A guest taps or scans, the charge goes through, and the machine stays quiet. That feels urgent on the route — and it is usually a quick dashboard fix, not a mystery.
When cashless clears but credits do not land, the ArcadePay Controller almost always logged the payment. Your job is to confirm whether the credit pulse fired, take care of the guest, then tighten signal so it stays rare.
What Usually Happened
After a successful cashless payment, the ArcadePay Controller sends a pulse to the machine so plays or credits dispense. On rare occasions a brief cellular hiccup lands at that exact moment. Payment clears; the “go” signal never reaches the board.
Pulse machines do not send a confirmation back to the controller — that is a hardware limit of pulse tech across cashless systems. The pulse log is therefore your truth source: it shows whether ArcadePay sent the credit signal.
Cash and coin plays use a direct wired path and are not affected the same way. If someone paid with cash and got nothing, check the coin mechanism on the machine itself.
Step 1 — Confirm No Pulse in Reports
On desktop or mobile browser:
- Open your ArcadePay dashboard.
- Go to Reports → Transactions.
- Open the Cashless tab.
- Find the charge (filter by machine, date, or amount).
- Check the Pulse column or transaction detail. Missed credits show No Pulse or an empty pulse count.
On the phone app you can also open More → Pulse Table for a full pulse history.
That view tells you the guest was charged and whether credits were delivered — so you can refund with confidence instead of guessing.
Step 2 — Refund the Guest from the Dashboard
Once you see No Pulse:
- Stay on the Cashless transaction.
- Open the ⋮ menu next to the line.
- Choose Refund Payment.
The full amount returns to the guest’s card within a few business days. Full walkthrough: Refund a Payment.
Only cashless (card and digital wallet) refunds run through the dashboard. Cash inserted into the machine cannot be refunded here.
Step 3 — Keep It Rare: Antenna Outside the Cabinet
The most common root cause is a weak or unstable signal at that stop. In Machines, check the signal reading for the controller. Target 15 or above. Readings stuck around 8–10 or lower mean occasional missed pulses are more likely.
Mount the magnetic antenna on the outside of the machine — top or back panel works well. Metal walls soak up cellular signal when the antenna sits inside the cabinet. A clear line of sight makes a real difference.
Also double-check package Pulses if you recently changed pricing. Price is what the guest pays; pulses are what the machine credits. See Update Play Packages and Pricing and Customer Was Charged But Didn't Receive Credits.
If It Keeps Happening
An occasional miss is uncommon. Seeing it more than once or twice at the same stop usually means the antenna still needs a better mounting spot — or Support should confirm the controller is on current firmware.
Email ops@arcadepay.app with the machine name and device ID from Machines. ArcadePay can pull the pulse log and help you pin down the pattern.
The Takeaway
Charge with no credit → Reports → Cashless → confirm No Pulse → refund from the ⋮ menu → move the antenna outside the metal cabinet and aim for signal 15+. You protect the guest in minutes and keep the next stop clean.
Need a second set of eyes on a specific transaction? Email ops@arcadepay.app with machine name, approximate time, and amount.
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