machines for drinks, food, carwashes and laundromats. Fuel dispensers are excluded from that extension. The decision also refers to the ongoing registration of automatic vending machines and the development of suitable FIM types. (AADE)
For operators, this is not a reason to wait until the last moment. On the contrary, this is exactly the time to take a proper look at the payment flow. Which machines will remain? Where does the sale take place? Which machines only need to activate a service? And where can a central token sales point reduce complexity?
Existing machines can often keep working
Many machines in Greece already accept euro coins today. That is an important advantage. A coin slot does not always need to be replaced. In many cases, after technical inspection, it can be adjusted to a metal token with the right diameter, thickness, material, weight and magnetic properties.
That is why the quality of the token is crucial. A coin slot does not work reliably with just any metal disc. The token must match the mechanism.
Mauquoy Token Company produces custom metal tokens in different diameters, thicknesses and materials, including brass, nickel-plated brass, Nordic Gold, nickel brass, stainless steel, aluminium, steel, copper and tin bronze.
For existing coin slots, precision is especially important. That is why we produce custom tokens with a tolerance of 0.05 mm. This accuracy helps tokens work reliably in existing coin acceptors and reduces the risk of rejections, incorrect recognition or malfunctions.
For high-traffic locations such as carwashes, campsites, marinas and truck stops, that is essential. A token should not only look good. It must work reliably every day.
Less cash, less risk, fewer operational worries
When payments are spread across multiple machines, cash and risk are spread as well. Every machine containing money becomes a small cash point. That means more counting, more checks, more maintenance and more potential targets for theft or vandalism.
With a central token point of sale, cash management becomes simpler. Even if that central point still accepts cash, you only have one payment point that needs to be properly secured. That point can be placed in a dry, visible and well-lit location, possibly with camera surveillance and strong anchoring. The other machines no longer contain cash and therefore become less attractive targets.
For 24/7 locations, carwashes, truck stops, campsites, beaches and marinas, this is a major operational advantage. Less cash in separate machines means less hassle, less risk and more control.
Custom tokens can create extra margin
Tokens are prepaid. The customer pays before using the service. That makes the system not only practical, but also commercially interesting.
An operator buys metal tokens at a low unit cost and sells them as access to a service. The value is not in the metal, but in what the token activates: hot water, drying time, a wash program, a vacuum cleaner session, access to sanitary facilities, a locker or a barrier.
On top of that, not all sold tokens are actually used. Some customers buy five tokens and use four. Some tokens remain in a car, disappear into a beach bag or are taken home. At tourist locations, an attractive custom token with the name of an island, campsite, marina or carwash can even become a small souvenir.
That token has then been sold, while the service is not always delivered. This can create extra margin. And when customers keep tokens, they also have a reason to come back.
For many operators, this is an underestimated advantage of custom tokens. They not only simplify the payment flow, but can also contribute to the profitability of the location.
Why custom tokens are better than generic tokens
A standard token may seem cheaper at first glance, but it offers less control, less recognizability and less brand value.
A custom token can be tailored to the existing coin slot. That is technically important, because diameter, thickness, material, weight and edge finish all help determine how reliably a machine recognizes the token. In addition, the token can feature a logo, location name, icon, value indication or text such as “No cash value”.
Mauquoy Token Company offers both fully personalized designs and standard designs, including “No cash value”, stars, bubbles and carwash designs. Custom designs can be created based on your own design, image, logo or instructions.
For Greek locations, personalization adds extra value. A token with the name of a campsite on Zakynthos, a marina on Lefkada, a beach club on Paros or a carwash in Thessaloniki feels more professional than an anonymous coin. It is recognizable for customers, harder to replace with random coins and stronger as part of the brand experience.
A good token is therefore a technical component, a payment medium within the location and a small piece of brand communication all at once.
Where are custom tokens most interesting?
1. Self-service carwashes
Self-service carwashes are probably one of the strongest applications. They often have multiple wash bays, vacuum cleaners, mat cleaners and air or water points. Instead of equipping every machine separately with a new payment system, the operator can install one central payment machine where customers buy tokens.
The existing machines are checked and, where possible, recalibrated to accept the custom token. The customer flow remains simple and familiar. For the operator, investment costs, maintenance and the number of potential failure points decrease.
For carwashes in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion or tourist areas, that is a very concrete advantage. Customers do not want a complicated payment experience. They want to pay, take their token and start the wash bay or vacuum cleaner.
2. Laundromats
Laundromats also fit well with a token model. The services are clear: washing, drying, extra drying time, large machine, small machine, and detergent. One central machine sells tokens, after which customers use them in washing machines and dryers.
