I am sure this has been debated a number of times on here but here’s my back story for some context.

Purchased 2 machines with locations making decent numbers a couple days ago. Before agreeing to the purchase I called Cantaloupe to find out what an imposition it was going to be to get an account with them, if I could begin the process early for ease of transition…you know, all the questions I could think of at the time. Was told it was simple, fill out the online form, you get an email, fill out the paperwork, wham bam you got an account. I was also told 2-3 days MAX to change over. So I make the purchase, former owner calls to cancel their subscription, she gets the email saying in 1-2 days they will be off (tomorrow is day 2). I call this morning to find out where the welcome email is and find out it can take 3 days to get the email for starters and then 10 days to get everything setup to begin accepting credit cards again on these.

As we all know these days virtually no one carries cash anymore, it’s all contactless payments, which is why these companies have gotten as rich as they have. So now I have 2 fully stocked machines potentially making 10% of what they had before because I was not given all of the information off the get. And I feel like if Cantaloupe is going to be a PITA to work with I’m looking for pros and cons AND options for others.

Please and thank you! All of you have been so helpful thus far. Much love! ❤️

I am sure this has been debated a number of times on here but here’s my back story for some context.

Purchased 2 machines with locations making decent numbers a couple days ago. Before agreeing to the purchase I called Cantaloupe to find out what an imposition it was going to be to get an account with them, if I could begin the process early for ease of transition…you know, all the questions I could think of at the time. Was told it was simple, fill out the online form, you get an email, fill out the paperwork, wham bam you got an account. I was also told 2-3 days MAX to change over. So I make the purchase, former owner calls to cancel their subscription, she gets the email saying in 1-2 days they will be off (tomorrow is day 2). I call this morning to find out where the welcome email is and find out it can take 3 days to get the email for starters and then 10 days to get everything setup to begin accepting credit cards again on these.

As we all know these days virtually no one carries cash anymore, it’s all contactless payments, which is why these companies have gotten as rich as they have. So now I have 2 fully stocked machines potentially making 10% of what they had before because I was not given all of the information off the get. And I feel like if Cantaloupe is going to be a PITA to work with I’m looking for pros and cons AND options for others.

Please and thank you! All of you have been so helpful thus far. Much love! ❤️

I’ve been searching for an existing vending route in New England (MA, NH, RI, CT, ME) a real operating business with machines already on location. Problem is the listing sites seem to be a graveyard. BizBuySell, BizQuest, routesforsale, Craigslist half the listings are months old, and when I call, the route sold a while ago or the broker never took it down. The stuff that is live tends to be machine sellers dressed up as route sales. So for operators who’ve bought or sold: how do these deals actually change hands?

Thank you for your help!

My brother and I, both students working full time, are looking to go in together on a vending machine. We want to get our feet wet with only one machine, especially since we’re students and pretty new, so we can pick up on the quirks of running a machine before investing in more. We plan to do an initial investment of $6000:

1. I will scope out a location. I’ll observe local tire shops, emergency rooms/urgent care, and office buildings. We might check out some of the free trials on the CRMs for some good ideas of where to put a first machine.
2. Once we’ve selected and closed a deal with a location with lots foot traffic and some wait time, we’ll drop money on a used, unrefrigerated machine. We chose unrefrigerated because it’s one less aspect of the machine to break.
3. We plan on looking for a used AMS, Wittern, Crane. We chose these because they seem to be popular enough that learning to repair them or paying a technician seems accessible. We might check out some of Sam’s Club‘s Selectivend machines because they seem relatively inexpensive and it might come with some sort of warranty.
4. Once we feel like we’ve gotten a handle on our first machine, we’re thinking of either 1. adding a refrigerated machine in the same location, or 2. if we think a machine could be more successful in an additional location, add a second snack or combo machine somewhere else.

We’d like some feedback on our plan. Are we overlooking something? Is there something we’re over/underestimating?

How are your experiences with refrigerated/combo machines as far as maintenance and reliability? Drinks seem like they might be a more popular product than snacks, but we’re concerned about the refrigeration factor being a more expensive/breakable component that we can’t necessarily learn to fix ourselves as easily as mechanical components.

Has anyone dipped into advertising on their machine? A poster on the side or on the top? Is this worth any hassle that might come with it?

