Understanding Dispensers
How Counterparty dispensers work and what the different price fields mean.
What is a Dispenser?
A dispenser is an automated vending machine for Counterparty assets, always priced in BTC. When you "dispense", you send BTC to the dispenser address and automatically receive a predetermined quantity of the asset.
- * Trustless: No middleman - transaction happens on Bitcoin blockchain
- * Instant: Receive assets as soon as BTC confirms
- * Fixed Price: Creator sets BTC price upfront
- * Always Available: Works 24/7 while inventory lasts
The Three Price Concepts
Understanding these three distinct price concepts is key to using dispensers effectively:
Cost per Dispense (Transaction Cost)
What it means: The amount of BTC you pay when you click "dispense"
This is what you actually send to the dispenser. Same calculation for all assets.
Give Quantity (What You Receive)
What it means: How much of the asset you receive per dispense action
Divisible assets (like PEPECASH) use 8 decimal places. Indivisible assets (like most NFTs) are whole numbers.
Price per Unit (Unit Economics)
What it means: The effective BTC price per single whole unit of the asset
For indivisible assets where give_quantity = 1, this equals Cost/Dispense.
Real Example: FDCARD Dispenser
Divisible vs Indivisible Assets
Divisible Assets
Like currencies - can be split into fractions
Examples: PEPECASH, XCP, FDCARD
Storage: Quantities stored as satoshis (x100M)
Display: Divide by 100,000,000
Indivisible Assets
Like collectibles - whole units only
Examples: RAREPEPE, most NFTs
Storage: Quantities stored as integers
Display: Show as-is (no conversion)
How to Buy from a Dispenser
- 1Find a Dispenser
Browse dispensers on CounterTools asset pages or TokenScan.io
- 2Check the Cost
Look at "Cost/Dispense" - this is exactly what you'll send
- 3Send BTC
Send the exact BTC amount to the dispenser address from a Counterparty-compatible wallet
- 4Receive Asset
Once BTC confirms, the asset is automatically sent to your address
- * Always use a Counterparty-compatible wallet (Freewallet, Rare Pepe Wallet, etc.)
- * Send the EXACT amount shown - extra BTC may be lost
- * Check inventory before sending - empty dispensers can't fulfill orders
Reading Dispenser Tables
On CounterTools asset pages, dispenser tables show:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Source | Dispenser creator's address |
| Give Qty | Amount of asset per dispense |
| Cost/Dispense | BTC you send per dispense action |
| Price/Unit | BTC cost per whole unit of asset |
| Inventory | Remaining assets in dispenser |
| Age | How long dispenser has been active |