A standard wash programme can, for example, cost three tokens. A larger machine can cost five tokens. Extra drying time can cost one token. In this way, machines of different ages can still be brought together in one simple payment system.
For students, local customers, tourists and short-stay guests, the system is quickly understood. For the operator, it is especially attractive because not every machine has to be renewed separately.
3. Showers and sanitary facilities at campsites, beaches, marinas and truck stops
Paid showers and sanitary access are ideal for tokens. These installations are often located in humid, warm or outdoor environments. A payment terminal on every shower door is expensive, vulnerable and maintenance-intensive.
With tokens, the shower itself remains technically simple. The sale takes place centrally, for example, at reception, in a kiosk or via a machine in a dry location. One token can provide five or fifteen minutes of hot water. The same token can potentially also be used for washing machines, dryers, lockers or access to sanitary facilities.
For campsites, beach facilities, marinas and truck stops in Greece, this is a robust and easy-to-understand solution.
4. Parking areas, ferry ports and mobility locations
Parking areas, ferry ports, marinas and truck stops often combine several services: barriers, lockers, toilets, showers, water points, electricity or service units. A token model can connect those services in one payment flow.
A truck stop can sell tokens for showers, lockers and toilets. A tourist parking area can use tokens for parking, sanitary access and outdoor showers. A marina can use tokens for showers, water points and laundry facilities.
The advantage lies in bundling. You organise sales centrally and allow different services to work with the same token logic. Or you sell different tokens at one point of sale that give access to specific services: a large token for the barrier, a smaller token for sanitary access and a token with a hole for electricity.
5. Vending clusters and micro-services
For traditional snack vending machines with many products and different prices, a token model is not always the best choice. But for simple services or fixed prices, it works well. Think of coffee, lockers, water points, laundry products, refill points, staff consumption or sanitary access.
The rule of thumb is simple: the more devices are grouped together and the simpler the pricing structure, the more interesting tokens become.
How do you start with a token model?
A good token project starts with an inventory of the existing machines. Which devices receive money today? Which ones accept euro coins? Which coin acceptors are being used? Are they mechanical or electronic? Can they be recalibrated? And which service does each machine need to activate?
Then you determine where the sale should ideally take place. For a 24/7 carwash, a central payment machine makes sense. For a campsite or marina, reception can continue to play a role, possibly combined with a machine for use outside opening hours.
Next, you choose the token value. Simplicity usually works best. One token for five minutes of shower time. One token for ten minutes of drying. Multiple tokens for a larger wash programme. The simpler the logic, the faster customers understand the system.
Only then do you choose the physical token. It must technically fit the existing coin slots. Before rollout, tokens should always be tested in the machines. The token must be accepted reliably, while foreign coins or unwanted tokens must be rejected.
Finally, the fiscal processing must be set up correctly. The sale of tokens is a commercial transaction. How that sale, the later use and any unused tokens are booked must be aligned with a Greek accountant or tax advisor.
What Mauquoy Token Company can mean for Greek operators
At Mauquoy Token Company, we help operators with the physical and technical token aspect. The most important question is not only “Which token looks good?” The right question is, “Which token works reliably in our existing machines and fits our commercial flow?”
We support customers in choosing the diameter, thickness, material, finish and design. Tokens can include a logo, text, pictogram, standard design or fully personalised design. Custom tokens are possible from 1,000 pieces. You can request a quotation via info@tokencompany.com. Within two working days, you will receive a price and payment instructions.
For Greek operators, the combination of customisation, precision and compatibility with existing coin slots is especially interesting. It allows perfectly functioning machines to often remain in use for longer, while the payment flow becomes more modern, clearer and easier to manage.
Conclusion: Do not replace everything too quickly
The new AADE context means that many Greek entrepreneurs need to rethink their payment infrastructure. But rethinking does not automatically mean replacing everything.
At Mauquoy Token Company, we believe that custom tokens can be a smart solution for many locations. Sales are concentrated in one place. Existing machines can often continue to operate after technical inspection and recalibration. Cash management becomes simpler. The number of potential failure points decreases. And the customer gets a system that is fast, tangible and clear.
This approach has not only proven itself in theory. In Poland and Italy, Mauquoy Token Company has already helped customers successfully switch to a personalized coin-based payment system after similar regulatory changes. That experience makes the model especially relevant for Greece today.
For self-service carwashes, laundromats, campsites, marinas, truck stops, parking facilities, paid showers and sanitary installations, custom tokens can make the difference between an expensive full replacement and a practical, affordable upgrade.
Custom tokens do not make existing machines outdated. They give those machines a second life in a smarter, more centralised and more manageable payment flow.
