Vending operators: what one machine location really contributes. Free, no signup.
Snack and drink machines usually run 50-60% product cost. Enter your real wholesale cost, not a guess.
Commission commonly runs 5-15% of gross, 20-25% in places like laundromats. Flat rent? Divide it by monthly gross and enter the percentage.
The trap: a far-away low-sales stop eats its whole margin in drive time. Count both ways.
Fill the sales card first: gross sales per month ($800 placeholder) and product cost as a percent of gross (55 default, with the note that snack and drink machines usually run 50 to 60 percent). Enter your real wholesale cost, not a guess. Then pick a commission preset (0, 10, or 20 percent of gross) or type your own, plus card share percent (60 default) times card fee percent (5 default), and spoilage, theft, and shrink in dollars per month ($15). Commission commonly runs 5 to 15 percent (20 to 25 in places like laundromats); a flat rent converts to a percentage by dividing by monthly gross. In service time enter visits per month (2 placeholder), minutes on site per visit (45), drive minutes per visit (30, both ways, since the trap is a far-away low-sales stop eating its margin in drive time), and vehicle cost per visit ($12). Set your bar ($50 default), the minimum dollars per hour your time is worth. The contribution card shows the breakdown, the monthly contribution, and your effective dollars per hour, with verdicts: KEEP THE LOCATION above your bar, BORDERLINE with the sales needed to clear your bar, or DUMP THE LOCATION.
Example only, not typical pricing. $800 per month gross at a $50 bar: product cost $440, host commission $80, card fees 800 x 0.6 x 0.05 = $24, shrink $15, drive cost 2 x $12 = $24. Contribution is 800 - 440 - 80 - 24 - 15 - 24 = $217. Service time is 2 x 75 / 60 = 2.5 hours, so the effective rate is $86.80 per hour: KEEP THE LOCATION. If the rate slipped to borderline, the sales needed to clear the bar would be 50 x 2.5 + 440 + 80 + 24 + 15 + 24 = $708 per month.
**Q** Why does drive time count in the verdict?
Because two locations with identical sales can have wildly different economics. A stop 40 minutes out eats its margin in drive time and vehicle cost, and only counting on-site minutes hides it.
**Q** How do I handle a flat monthly rent instead of commission?
Divide the flat rent by monthly gross and enter that as the commission percentage. The note gives this conversion so flat-rent locations compare fairly with percentage ones.
**Q** What makes a location borderline?
Your rate lands between 70 percent of your bar and the bar itself. The sub-line shows the exact monthly sales needed to clear your bar, and suggests fewer visits or renegotiating commission before dumping it.
**Q** Should I count my vehicle cost per visit?
Yes. Enter fuel plus wear per visit. Stops that need frequent restocking look cheap until every visit costs $12 in vehicle time.
**Q** Is this financial advice?
No, it is a contribution calculator. Track your real numbers per machine and decide against your own bar.