A dispensing apparatus including a holding portion for holding a plurality of caps; a retaining device including a gap expandable between a retaining configuration preventing the cap from passing therethrough and a releasing configuration wherein the cap is releasable therethrough; a positioning device configured to receive the cap from the retaining device, the positioning device including an opening expandable between a narrow configuration preventing the cap from passing therethrough and a wide configuration wherein the cap is passable therethrough. The gap of the retaining device is expandable to the releasing configuration when the opening of the positioning device is retracted to the narrow configuration, and the gap of the retaining device is retractable to the retaining configuration when the opening of the positioning device is expanded to the wide configuration. A capping apparatus having such dispensing apparatus, and methods of dispensing a cap, and of capping, are disclosed.