How to Compare Arcade Machine Quotes: A Practical RFQ Checklist

Quick Answer: What Should an Arcade Machine Quote Include?

A useful commercial arcade machine quotation should identify the exact model and quantity, player format, dimensions, electrical configuration, payment interface, included accessories, approved customization, inspection scope, packing method, warranty, after-sales arrangement, trade term, and delivery destination. It should also separate confirmed items from optional items and open questions.

If two quotations do not describe the same scope, their totals are not directly comparable. Ask each supplier to update the missing fields before selecting an offer.

Why Arcade Machine Quotations Often Look Inconsistent

Commercial arcade equipment is sold in many configurations. Even within one category, machines can differ in player capacity, controls, screens, lighting, mechanical systems, payment hardware, software or game settings, cabinet structure, and packing volume. Product photographs alone do not establish that two machines are equivalent.

The quotation scope can also vary. A supplier might include a coin acceptor as standard but treat a cashless reader connection as a separate requirement. One offer may include model-specific export packing, while another lists only the unpacked machine price. Some quotations show shipping to a named port; others stop at the factory or another handover point.

This does not automatically make one offer wrong. It means the buyer needs a common comparison basis. The purpose of an RFQ is to remove assumptions before they become order changes, installation delays, or unexpected costs.

Step 1: Define the Project Before Asking for Prices

Start with the purchasing context. Suppliers can make more relevant recommendations when they understand where and how the equipment will be used.

Include:

• destination country and, when available, destination port or delivery city;
• venue type, such as an arcade center, FEC, shopping mall game zone, claw machine store, resort, distributor showroom, or mixed entertainment venue;
• target visitor groups and preferred game categories;
• usable floor plan or the available installation area;
• planned payment method and prize or redemption workflow, if applicable;
• target opening or delivery window;
• whether the inquiry is for a single model, a mixed order, or a complete project.

This context is not a substitute for model-level specifications. It helps the supplier distinguish between a general catalog request and a project that requires equipment selection, layout coordination, or mixed-order packing.

Avoid asking only, “Please send your best price.” That question encourages quotations based on different assumptions. A stronger request says, for example: “We are planning a commercial arcade in [country]. Please quote the listed models and identify every configuration, optional item, packing detail, and shipping exclusion.”

Step 2: Identify Each Machine at Model Level

Every line in the quotation should refer to a specific model or an unambiguous product description. Record the category, player capacity, and quantity. If a supplier uses an internal model name, ask for supporting photographs and a parameter sheet so the item can be matched across the proposal, invoice, inspection records, and packing list.

For each model, request:

• product name or model reference;
• quantity;
• complete-machine dimensions;
• player capacity;
• main display, control, seating, motion, or mechanical configuration where relevant;
• standard included accessories;
• optional accessories and their separate prices;
• product and package photographs that show the actual type being quoted.

Do not assume a category name defines a universal specification. “Racing arcade machine,” for example, can refer to single-player, twin-player, linked, or motion formats. “Sports arcade machine” can describe basketball, boxing, football or soccer, and other physically interactive equipment with different space and safety needs.

Step 3: Confirm Voltage, Frequency, Plug, and Site Power

Electrical requirements must be confirmed before production. The destination country is useful, but it is not enough by itself. Ask the venue electrician or qualified local professional to confirm the available voltage, frequency, plug or connection method, grounding, circuit capacity, and any local installation requirements.

The quotation or approved specification should state the configuration that the supplier will provide. If the order contains different machine types, verify each model rather than applying one value to the entire list.

Physical plug compatibility does not prove that voltage, frequency, current capacity, or grounding is correct. Treat electrical configuration as an approval field, not a last-minute shipping note. The buyer remains responsible for checking the finished venue and local requirements with appropriate professionals.

Step 4: Specify the Payment and Redemption Workflow

Coin, token, card, cashless, free-play, and redemption interfaces are not interchangeable assumptions. Compatibility varies by model and by the payment-system provider.

Tell the supplier:

• whether the venue uses coins, tokens, cards, another cashless system, or free play;
• the relevant coin or token information if a coin acceptor is required;
• the card-system brand or technical interface, when already selected;
• whether readers will be installed at the factory, prepared by the supplier, or fitted locally;
• whether the machine needs a ticket or redemption interface—except racing arcade machines, which EPARK does not describe or configure as ticket or lottery payout machines;
• who is responsible for system setup, testing, network configuration, and final commissioning.

Ask for written confirmation that the selected model supports the required interface. “Card ready” can mean different things to different suppliers, so define the actual hardware, wiring, pulse or communication requirement, reader mounting, and testing responsibility with the payment-system provider.

Step 5: Separate Standard Equipment from Customization

Customization can affect price, approval time, production steps, and minimum order quantity. Supported options depend on the selected model and the requested change; no buyer should assume that every cabinet, logo, color, artwork, lighting, language, or payment modification is universally available.

For each requested change, ask the supplier to label it as:

1. standard and included;
2. available at additional cost;
3. subject to a model-dependent MOQ;
4. requiring artwork or sample approval;
5. not supported for that model.

Record color references, logo files, artwork dimensions, language content, and approval responsibility in writing. If a visual proof or sample is required, add it to the production approval schedule. A verbal “OEM is available” is not a sufficiently clear customization scope.

