With ATM cash machines currently costing anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000, there is no doubt that buying one for your business is costly. If you arrange things right, however, buying an ATM can actually be a very sound investment.
Provided that you primarily manage the machine yourself, ongoing maintenance costs shouldn’t be too high. You’ll have to pay for the electricity to fun the machine, as well as around $40/month for a dedicated phone line, and $50 each time the machine is professionally re-loaded.
There may also be a monthly charge (usually $15 to $25 per month), which is required by some vendors but not others. It is important to take these fees into account when considering different machines and doing price comparison research.
Once you have paid all these little fees, however, it is possible to make money on your ATM by collecting a percentage of the surcharge. The average charge for an ATM transaction is $1.60, and as the owner of the machine, all or a portion of this money will go to you.
Depending on your contract with the ATM vendor, and how much of the maintenance work you do yourself, your share of the money can range from 35% to 100%. There is also the added benefit that customers will never find themselves short of cash when making a purchase at your store.
Therefore, installing an ATM machine not only helps your existing business, but can become a fully sustainable or even profitable business in itself.
