FAQ

General Questions

1. How does the machine know what was selected?
   The Stockwell device uses a series of nine cameras and AI machine learning to determine what items were taken by the customer. 
   
   
2. What types of products can be sold with this technology?
   Prepackaged, shelf stable foods, such as those found in our vending machines and Micromarkets, are best recognized by the AI recognition and provide the best experience for consumers. Fresh foods and items without a barcode are not currently supported. 
   
   
3. Do customers need to scan the products on the Stockwell device?
   No, the customer does not scan any product on the Stockwell Device.
   
   
4. When will customers receive a digital copy of their receipt for their purchase?
   Customers will receive an email receipt about 5-10 minutes after a transaction.
   
   
5. Does the Stockwell have a cooler inside?
   Yes, the right-hand side of the Stockwell device is refrigerated.

AI and Planogram Questions

1. How does the machine learn new products? How many transactions are required before the machine can detect products autonomously?
   The machine learns new products from actual customer transactions. Around 100 transactions are required where an item is taken before full training is complete.
   
   
2. Why is it important to have an accurate Planogram/ schema for the Stockwell?
    A planogram serves multiple functions, such as:
   • Limiting the number of products the AI needs to check against to make a successful prediction
     • Instead of comparing against all the hundreds or thousands of products an Operator may sell, the Stockwell only needs to determine which of a few items the product might be. 
   • Providing correct image and placement assistance for the AI and potential human if human intervention is needed.
     
     
3. What happens if the items in the device are not placed according to the planogram?
   Accuracy is greatly improved when the stock matches the planogram, as it allows the AI to search through its database of items more quickly. This also assists the manual reviewer in determining which items were taken if the AI confidence is low. However, the AI will do its best to determine an item regardless of its location. 
   
   
4. How does Stockwell use the pictures that we upload to Stockwell site? 
   The 'product' or 'item' pictures are required for both the computer vision and human reviewer capabilities and recognition accuracy.
   
   
5. What are the specifications for an image?
   The image size must be less than 7MB, and the image formats that are accepted are jpg/jpeg, gif, and png.
   
   
6. How do I set up my planogram?
   Please visit the Stockwell 2.0 Setup Guide for information on the domestic planogram process. 
   For International kiosks, please visit the Stockwell 2.0 - UK / EU - Setup Guide.

Payment Questions

1. What is a Pre-Auth? 
   A Pre-Auth (short for pre-authorization) is an initial transaction used to limit access to products to only those that have a verifiable payment method available, with available funds. 365 uses a pre-auth transaction with its controlled-access products. 
    
2. Why is a Pre-Auth important? 
   A pre-auth protects the operator by limiting the financial exposure they have when deploying an unattended, controlled-access retail solutions that accept cashless payments. 
    
   • If the customer does not have enough funds available to purchase a typical item in your controlled-access cabinet or cooler, then the Pre-Auth will set a minimum amount of funds that must be available on a consumer’s card before they can purchase items. 
      
   • If the final purchase amount exceeds amount pre-authorized for transaction, 365 will attempt an incremental authorization for the additional amount, using the card presented by the consumer when unlocking. Incremental authorization handling is dependent on card issuer and payment type, with varying incremental caps in place.
      
3. Does my 365 device come with a pre-auth set?
   All 365 controlled-access products will come preset with a pre-auth amount of 10.00 in your local currency. Operators can adjust this pre-auth amount at any time, and it is recommended this is evaluated regularly to ensure the most accurate transaction avg. value is being used. 
   365 offers ADM reporting tools to assist with this, such as the ADM - Transaction Report.
    
4. How much should I set my Pre-Auth to?
   We recommend setting a pre-auth that covers the majority of typical sales transactions, covering the average price of an item with a buffer to limit financial exposure. 
   To calculate a reasonable pre-auth, we recommend taking the average item price and multiplying it by two. Then round the result to the highest $5 increment. For example, if the average price is $3.25, multiply it by two to get $6.50. Then, round up to $10.00
    
5. Are there any implications in setting a very high or very low Pre-Auth amount? 
   In short, yes. There are implications to setting pre-auth amounts too low or too high. Using the above recommended formula will greatly improve the user and operator's experience.
   It is important to note that the operator is in full control of the pre-auth value used, and accepts all risks associated with declined transactions after the initial pre-auth approval.
    