Step 6: Verify Documentation and Certificate Scope

Documentation requirements depend on the selected product, destination, importer, and local rules. Before ordering, ask which documents can be provided for the exact machine and configuration.

Possible documents include a commercial invoice, packing list, product parameter sheet, operating or installation information, packing data, and relevant certificate or test documents. A certificate should be checked against the product, model, standard, market requirement, issuing body, and validity shown in the document. It should not be treated as universal coverage for every product a supplier sells.

The buyer or importer should confirm destination requirements with a qualified local customs, compliance, electrical, or safety professional. A supplier can provide available documents, but it should not replace destination-specific professional advice with a generic claim.

Step 7: Compare Inspection and Acceptance, Not Just “QC Included”

Ask what will be checked for the approved order and what evidence can be provided before shipment. Inspection items vary by machine type. A racing machine, claw machine, basketball machine, air hockey table, or VR simulator does not have the same functional and mechanical checklist.

A useful acceptance plan may cover:

• model, quantity, and approved appearance;
• dimensions and key configuration fields;
• controls, displays, sound, lighting, software, or game functions as applicable;
• payment interface and credit/start behavior;
• mechanical functions and safety-related guards for the selected machine type;
• supplied accessories, keys, manuals, and agreed spare parts;
• customization against the approved proof;
• visible condition before packing;
• packing marks and package identity.

EPARK has confirmed that pre-shipment photos or testing videos can be provided for confirmed orders. Define the required views and functions before the inspection takes place. A short showroom video is not the same as order-linked acceptance evidence.

Step 8: Compare Packing as Part of the Product Scope

Packing affects protection, handling, storage, and freight planning. The quotation should state the proposed method for each machine or package rather than make a universal promise.

Request:

• packing method and main protective materials;
• whether detachable components are packed separately;
• number of packages;
• package dimensions and gross weight when confirmed;
• accessory and spare-parts packing method;
• shipping marks or package identifiers;
• loading or packing evidence available for the order.

Different machines may require different methods. Real EPARK packing examples can illustrate previous workflows, but the final method must be confirmed for the selected products, route, and order requirements.

Step 9: Put Shipping Terms on the Same Basis

A product total and a delivered total are not the same offer. Record the quoted currency, validity period, payment terms, production assumptions, and Incoterm or other agreed handover scope. Identify the named place or port and the version of the agreed term used in the contract.

Check whether the price includes:

• pickup or inland transport at origin;
• export handling and documents;
• ocean, air, rail, or other main freight;
• insurance, if agreed;
• destination charges;
• customs clearance, duties, and taxes;
• final delivery, unloading, lifting, or on-site installation.

Do not assume a supplier controls destination customs clearance, delivery timing, or local handling unless that responsibility is explicitly included. Freight and destination costs can change, so record the quotation date and validity.

Step 10: Compare Warranty and After-Sales Support in Writing

Warranty length alone does not explain the support process. Ask what information the buyer must provide when reporting a problem, how troubleshooting is handled, how spare parts are coordinated, and which exclusions or buyer responsibilities apply.

EPARK has confirmed a two-year warranty, offline, online, and remote after-sales support, and spare-parts coordination. The exact written warranty terms and support scope should still be attached to the selected order. Do not infer guaranteed response times, universal free replacement, lifetime service, or global on-site support unless the contract explicitly confirms them.

For mixed orders, ask whether recommended spare parts differ by model. Confirm the names, quantities, prices, and packing location of any purchased spare-parts kit.

A Practical Quote Comparison Table

Use one row per requirement and mark each offer as Confirmed, Optional, Excluded, or Open.

Add a notes column in your working version for unresolved questions. Do not convert an open field into an assumption just to complete the spreadsheet.

Red Flags When Reviewing a Quotation

Pause and request clarification when:

• the product is identified only by a generic category or catalog image;
• dimensions, electrical configuration, or payment interface are missing;
• a customization promise has no written scope, proof process, or MOQ status;
• certificates are presented without a clear product and standard scope;
• “quality checked” is stated without order-specific acceptance criteria;
• packing is undefined until after payment;
• shipping is described as “included” without a named destination and responsibility split;
• after-sales promises use broad terms but provide no written workflow;
• the invoice, payment recipient, and supplier identity do not align without explanation;
• a low total depends on options that the project actually requires.

A clarification request is not an accusation. Professional suppliers should be able to identify what is confirmed, what is model-dependent, and what still requires buyer input.

How EPARK Reviews a Buyer RFQ

EPARK's project workflow begins with the destination, venue or equipment need, selected models or categories, quantity, floor plan where relevant, payment method, electrical requirements, customization request, and target schedule. Current model information is then matched to the inquiry. Final specifications and quotation scope are confirmed in writing before production.

Quality checks are tied to the approved order and selected machine. Packing and shipping preparation follow the confirmed products and route rather than a universal template. This process gives both parties a shared reference for production follow-up, inspection, packing, and handover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The best way to compare arcade machine quotes is to make the quotations comparable. Send one structured RFQ, require model-level answers, and separate confirmed inclusions from options, exclusions, and unresolved requirements. Review electrical, payment, customization, inspection, packing, shipping, warranty, and documentation with the same care as the machine price.

This approach will not remove every project variable, but it will expose the variables before they become order disputes or installation problems. It also gives the selected supplier a clearer basis for production and gives the buyer a better acceptance record.