An ATM is a small investment considering the potential financial gain – but many business owners wonder how profitable an ATM machine can really be.

Business owners should always be on the lookout for new ways to increase profitability.  For brick-and-mortar businesses, an ATM may be a good solution for an additional income source.  ATMs can not only provide supplemental income, but they can also increase foot traffic into your business.  Restaurants, nail salons, and nightclubs are just a few business types that can benefit from an added ATM.

How do I Make Money with an ATM?

ATM earnings are derived from the processing fee.  The processing fee is the amount of money a patron pays for the convenience of using an ATM.  Typically, processing fees range between $1 and $8. The average fee in the United States is $3.00.  During each transaction, the ATM processor, the ATM owner, and the business owner each take a share of the ATM processing fee.  If you own both the venue as well as the machine, you will make more money per transaction.

The average ATM processes approximately 300 transactions monthly.  If you own both the venue as well as the machine, you can make around $.50 per transaction, resulting in an extra $150 per month in profit (1).

How Can I Make More Money with an ATM Business?

The real financial perk to owning an ATM is the added foot traffic that it can bring into your business.  Typically, when people remove cash, they go on to spend the cash within the establishment they are in. Statistics indicate that customers spend 20 to 25 percent more money in convenience stores that provide ATM machines (2). This means you'll earn from service fees and experience an increase in sales. The added foot traffic coupled with patrons with cash-in-hand could exponentially increase profits with minimum upfront investment.

There is also no limit to the number of ATMs you can own.  If your business has multiple locations, an ATM may be placed at each.  Alternatively, you may choose to place your ATMs in other people’s businesses.  While only owning the ATM will not be as lucrative as owning both the ATM as well as the venue, many successful ATM owners function in this capacity. 

Ultimately, if you have a steady flow of patrons to your ATM, you could earn thousands of dollars a year in service fees alone.  Successful ATM owners are often able to utilize ATMs to build a passive income stream.

EFX is Your ATM Processor

Should you determine that ATM ownership is a worthwhile endeavor, EFX can assist in your processing needs.  With over 20 years of industry experience, EFX offers custom plans and white-glove customer support at every step. EFX’s low-cost infrastructure and partnerships with industry leaders allow us to offer some of the most competitive pricing available.

1, 2 Picinu, Andra.  “How Profitable is an ATM Machine?”  November 21, 2018.  https://bizfluent.com/about-5635466-profitable-atm-machine-.html