How Much Does a Vending Machine Make? Profit Calculation and Examples

Updated 21 October 2026

Is a vending machine a good investment? It can be, but vending machine profit comes down to two things: where the machine stands and how well you run it. This guide gives you the profit formula, three worked scenarios (weak, average and strong location), payback periods and the mistakes that cost new operators the most. The examples are in euros, but the math works the same in any currency: swap in your local prices, fees and taxes. Treat every figure as an assumption to test, not a promise.

The vending machine profit formula

Monthly profit = (sales per day × average price excl. tax × trading days × gross margin %) - location commission - card fees - electricity - waste - other fixed costs

• Sales per day: the number of items sold. This is the single biggest variable and the hardest to predict.
• Average price excl. tax: always work net of VAT, GST or sales tax, since that money is not yours. Rates differ by country and sometimes by product.
• Gross margin %: (selling price excl. tax minus product cost) divided by selling price excl. tax. US industry sources put branded snacks at roughly 50 to 60% and cold canned or bottled drinks at about 65 to 75%. We use 50% in our examples to stay conservative.
• Location commission: industry guides commonly cite 5 to 25% of revenue, sometimes nothing for a small site and more for a high-traffic one.
• Card fees: vending-focused card reader plans in the US typically quote 3 to 5% per transaction, plus a small monthly fee; some general-purpose terminals in Europe charge under 2%. We use 3%.
• Electricity: a commonly quoted range is 400 to 800 kWh per year for a vending machine. At a French small-business rate of about 0.13 € per kWh excluding standing charges (October 2026), that is roughly 50 to 110 € a year. A chilled glass-front machine in a warm spot can use more, so we budget 15 to 20 € a month.

Plug in your own numbers with our profit calculator.

Three worked scenarios

Shared assumptions: one 21.5" Touchscreen Snack & Drink Vending Machine in the refrigerated version (5,990 € incl. VAT), with a contactless card reader (350 €), a wrap (470 €) and a spare parts kit (180 €), all including VAT: 6,990 € including VAT delivered to France, with door-to-door transport, duty and customs clearance included. A VAT-registered business normally recovers the VAT paid on the machine, so the investment used here is the delivered price excluding VAT, 5,826 € (4,992 + 292 + 392 + 150). If you cannot recover VAT, use 6,990 € instead. The breakdown is in our vending machine price guide. Waste and expired stock: 2% of revenue.

These are pre-tax figures, before depreciation, insurance, fuel and the telemetry subscription after year one (our 4G app is included for the first year). The key lesson: the same machine can pay for itself in about seven months or take nearly four years, depending on location.

Step by step: the average location

25 sales a day × 2.00 € × 26 days = 1,300 € revenue. At a 50% gross margin, 650 € is left. Subtract the 10% commission (130 €), 3% card fees (39 €), electricity (15 €) and 2% waste (26 €): 440 € a month. On a 5,826 € investment excluding VAT, payback is 5,826 / 440 ≈ 13.2 months. Without VAT recovery, on 6,990 € including VAT, it is 6,990 / 440 ≈ 15.9 months. If sales drop to 18 a day, profit falls to about 313 € and payback stretches to 5,826 / 313 ≈ 18.6 months, around 19 months. Always run a low case before you commit.

Is it really passive income?

Vending is often sold as passive income. It is not. You buy stock, refill, rotate dates, clean, handle jams and refunds, and keep the location owner happy. Telemetry helps a lot: you see sales and empty slots remotely and only drive out when it is worth it. But the work does not vanish. Think of it as semi-passive income that takes a few hours per machine per month.

Best vending machine locations

• A captive audience: employees, students, hospital visitors, people waiting. The longer people stay on site, the better.
• Few nearby alternatives: no shop or open cafeteria a short walk away.
• Long hours: night shifts, weekends, on-call staff. Vending wins when everything else is closed.
• Visibility: by the break room, entrance or waiting area, not in an empty corridor.
• The basics: a dedicated power socket, level floor, and shelter if outdoors (our outdoor kit is 830 € incl. VAT).

Agree a clear commission and a written contract covering term, notice, access and damage. A lower commission on a decent site can beat a high commission on a busy one.

Product mix and pricing

• Start broad, then keep what sells. A few weeks of sales data from the app shows you what to drop.
• Cold drinks often carry a better margin than snacks, so give them space.
• Match local price levels, then test small increases on your best sellers.
• Add a few healthier options (sugar-free, high-protein) to widen your audience.
• Go cashless: many customers carry no coins. QR code payment is standard on our snack and drink machines, and a contactless card reader is available as an option (350 € incl. VAT).

