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The short answer, if you want a vending machine for your workplace: nothing. With fully managed hire from Xvend it is $0 to the host business, and that includes delivery, installation, restocking, servicing and repairs. There is no hire fee and no lock-in contract.
The longer answer is that vending is priced in a few very different ways, and the right comparison depends on which model you are looking at. If you are weighing up buying your own machine, renting one, or hosting a free managed machine, here is what each option actually costs, with no jargon and nothing hidden.
The quick answer, by option
- Buy your own machine: roughly $2,000 for a basic or used unit up to $10,000 or more for a new smart or combo machine, plus you pay for stock, servicing and repairs.
- Rent or lease a machine: a monthly fee, with stocking and servicing either your job or an added cost.
- Commission or profit-share: no upfront fee, and you receive a small percentage of sales, usually funded by higher shelf prices for your team.
- Fully managed and free to host (how Xvend works): $0 to your business for the whole service. You provide the floor space and a power point.
Buying a vending machine outright
If you buy a machine, expect to pay anywhere from around $2,000 for a basic or refurbished unit to $10,000 or more for a new refrigerated, combo or smart machine. That is only the start of the cost, though, because once you own it you also own everything that goes with it:
- Buying and restocking product, and writing off anything that expires unsold
- Servicing, cleaning and routine maintenance
- Repairs and parts when a compressor, board or bill validator fails
- Card payment fees and the cost of keeping the payment system working
- Your team’s time managing all of the above
Buying can make sense if you want full control and have someone to run it, but for most workplaces the ongoing load outweighs the convenience.
Renting or leasing a machine
Renting spreads the cost into a monthly fee rather than a large purchase. The important question is what the fee actually covers. On some rental arrangements you still stock and service the machine yourself; on others the supplier does, for a higher fee. Before you sign, get the term, the notice period and any call-out or exit fees in writing, because a low monthly headline can hide charges that appear the moment something needs attention.
Commission or profit-share
Some suppliers install a machine at no upfront cost and pay the host site a percentage of sales. It sounds like the best of both worlds, so it is worth doing the arithmetic. A commission is normally funded either by higher shelf prices for your staff or by charges elsewhere in the agreement. Compare the total cost to your business and to your team, not just the cheque you receive, and ask what the shelf prices will be.
Fully managed and free to the host: how Xvend works
Xvend owns, stocks, services and repairs the machine, and it is completely free for the host business. Here is exactly what you pay, line by line:
| Item | What Xvend charges |
|---|---|
| Delivery and installation | $0 |
| Machine hire or rental | $0 |
| Restocking | $0 |
| Servicing and maintenance | $0 |
| Repairs, parts and call-outs | $0 |
| Removal if you change your mind | $0 |
| Lock-in contract | None |
All your business provides is a bit of floor space and a standard power point. There are no hidden charges, ever. See the machines we install for the models available.
The costs people forget
When you compare quotes, the headline number is rarely the whole story. These are the costs that a cheap-looking option can hide:
- Call-out fees. Free service with a per-visit charge is not free the moment you actually need it.
- Repairs and parts. A refrigerated machine will eventually need a repair. Ask who pays, and what a compressor failure would cost you.
- Lock-in and exit fees. A long term with an early-exit charge can cost far more than the monthly fee suggests.
- Commission funded by prices. A profit-share is usually paid for by higher shelf prices, so your team foots the bill.
- Electricity and floor space. On any model you host, the machine draws power like any always-on appliance and takes up a small footprint. With Xvend, that is the only thing hosting a machine costs you.
So which is cheapest for a workplace?
For the large majority of workplaces, a fully managed free machine is by far the cheapest option, because the supplier carries every cost that buying or renting would put on you. Buying your own machine only tends to pay off if you have the volume, the space and someone with time to stock, service and repair it. If that is not you, hosting a free managed machine gives your team the same convenience with none of the cost or the admin.
How can it be free?
It is a fair question, and the answer is simple: a well-placed, well-stocked machine sustains itself through everyday sales to your team, so hosting one costs your business nothing. There are no hidden charges and no catch. If you would like the longer explanation, we walk through it in how free vending machine hire works.
How to compare suppliers on cost
Whichever way a supplier prices their service, ask every one of them the same questions and get the answers in writing: what the fees are, who pays for repairs and call-outs, whether there is a lock-in contract, and what removal costs. Our guide on how to choose a vending machine supplier sets out the full checklist.
Vending machine cost: FAQs
Buying a machine typically costs from around $2,000 for a basic or refurbished unit up to $10,000 or more for a new smart or combo machine, and you then pay for stock, servicing and repairs. Getting a machine for your workplace through managed hire with Xvend costs $0, with delivery, installation, restocking, servicing and repairs all included.
For most workplaces, hiring a fully managed machine is far cheaper, because the supplier carries the cost of the machine, the stock, servicing and repairs. Buying only tends to pay off if you have the volume and someone to run it. With Xvend, managed hire is $0 to the host business.
Nothing, with Xvend. There is no hire fee, no installation charge, no restocking or servicing fee and no call-out fee. You provide the floor space and a standard power point, and we handle the rest.
They can with some suppliers, which is why it is worth asking for every fee in writing. Watch for call-out fees, minimum terms and removal charges. With Xvend there are no hidden charges: free delivery, installation, restocking, servicing and repairs, and no lock-in contract.
A refrigerated vending machine draws power continuously like any always-on appliance. On a machine you host from Xvend, that modest power draw is the only cost to your site, since everything else is covered.
Not with Xvend. There is no lock-in contract, and if you ever want the machine removed we take it away at no cost, whenever you ask.
Get a costed answer for your site
Completely free, fully managed, no lock-in. Contact Xvend and we will confirm the numbers for your workplace, in writing.