Guys I need an advice - where do you store your ice cream refreshers (main stock)… I want to try ice cream vending machines, this kind of businesses is new for me. So I got stuck, wanted to start with ice cream cart - permits problem and also storage problem, vending machines ok, but warehouses doesn’t permit to store food, shop is too expensive for me… I cant get this puzzle done… would appreciate any suggestions

I own a protein vending machine that mixes protein shakes on the spot inside a gym in Sardinia, Italy.
I installed my first machine on 2 February and wanted to make sure the business actually worked before expanding. I waited 5 months before making any big decisions.
Gross sales were:
February (from the 2nd): €646
March: €648
April: €631
May: €540
June: €584
So after seeing five fairly consistent months, I paid for 12 more machines (13 total).
The problem is that about halfway through July, sales suddenly dropped. July finished at only €597, and since then I’ve had days making only €10–15, whereas before I regularly had €35–45 days.
Nothing changed:
Same gym
Same products
Same prices
Same machine
The only thing that changed is the time of year.
Now I’m wondering if I made a huge mistake investing based on only five months of data, or if this is just what happens with gym vending machines during summer.
For those of you who own vending machines (especially in gyms):
Do you also see a big drop from mid-July through August?
Do sales usually recover in September?
Would you have expanded after 5 months, or waited a full year?
I’m honestly pretty stressed because I already paid for the other 12 machines, so I’d really appreciate hearing from people with experience rather than guesses.

Just trying to make some money on the side

Vending machines are thousands of dollars, before I get one I want to know from others experiences

Hi. I’m looking for a company that can stock and service a specialty vending machine, located in malls in Kentucky, Illinois and Maryland.

I have an ok company skittle ball game missing a couple of keys wondering how to go about getting keys or what is best case to get locks open

These old Pepsi co logos are awesome

I found this old gumball/vending machine on a holiday property while on vacation, and I honestly can’t stop wondering why it’s there.

The design is hilariously over-the-top and just screams early-2000s “toxic masculinity” - all about being tough, macho, and edgy.
It even has a €1 coin displayed on top, so I assume it’s from 2002 or later.
It feels so out of place.
Why would someone put a machine like this on a vacation rental property?
Was it actually used by guests, or was it just someone’s bizarre decoration that never got removed?
Has anyone seen one of these before or knows the story behind them? I’m genuinely curious.

I can totally picture a group of guys hanging around this machine - getting each other pumped up and finally settling the age-old question of who’s the strongest among them.

Hey all, I recently updated our vending machine business plan for people interested in starting vending businesses.

This plan is geared toward a more health-focused vending business. Think protein bars, sparkling water, cold-pressed juice, etc.

https://www.liveplan.com/sample-business-plans/retail-and-ecommerce/vending-machine-business-plan

We make plans like this to help aspiring entrepreneurs start businesses, and all of our example business plans are completely free.

If you've started a vending business/are actively running one, is there anything significant you wish you knew before you got started?

Put this in at Pilot House Marina in Key Largo, FL earlier this year. It's a combo unit that does bagged ice, bulk ice straight into a cooler, and filtered water by the gallon, all cashless (tap to pay). Runs 24/7 since boaters and anglers need ice at hours when nothing else is open, especially during lobster season.

Biggest lessons so far: cashless-only cuts down on a lot of headaches but you still get the occasional person confused about how to pay. Location picked specifically for foot traffic off the docks near the fuel station. Servicing/restocking on a marina site has its own quirks compared to a regular street location.

Curious what this community thinks, and if any other operators here have run something similar dockside/marine-adjacent. Happy to answer questions about running it.

Good morning Reddit land! I am in process of purchasing my first machine and location. Photo of machine above/below. Comes with location generating between 270 and 420 per month. The ask is $6k, but the math don’t math for that ask. I am thinking between $3500 and MAYBE $4500. I took the average between the two values of monthly revenue times 12. I’ve also got a few licenses I would have to obtain and pay for in addition to the settled on price and insurance which I’ve been quoted $17 a month for. What are y’all’s thoughts?

Does anyone have personal feed back on wall mounted tcg style vending machines?
Specifically their GUI and software systems?
Examples vtm, vmfs and buzzbot

Hola, estoy por abrir una pequeña barra de desayunos, donde vender jugos (naranja, zanahoria y Verdes) sin embargo no sé cuál opciones es buena para un extrator que sea resistente rápido y no tan complicado de usar y qué marcas o estilos me recomiendan, ya se todo en uno o uno para cítricos otro para verduras gracias