Common mistakes

1. Buying the machine before securing the location. Location first, machine second.
2. Planning on the best case. Make the decision on the weak scenario.
3. Forgetting import costs when they are not included: freight, duty, clearance. With us, they are included in the price for France and the EU; elsewhere, they are on your quote. See shipping and returns.
4. Agreeing to a high commission without knowing real foot traffic.
5. Neglecting service: an empty or broken machine loses customers for good.
6. Ignoring local rules: fresh food hygiene, age-restricted products, and machine compliance in your country. See our compliance page.

Which machine should you start with?

The formula is the same for every machine: sales × average price excl. tax, minus product cost and running costs. What changes is the kind of site that suits the machine and the product cost per sale. Some pointers from our catalogue (delivered prices including VAT for France and the EU, excluding VAT in brackets):

• Offices, workshops, gyms, residences: the 21.5" Touchscreen Snack & Drink Vending Machine, at 5,490 € (4,575 € excl. VAT), or 5,990 € refrigerated (4,992 € excl. VAT), or its keypad version, at 4,990 € (4,158 € excl. VAT), or 5,490 € refrigerated (4,575 € excl. VAT). This is the case modelled in the scenarios above.
• Cinemas, bowling alleys, arcades, lobbies: a popcorn machine such as the BMH-06, at 3,890 € (3,242 € excl. VAT). Manufacturer data: about 40 g of corn per 32 oz cup, so 25 cups per kg, and two 3 kg hoppers, so about 150 cups per refill. Product cost per cup = price per kg of corn ÷ 25 + cup + flavouring: run the numbers with your own purchase prices.
• Snack bars, shops, events: the LYT-MHT 27 Countertop Cotton Candy Machine, at 3,690 € (3,075 € excl. VAT), which fits on a counter and makes a cotton candy in about 20 seconds.
• Malls, toy shops: the Push-Type Blind Box Vending Machine, at 5,190 € (4,325 € excl. VAT). Your margin depends on what you pay for the boxes, but there are no use-by dates or cold chain to manage.
• High-traffic leisure sites (malls, parks, zoos, cinemas): cotton candy robots, from 9,790 € (8,158 € excl. VAT, MHT-22) to 13,090 € (10,908 € excl. VAT, MHT-28 Truck), or the lighter LYT-28 Neon at 6,990 € (5,825 € excl. VAT). Allow 25 to 30 g of sugar per stick and 45 to 120 seconds depending on the pattern: one robot can serve at most roughly 30 to 80 sticks an hour, which caps sales at peak times. The investment is higher, so keep them for sites where foot traffic and the show factor justify it.

For these machines, rerun the calculation above with your own sales assumptions, selling price and real product cost. We do not publish a “typical” revenue figure, because it depends entirely on the site.

Scaling up: from one machine to a route

The real vending machine business is usually a route: several machines in one area, serviced in a single trip. Time and fuel are shared, you buy stock in bulk, and you can group several machines in one order and one delivery. Start with one or two machines, track real results for three to six months, then add sites that look like the ones that work. Compare models in our catalogue and options, then request a quote for several units.

FAQ

How much does a vending machine make per month?

In our assumptions, from a few dozen to several hundred euros of profit per machine, depending on location. Only your real traffic figures give a reliable estimate.

How long does it take to pay off a vending machine?

In our examples, from about 7 months on an excellent site to about 47 months (nearly four years) on a weak one, for 5,826 € invested excluding VAT (6,990 € including VAT delivered, with VAT recoverable by a VAT-registered business).

Does the calculation work outside Europe?

Yes. Use your local currency, sales tax, card fees, electricity rate and landed machine cost; the formula does not change. Outside the EU, your landed cost is the price excluding VAT plus the freight, duties and local taxes shown on your quote.

Which machine is best for beginners?

A snack and drink machine, keypad (4,990 €, or 5,490 € refrigerated) or touchscreen (5,490 €, or 5,990 € refrigerated), all including VAT, is the most versatile. On a small budget at a leisure site, a countertop cotton candy machine starts at 3,690 €, a popcorn machine at 3,890 € and a blind box machine at 5,190 €, all including VAT. Cotton candy robots suit high-traffic sites.