Trilad Tech at GTI China Expo 2026 | QR Payment on the Show Floor

We didn't have a booth at GTI China Expo this September. But if you walked the show floor in Guangzhou, you might have spotted something familiar on a few of the machines.

Several exhibitors at the 18th GTI China Expo (September 10 to 12, China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou) had Trilad Tech payment devices installed on their machines. Popcorn vending machines, token exchangers, coin changers, claw machines. Different manufacturers, different machine types, all running our payment solutions.

That's what factory pre-installation looks like in the real world.

What We Saw on the Floor

Popcorn vending machine with Tri20 payment terminal, built by Zhongfu Amusement

One of the first things that caught our eye was a popcorn vending machine built by Zhongfu Amusement. It had our Tri20 terminal mounted right into the front panel, with a large touchscreen next to it for product selection. Customers pick a flavor, scan the QR code on the Tri20 screen, pay through Mercado Pago, and the machine pops fresh popcorn on the spot.

Tri20 displaying a Mercado Pago QR code alongside the machine's animated display

The close-up tells the story. The Tri20 is showing a Mercado Pago payment screen in Spanish, ready for customers in Latin America. The machine's own display runs its animations and branding right alongside the payment terminal. Two separate systems, fully integrated, working as one unit.

Customers pick a popcorn flavor on the touchscreen, then pay via Tri20

And here's what the customer sees when they're picking a flavor. Six options on the big screen, the Tri20 ready to take payment on the left. This kind of machine is interesting for us because it goes beyond the traditional amusement use case. A popcorn vending machine in a mall, cinema, or transit station is an unattended retail machine that needs reliable cashless payment just as much as any arcade.

Token exchange machine with Tri20 and Tribox installed side by side

This token exchange machine was a good example of a manufacturer showing off everything at once. It had two of our products installed side by side. The Tri20 terminal is mounted next to the bill acceptor, handling QR-based payments like Mercado Pago. And the "Scan or Tap to Pay" sticker at the top right is connected to a Tribox hidden inside the machine, which is what enables Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo. In practice, most operators choose one or the other depending on their market. But technically, both can run on the same machine at the same time, and this manufacturer wanted to demonstrate that.

MAX GAMES coin changer with Tri20 payment terminal integrated

Another standout was a coin changer by MAX GAMES from their "Global Pro Coin Changer Series." It had our Tri20 terminal integrated right into the front panel with LED accent lighting. Instead of only accepting bills, this machine now offers QR payment as well. Players can scan, pay, and collect their tokens. Cash and cashless, side by side on the same machine.

Beyond what we photographed, we also spotted claw machines and capsule toy machines running Tribox with PrizeOut branding. The variety of machine types running Trilad Tech payment at the show was the real takeaway.

Why This Matters

GTI China Expo is one of the biggest amusement and gaming trade shows in Asia. This year's edition drew over 800 exhibitors and visitors from more than 150 countries. The theme was "Smart Innovation, Global Connectivity," and it covered everything from arcade games and redemption machines to VR attractions and digital entertainment.

When machine manufacturers choose to install our payment devices before the machines even ship, it sends a clear message. These aren't payment solutions that get added later as an afterthought. They're part of the machine from day one.

For operators buying machines at a show like GTI, this changes the math completely. Instead of purchasing a machine, waiting for it to arrive, then shopping around for a payment solution, hiring someone to install it, and crossing your fingers that everything works together, the machine shows up ready to earn. Plug it in, connect to Wi-Fi or use the built-in SIM, and transactions start flowing.

What Was on Display

The machines at GTI featured two of our core products:

Tri20 is a compact payment terminal with a built-in screen that displays dynamic QR codes. It can be configured to show different payment methods depending on the market. The popcorn machine and token exchanger at the show had it set up for Mercado Pago, targeting Latin American markets. But the same device can just as easily display Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, or card payment options for the US market. It connects through MDB, serial port, or pulse protocol, so it works with a wide range of machines.

Tribox is our QR Scan & Go device. It's a small IoT unit that installs inside the machine, paired with a branded QR sticker on the outside. Customers scan the code with their phone camera and land on a payment page where they choose how to pay. No app, no registration. The token exchange machine at the show had a Tribox inside powering the "Scan or Tap to Pay" sticker, running alongside the Tri20 on the same machine. We also saw Tribox on claw machines and capsule toy machines with PrizeOut branding. Tribox comes with prize detection, which sends operators a notification through our Orbit Hub platform whenever a prize is dispensed. For claw machine and capsule toy operators running dozens or hundreds of machines, that feature alone is a game changer.

Both devices connect to Orbit Hub, our cloud management platform where operators can monitor sales, track transactions, configure payment methods, and manage their entire fleet from one dashboard.

Working With Manufacturers Across the Region

What GTI showed us is that the factory pre-installation model is gaining traction. Machine manufacturers in China supply a massive share of the world's amusement and vending equipment. Arcade games, claw machines, kiddie rides, capsule toys, token exchangers, and now vending machines like the popcorn unit at the show. These machines get shipped to operators in the US, Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

By partnering with these manufacturers to install Trilad Tech payment at the production stage, we're solving one of the most common pain points we hear from operators: the cost and hassle of adding payment after the fact.

We're actively working with manufacturers who export to the Americas and beyond. If you're a manufacturer interested in shipping machines with payment pre-installed, or an operator who sources machines from China and wants them to arrive payment-ready, we'd like to hear from you.

What's Next

We're building on the momentum from GTI and our earlier success at AAA Expo, where we collected over 100 leads and walked away with 5 major opportunities. Next up is IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando this November (Booth W2750, West Building), where we'll have live demos and our full product lineup on display.

If you saw our products at GTI and want to learn more, or if you're a manufacturer or operator interested in factory pre-installation, reach out to us.

Get in touch with Trilad Tech →

Trilad Tech builds end-to-end cashless payment solutions for unattended machines. QR Scan & Go, EMV card readers, and a cloud management platform, all developed in-house. We work with operators and machine manufacturers across the Americas and beyond.