Vending machine profit calculator

How to set realistic assumptions

The output is only as good as what you put in, and the input people overestimate most is vends per day. A rough guide from operators: a machine typically converts a small single-digit percentage of the people who pass it each day into a sale. Twenty vends a day from a site with 40 staff is optimistic; five to ten is more typical for a first office site.

Average sale price in Australia in 2026 commonly sits between $2.50 and $5.00 depending on product mix, with drinks and premium snacks at the higher end. Product cost is what you actually pay a wholesaler, not retail — buying stock at a supermarket destroys the margin this business runs on.

• Vends per day: count real foot traffic, then be conservative.
• Average sale price: your weighted average across the product mix, not your dearest line.
• Product cost: wholesale cost per unit including any delivery.
• Site commission: the percentage of gross the site takes, if any.
• Running costs: cashless fees, telemetry, fuel, servicing and insurance.

What the calculator does not include

It measures the trading performance of one machine. It does not price your own time, and it does not account for GST, depreciation or tax — that is your accountant's territory, and we do not give tax advice. It also assumes steady trade; seasonality is real, particularly for drinks in the north and any site tied to a school calendar.

The repayment comparison is arithmetic based on the rate and term you enter. It is not a quote, and we are not a lender. Actual rates, terms and approval sit with the lender.

Reading the result

If net profit comfortably exceeds the repayment, the machine funds itself and the surplus is your return. If it is close, the site is fragile — one quiet month or one repair bill puts it under water. If the repayment exceeds the profit, the answer is a cheaper machine, a longer term, or a better site. Usually it is a better site.

Operators building a route generally look for a site to clear its repayment plus a decent buffer before they take it on, because the machine still has to pay for its own servicing, the drive time, and the occasional breakdown.

From numbers to a machine on site

Once a site stacks up, the sequence is straightforward: confirm the site agreement, get a written quote from your supplier, then arrange finance against that quote so your cash stays free for stock. If you are new to the industry, the start-up guide runs through the whole process in order.

We are a referral marketplace, not a lender or broker. Send us your details and we match you to lenders who may suit; they assess on their own criteria and we may receive a commission if a deal settles. No approval, rate or term can be guaranteed.

How much profit does one vending machine make in Australia?

It depends entirely on the site. A modest office machine doing eight vends a day at around $2 gross profit per vend generates roughly $110 a week gross, before commission, servicing and finance. Busy factory and hospital sites can do several times that.

What is a good profit margin on vending products?

Operators commonly target a gross margin around 50% or better on ambient snacks and drinks bought at wholesale. Fresh food carries a lower effective margin because of spoilage.

How many vends per day does a machine need to break even?

Divide the weekly repayment by seven, then by your gross profit per vend. At $1.50 profit per vend, a $74 weekly repayment needs about seven vends a day to cover finance alone, before running costs.

Do site commissions come out of gross or net sales?

Most site commission arrangements are calculated on gross sales, which is why a high commission percentage hurts more than it first appears. Always confirm the basis in the written site agreement.