Vending machine cost guide

The four ways to pay

Every deal on the market resolves to one of four commercial shapes. Understanding which one you're being sold is more important than the sticker price. Operators will present them in the framing that suits them; you should force the comparison onto the same axes so you can price like-for-like.

• •Revenue share (free-on-loan) — zero upfront, operator keeps most of sales
• •Rental / lease — fixed monthly, you keep sales
• •Purchase + full-service — you buy the machine, operator restocks for a fee
• •Purchase + self-fill — you buy and stock yourself (only worth it above ~£1.2k/mo turnover)

Sticker prices, 2026

Prices vary by manufacturer, telemetry package, and whether the machine is refurbished. Refurbs from tier-1 brands (Crane, Bianchi, Azkoyen, N&W/Evoca) are typically 40–55% cheaper than new and last 6–8 years with a service contract. New machines carry longer warranties and better energy ratings, which matter if you're paying the power bill.

• •Snack / combi machine (new, cashless, telemetry): £3,800–£5,500
• •Coffee bean-to-cup (new, cashless): £3,200–£7,500
• •Refurbished tier-1 snack: £1,600–£2,800
• •Refurbished coffee bean-to-cup: £1,800–£3,200
• •Micro-market kiosk + fridges + shelves: £14,000–£28,000 depending on scale
• •Smart fridge (vision + weight): £4,500–£8,000

Running costs to plan for

Sticker price isn't the total cost. Budget for electricity, connectivity, card-reader fees, and consumables. On revenue-share, none of these are your problem; on purchase, they compound. On lease, most are wrapped into the monthly fee — but confirm the fee includes preventative maintenance, not just breakdown response.

• •Electricity: £150–£400/yr per machine
• •Card reader fees: 1.4–1.9% of transactions
• •Telemetry / SIM: often bundled; standalone £60–£120/yr
• •Servicing: £120–£300/yr for parts & preventative maintenance
• •Consumables (filters, cleaning): £40–£120/yr on coffee machines

When to buy vs lease vs revenue-share

The rough decision rule: buy if you turn over £1,500+/mo per machine and want the margin; lease if you want fixed cost with sales upside; revenue-share if the site is amenity-first and you don't want any operational overhead. Most workplaces default to revenue-share because the admin savings are real. Operators default to leasing because it preserves working capital for route growth.

• •Turnover < £600/mo → revenue-share only
• •Turnover £600–£1,500/mo → lease or revenue-share
• •Turnover £1,500–£3,000/mo → lease or purchase + full-service
• •Turnover £3,000+/mo → purchase + full-service or self-fill

Finance options for buyers

Equipment finance and asset-backed lending are widely available in the UK & EU at 6.5–11% APR for 3–5 year terms. Multi-site operators can access route-backed lending against telemetry data. Workplaces buying a single machine usually finance through the vendor's leasing arm; operators building fleets should go direct to specialist asset-finance houses to get better rates.

• •Operating lease: 3–5 yr, fixed monthly, includes service
• •Hire purchase: 3–5 yr, own the asset at end
• •Asset finance: 6.5–11% APR, secured against machine
• •Route-backed lending: unlocks at ~40 telemetry-instrumented machines

Refurbished vs new

Refurbished tier-1 machines from reputable remanufacturers are the smart-money buy for most sites. You give up ~2 years of warranty and slightly higher energy consumption in exchange for a 40–55% capex saving and the same shelf presence. Avoid grey-market imports and any refurb without a written service contract.

Total cost of ownership over 5 years

Model TCO, not sticker. A £4,500 new snack machine with £250/yr running costs and 1.6% card fees on £18k/yr of sales runs to roughly £5,900 over 5 years excluding stock — vs a £2,200 refurb at ~£6,100 including a slightly higher power bill. The refurb almost always wins on cash, but the new machine wins on downtime.