How to Compare Arcade Machine Supplier Quotes for an Overseas Order
Two arcade machine quotations can look similar on the first page while covering very different equipment and services. A lower unit price may exclude payment hardware, spare parts, packing, or support after installation. Before choosing a supplier, compare the complete order on the same basis.
This guide is for buyers planning an overseas order of claw machines, video games, capsule machines, or other amusement equipment. Use it alongside our overseas buying checklist.
1. Put each quote into the same comparison sheet
Ask every supplier to quote the same model, quantity, destination, and configuration. Record the cabinet dimensions, power requirement, screen size, game version, payment method, and included accessories for each machine. For claw machines, specify whether the price includes the claw assembly, prize chute, control board, and any requested card or coin acceptor.
Model names alone are not enough. A change in cabinet size, components, artwork, or payment system can change both the price and the space needed at your venue.
2. Separate equipment price from landed cost
Request an itemized quotation. Identify the machine price, custom branding, packing, inland transport, export charges, freight, insurance, import duties, taxes, and local delivery. Ask which trade term and named destination the supplier used. An EXW offer and a delivered offer should not be compared as if they cover the same work.
Freight and import charges depend on the route and local rules, so obtain current figures from your freight forwarder or customs adviser before making a purchase decision. A supplier’s estimate is useful for planning, but it is not a final landed-cost figure.
3. Confirm the electrical and payment configuration
Tell the supplier your local voltage, frequency, plug type, language, and intended payment method. If you will use a cashless system, provide its technical requirements and ask whether the machine has been tested with that exact hardware. Clarify whether the quote includes installation or integration of the payment device.
Also ask for a photo of the rating label, operating instructions, and any documents your market requires. Compliance requirements vary by destination and product; check them with the relevant local authority or importer before shipment.
4. Review packaging and shipping details
Request packed dimensions, gross weight, crate or carton type, and loading photographs where available. These details help your forwarder estimate freight and let your team plan unloading and door access. Confirm whether fragile parts are protected, whether accessories travel inside the cabinet, and how many packages make up one machine.
For a venue with a narrow entrance or lift, the packed size can matter as much as the machine’s operating footprint. Measure the delivery route before ordering.
5. Make after-sales support specific
Ask what the warranty covers, when it begins, and how faults are diagnosed. Check which parts are included, who pays shipping for replacements, and whether support is available in your operating time zone. Request a recommended spare-parts list for the models in your order.
A useful quote names the support process rather than promising only “good service.” For mixed orders, confirm that manuals, wiring diagrams, and spare-part identifiers are provided for each model.
6. Agree on acceptance steps before paying the balance
Write down the agreed configuration, artwork approval process, production lead time, and evidence you expect before dispatch. Depending on the order, this may include machine photos, a short functional test video, payment-system checks, packing photos, and a serial-number list. Clarify how differences will be corrected before shipment.
Keep these items in the purchase order or written sales agreement. Do not rely on a chat message to define a critical specification.
A simple quote comparison checklist
- Exact model and configuration match
- Quantity, unit price, and custom-work charges
- Trade term and named place
- Packed dimensions, weight, and shipment method
- Voltage, plug, language, and payment method
- Documents, testing, warranty, and spare parts
- Production schedule and pre-shipment acceptance
Once the details are aligned, compare the total cost and the supplier’s ability to support your venue after delivery. Browse our arcade equipment catalog to shortlist models, then request a configuration-specific quotation for your market.
