question on merchant fees. Most card readers like Nayax or Cantaloupe charge somewhere around 5.95% plus a monthly connection fee.
When you're starting out, that default rate seems pretty non-negotiable. But as your fleet grows or your monthly volume goes up, is there actually room to negotiate those rates down with the processor? Or is the vending space just too low-margin for them to care unless you have hundreds of machines?
Curious if anyone here has successfully cut down their transaction fees, and at what machine count or sales volume they started taking you seriously.

I’ve been touring a few office spaces lately to scope spots for cold drinks & packaged snacks.
There are a bunch of small details I’m not sure how to judge.
What warning sign makes you immediately pass on a location?

Hi all,

As the title suggests, I’ve recently acquired a bevmax machine.

How have others got around the whole Nayax taking over the payments? I’ve set it up today and the reader takes the payment however the machine just says please wait and doesn’t do anything.

I have some used commercial equipment, like a fridge and a rice warmer. Can you recommend a way to sell them quickly in San Francisco? Thanks!

Description:
Hey everyone 👋

Just got into the vending world and currently working on getting my first machine set up. Super excited but also trying to go in with my eyes open lol

Before I get too deep I wanted to ask the people who actually know — what are the things that nobody warns you about?

Like specifically:

• When you first started, what hit you that you didn't expect?
• What still annoys you to this day no matter how long you've been doing this?
• Is tracking profit per machine actually as simple as people make it sound, or is it a mess?
• How do you know when to refill before the machine goes empty and you lose sales?
• Any software or tools you wish existed but doesn't?

Not looking for sugarcoating — the more brutal the better 😂 Want to be ready for whatever comes

Thanks in advance 🙏

My smart cooler arrived at the client site today but its currently unusable. The handle was supposed to have 4 screws wrapped with it and they were missing. Does anyone know the standard screw size for the Sandstar VRK / Spectra Pro?

Im also dealing with power cycling, no network connectivity, and a nonfunctioning door lock. Ideas?

Hey guys, I’ve been analyzing drink selection strategies recently and bumped into a classic dilemma.
Big brands like Coca-Cola or Monster sell quickly because of brand recognition, but the profit margins are no good. On the flip side, some local or lesser-known specialty beverage brands offer incredible margins, but they take much longer to move off the shelf.
how do you usually strike the right balance?thanks

The owner is selling the location because it is a too far of a commute. It makes $600 a month. They would keep their machine and I’d have to place my own machine. How do you calculate the price for that?Thanks

I’ve found a tiny office with only 25 employees nearby. I’m unsure if the daily demand for bottled drinks and packaged snacks can cover my running costs. Is this crowd size viable for starters?

Hello,

I have 2 Snacks in storage one manufactured in 2022, the other 2025. Both barely used have sat in storage most their lives I go out with a generator to service and clean them regularly. I just don’t have the time any more to go find a location and service them.

I’m more so curious how much I could sell them for if I posted them for sale. Any advice helps.

Thank you

KimmaVendor G363 Combo Vending Machine – Like New – Card Reader Included – $2700 OBO
Selling my KimmaVendor G363 combo vending machine. Located in Cleveland, OH.
I purchased it new for $3,900 and it’s in excellent cosmetic condition with very little use.

***location not included***

Features:
Combo snack & drink vending machine
Credit/debit card reader included and working
Refrigerated drink section keeps products cold
Dispenses products correctly
Clean inside and out – looks nearly new

Capacity: Holds approximately 214 snacks and drinks with 30 product selections (12 snack, 18 beverage).

Please note:
The coin acceptor is malfunctioning and would cost around $300 to replace, the cost reflects this and has been reduced. Sold as is.

Price: $2700 OBO

Buyer is responsible for pickup and transportation. The machine weighs approximately 430–500 lbs, so bring the appropriate equipment.

Feel free to message me with any questions or to schedule a time to see it.

How is the nayax system? And does it help track the stock of the vending machine as well as reads cards? If so, how complex is the app?

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some advice from people with experience in the vending business.

I’m considering placing an AI smart cooler (costs me about $3500- 4,000) at a privately owned gym that also has a physical therapy clinic connected to it.

