Dispensed vs a traditional vending machine
A traditional vending machine is built to sell a lot of drinks and snacks. Dispensed is built to sell one product that doesn't fit anywhere else, at a price a small business can afford.
| Dispensed | Traditional vending machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | From $250 AUD + GST, ready to use | $6,600–9,900 + GST for the machine. About $9,500–11,600 + GST once you add a card reader, cash handling, branding and shipping |
| Ongoing cost | 5% (excl. GST) per sale | Card payment fees of about $22–44 a month per machine, plus about 1.5% per sale |
| Buying process | Size it and pay online in a few minutes | Quote, order forms and a 30% deposit or a finance application. About 10 working days to build |
| Size | Built to your product: 20–50 cm per side | Fixed cabinet, about 1.9 m tall and 395 kg. Larger items need a locker add-on costing about $2,800–3,450 + GST |
| Card payments | On the customer's phone through Square | Card reader for $650–800 + GST |
| Cash | No | Yes, with a $970–1,180 + GST coin and note reader |
| Products | One product per machine. Group machines into a store for more | 36–60 selections, up to about 330 items |
| Refrigeration | Optional extra | Yes |
| Monitoring | Included: stock, online status and email alerts | Through the card reader's paid telemetry service |
| Restocking | Shared restock link, no login needed | On site, with the machine's key |
| Best for | Specialty and low-volume products, like reusable cutlery | High-volume drinks and snacks in gyms and offices |
Traditional machine figures are based on quotes for Australian gym vending machines, adjusted for about 10% inflation since 2023 and shown as approximate ranges.
When a traditional machine is the better choice
- You need cold drinks
- Your customers pay with cash
- You sell high volumes and staff can only restock occasionally
When Dispensed is the better choice
- Low upfront cost
- Fees only if you're selling
- Your product is an odd shape or size
- You want a vendor to fit your space, like a countertop, not the other way around
- You want Apple Pay, Google Pay and customer emails you can use for lead generation