Summer stops start going dark this month. Campgrounds, waterparks, seasonal FECs, the pizza place that only runs games through August — the machine comes off route, and the ArcadePay Controller on it does not have to sit in a dark building until spring.
You have three options, and none of them require a support call.
Option 1: Leave It In Place
The simplest option is to leave the controller connected and let the subscription run through the off-season. At $7.95/month, your account stays active and your settings stay intact. On reopening day the machine takes payments immediately — nothing to reconnect, nothing to reconfigure.
This is usually the right call for a short closure, or when you do not have another machine waiting for a controller.
Option 2: Move It to a Machine That Is Still Earning
If you have a machine on route without a controller, move it. Your pricing, products, and pulse settings carry over automatically.
- Power off the machine at the closing location.
- Unplug the ArcadePay Controller from the coin mechanism connector.
- Connect it to the new machine using the same connector type.
- Apply a fresh QR sticker from your spare set where guests can reach it.
- Power on the new machine — it reconnects to your account on its own, usually within about 15 seconds.
- Optional: in your ArcadePay dashboard, open Machines, expand the device, and rename it to match the new location.
If the new machine has a different connector, email us before you cut anything — there is usually a harness that fits.
Option 3: Pull It and Store It
The controller is just hardware. It does not need power to stay registered to your account, so a unit sitting on a shelf all winter is still yours and still configured. Store it with its spare QR stickers so next season's install is one trip instead of two.
What Happens to Billing
The subscription follows the controller, not the location, so moving it between machines does not change your billing amount or schedule.
If you took the free-hardware promotion, that plan includes a 12-month service commitment, and during that first year the subscription cannot be paused or cancelled. After 12 months you have full flexibility to pause, cancel, or change it — email ops@arcadepay.app with your account name and the device and we will walk through the options.
Restarting Next Season
Do the network part before you drive out, not in the parking lot:
- Power the controller at your shop and leave it on for at least 5–10 minutes so it can check in and pull any firmware updates.
- Open your ArcadePay dashboard, go to Machines, and confirm the controller shows Online.
- Scan the QR code. If the buy options come up, you are ready to load the truck.
- Check the sticker. A season of sun, hands, and cleaning spray is hard on QR codes — replace anything faded or scuffed before it costs you a sale.
- If signal is weak at the reopened location, move the antenna outside the metal cabinet.
The Takeaway
Leave it, move it, or store it — the controller stays registered to your account in all three cases, and the subscription follows the controller rather than the building. The only version that costs you money is a paid-for controller sitting idle in a closed location while another machine on your route is still taking quarters only.
Not sure which option fits your route, or need replacement stickers or a different harness? Email ops@arcadepay.app with your account name and the machines involved.
Ready to try ArcadePay?
Promo Code ACPAYX — https://arcadepay.app/TryFREE