Here are the details:
65 people/day on average come through the facility (owner’s estimate)

About 35 personal training clients (not a traditional membership gym)
Physical therapy clinic attached to the gym

Not open 24/7

Proposed contract is 2 years

I pay a $500 one-time placement fee

I also pay 7% of gross sales to the owner

I handle all inventory, maintenance, and servicing
I’m trying to figure out whether this is a good location or if I’m taking on too much risk considering the machine costs around $3500 - 4,000.

For those of you with experience:

1)Would you take this deal?

2) What monthly sales would you realistically expect from a location like this?

3) Is the $500 + 7% reasonable?

4) What minimum monthly revenue would make this worthwhile for you?

I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences with similar gym/PT locations.

Me and a few of my buddies have seen some of those tik tok or instagram reels of people that are putting the nicotine vending machines in bars near them. If anyone has any useful info on where to even get started with it, it’d be much appreciated. We’re based in New York and have noticed that none of the bars near us even have any.

I’m debating whether to keep running 5-year-old smart machines or budget for replacements. Reliability seems to drop gradually after 4 years. What equipment lifecycle do other operators follow?

I’ve been thinking about starting a vending machine business as a way to build an extra stream of income and eventually create something that can grow over time. I like the idea of owning a business that doesn’t require me to be there every minute of the day and has the potential to become semi-passive once it’s established. I’m realistic and know it won’t be easy, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can before buying my first machine. For those of you who already own vending machines, what do you wish you knew before you started? Are there any common mistakes, hidden costs, or challenges that caught you off guard? I’d also love to hear how you found your first location and whether you think the business is still worth getting into today. Any advice is appreciated!

For reference, I have a family member who’s letting me set up a vending machine at the place he works at, they’re letting me keep 100% of profits.

Main things I need to know about is setting up an LLC for liability protection (for reference I currently live in Oklahoma) and reputable sources to buy a new vending machine (looking towards a single machine that dispenses drinks & snacks).

Also, do I need to set up a new account with my bank for the new LLC? It’s probably overkill, but every source I try to find is some guru trying to sell you the path to the next multi-million dollar vending business, I don’t care, I just wanna set up a single machine in a timely manner and have piece of mind about it and knowing I’m not getting ripped off on price.

Lastly, what sort of processes, if any, do I need to take with state or local governance to get things verified, both business-wise and tax-wise. Thank y’all!

For example, consumption power, age structure, and population quality, which seem to be related to market research and statistics

Coca Cola Dixie narco vending machine everything works Just has no payment processing coin thingy Just works for free rn other than that everything else is intact!

Curious what people had more success in with locations. Apartment buildings or laundromats?

Hi everyone! I apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked a million times. I'm really interested in getting started in the vending machine business and had a few questions for those with experience.

Have any of you had better success with 21+ vending machines that sell products like ZYN pouches? I've been seeing more people online in different states talk about how profitable these machines can be, but it also seems like finding good locations might be much more difficult due to laws and restrictions.

For someone just getting started, would you recommend focusing on traditional snack and drink vending instead, or do you think the higher margins on 21+ products make it the better choice?

Any feedback from people that have experience with both will be much appreciated!

I’m a blue collar worker living in NYC and I’m in need of some extra income. I’m considering getting into the vending machine business but I don’t know what’s the best option to get started. I have some capital to get started but I’m not sure if it’s better to rent or purchase. And I’m in search of a reputable company to purchase or rent a machine. I looked into Vending.com but they have mixed reviews. Any recommendations on reputable companies or how to get started would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

We’re getting into phone charger bank rental kiosks. After researching competitors hospital seem to be a great location.

We have scraped their back end and found that to be the highest rental location.

There are a lot of hospitals in our area that are not currently serviced. Where do I start when trying to find the right person to talk to? Start with the general help line? Any help is much appreciated.

The common theme I've noticed in vending is that fuel costs and refill trips to far locations are a revenue killer. Have any of the operators here tried using some dynamic routing solution with your VMS? If not, what's keeping you from trying one?

Thanks in advance!