The information on this page applies to two unique industries:
- Banknote Equipment Manufacturers (BEM) - companies that produce any type of equipment that handles banknotes (cash handling equipment) for commercial purposes, which includes but is not limited to, point of sale, counting and sorting, transit systems, vending, gaming, and note validating and dispensing in commercial environments.
- Currency Reader Manufacturers (CRM) - companies that produce a product or service commercially available and designed for the purpose of denominating U.S. currency by an individual.
BEP offers the following services to facilitate machine recognition and acceptance of genuine U.S. currency:
- For BEP-approved BEMs and CRMs, the Test Deck Program is used to communicate upcoming changes to U.S. currency in circulation (ex., new currency designs). It consists of off-site testing by BEM or CRM staff at approved locations using non-monetized samples of Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) provided by BEP at BEP’s discretion.For companies meeting the definition of BEM, BEP’s BEM Device Lab is used to make informed decisions about providing Test Decks to BEMs. BEP realizes that not all variations affect currency acceptance by machines. The BEM Device Lab consists of an on-site testing service provided by BEP staff at a BEP location using BEP’s non-monetized FRN samples and eligible BEM-provided equipment.
If your firm would like to receive sample notes, but your company is not currently an approved BEM or CRM, please review the application procedures that apply to your company by clicking on one of the options below:
- For companies meeting the definition of BEM, BEP’s BEM Device Lab is used to make informed decisions about providing Test Decks to BEMs. BEP realizes that not all variations affect currency acceptance by machines. The BEM Device Lab consists of an on-site testing service provided by BEP staff at a BEP location using BEP’s non-monetized FRN samples and eligible BEM-provided equipment.The BEM Device Lab may also be used to test counterfeit notes.
If your firm would like more information regarding eligibility requirements and/or how to include your company’s equipment in the BEM Device Lab, please contact BEM_and_CRM_Customer_Support@bep.gov.
In addition to services available through BEP, BEP-approved BEMs also have access to counterfeit notes and genuine notes of varying degrees of fitness for testing purposes through the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Currency Technology Office (CTO). For more information about this program, email the CTO at Rich.CTO.Engineering@rich.frb.org.
