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Vending machine payback calculator
Enter your own numbers to see how many months one machine would take to pay for itself. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Illustration only. The starting values are placeholders, not typical or expected results. Real sales, margins and costs vary widely by location, product and operator, and many machines never pay back. This is not financial advice or an income promise.
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How it is calculated
Monthly profit = sales x (margin % - commission % - card %) - other monthly costs. Payback months = machine cost / monthly profit. If monthly profit is zero or negative, the machine does not pay back at those numbers. Commission is applied to gross sales; if your agreement uses a different base (net, after tax) adjust the percentage to match.
What it leaves out
- Your time, driving and fuel unless you enter them as a monthly cost.
- Sales tax, income tax, financing interest and repairs.
- Slow starts: new machines often take months to find their level.
- Resale value, and the chance a location is lost.
Check your inputs
- Vending machine profit margin explained and the profit margins research for margin ranges by product.
- Monthly operating costs for the line items people forget.
- What public contracts show for commission and the full commission report.
- Startup cost guide and the more detailed ROI calculator.
- Score the spot first with the location checklist.