   • If a user transacts multiple times per day at a high pre-auth and the consumer's card-issuing bank does not release the funds hold quickly, the user will have a substantial hold on their card until reconciled. Note: Typically, the correct amount is reflected within an hour on the account, however this is dependent on the consumer’s card-issuing bank and region, so times can vary. 
      
   • If a pre-auth is set too low and the consumer’s average transaction total is often significantly higher, their card issuing bank may implement an artificial cap on allowable purchase amounts when they see charges consistently above pre-auth amount and decline their card. 
     365 strongly recommends setting a pre-auth value that represents the average item value with a buffer to reduce the likelihood of transactions declining due to large incremental authorization requests. 
      
6. What does a typical user experience look like with Pre-Auth? 
   First, the customer is notified of pre-auth amount required on the payment device and is directed to present a cashless payment type to open the cabinet/cooler. Then, a temporary reservation amount is held on the consumer’s card until the transaction finalized and adjusted to the purchase price. This is designed to adjust quickly.
   At this point, a user's experience will differ slightly depending on 365 product being used, but in general, there are two types of typical user experiences: 
    
   1. If the customer does not have the funds to meet pre-auth, they are denied access to the cabinet. They must then add more funds to meet the pre-auth requirements to access the cabinet. 
       
   2. If the customer has available funds to meet pre-auth, they can access the cabinet and select their items. Once done, they close the cabinet door, finalizing the transaction
       
      • If their total transaction was more than the pre-auth amount, the total amount is increased to correct total with incremental authorization. Incremental authorization outcomes are dependent on the card issuer, payment type, and the pre-auth value set
         
      • If the transaction amounted to less than the pre-auth amount, the total amount they will be charged is decreased to the correct total 
         
7. Can the pre-auth be set to 0?
   No: the minimum amount that a pre-auth can be set to is 1.00. This will protect you as the Operator from fraudulent cards. The Pre-auth amount defaults to 10 if left unchanged in ADM.
   365 recommends you set your pre-auth amount to high enough to cover the most expensive inventory item in the unit. Ultimately, operators own all risk associated with purchases greater than the preauthorization amount being declined by card issuers.
    
8. When will the pre-auth show on the customer's statement?
   The pre-auth typically shows immediately on the customer's bank statement following their shopping session.
    
9. When will the final charge appear on the customer's statement?
   The final charge is sent immediately upon settlement of the shopping cart to the bank. However, it may not show immediately, as this is dependent on how quickly your bank processes the information.
    
10. When will the pre-auth come off the customer's statement?
    Similar to the above, the pre-auth may take some time to come off the statement, as the banking institution is responsible for the removal once the final charge is sent.
     
11. What if a consumer spends more than they have on their card?
    US and Canada: Depending on the card issuer, card type, and other variables, the outcome may differ. In most cases, the full amount of the transaction will be charged. However, if you used a gift card, no amount will be charged.
    
    International: The amount above the pre-auth is not adjustable. Therefore, the pre-auth amount will be charged, once it has been verified that the consumer has that amount in their account. The Operator will then have a loss on the remaining funds owed.
     
12. What will show on the customer's statement if they make multiple transactions?
    If a customer visit the store multiple times and perform several transactions, they will see multiple pre-auth charges, as well as separate, final amount charges.
     
13. What happens if a consumer pre-auths, but does not take any products?
    The pre-auth will show on the bank statement until removed by the bank. No additional charges will appear on the card statement.
     
14. Can the customer be charged for more than the pre-auth amount?
    For US kiosks, yes, the customer can be charged for more than the pre-auth amount.
    Internationally, the maximum a card will be charged is the pre-auth amount.

15. What Credit/Debit Card Processor does the Stockwell device use?
    In the US, Heartland is the card processor. 
    In the UK and EU, Wallee is the card processor. 

Connectivity Questions

1. What happens if the Stockwell is offline?
   Transactions are not available if the Stockwell is in offline mode. If a user attempts to present a payment form to begin shopping, the cabinet will not unlock. 
   
   
2. How does the Stockwell connect to the internet?
   Stockwells will receive internet through Opt Connect devices, which are inside the Stockwell unit.

App Questions

The 365Ops app will be available to take front facing market photos in all countries by December 15, 2023. Current planogram and market photos must be managed through ADM.

Troubleshooting Questions

Please see the Stockwell 2.0 - Troubleshooting for further information.