ATM locations
Where ATMs get used
The best ATM location is not a type of business. It is a place where people need cash and cannot get it another way. Here is what we look for and what we have seen work.
The one question
Will the machine be used at least 3 to 4 times a day? That is what we ask every owner, and it is the bar in our agreements. A machine that gets used three times a day earns its keep. A machine in a beautiful store where nobody needs cash does not.
What makes a spot work
- People pay cash there: a cover charge, a tip jar, a cash discount, a small purchase
- Hours: a store open nights and weekends gets used when banks are closed
- Foot traffic that walks in anyway: a line, a waiting room, a counter
- No easy cash nearby: no bank branch next door, no ATM in the lobby
- A visible spot near the register with power close by
- An owner who answers the phone and wants the machine
Types we see work
Convenience stores and gas stations. Smoke shops and dispensaries. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Laundromats and car washes. Barbershops, salons and tattoo shops. Hotels, event venues and retail with cash customers. Any of them can fail if the cash use is not there, and a type not on this list can be the best machine on a route.
What we do not do
We do not verify traffic, sales or performance. We record what the owner expects, and we say so in the handoff. The site visit is where the deployer checks the space, the power and the placement in person.
Questions
Does business type matter?
Less than you think. We do not rule a store out by type. Use is the bar. A laundromat with cash machines and a bar with a cash-only cover both qualify if the owner expects 3 to 4 uses a day.
What kills a location?
Low cash use. A machine already there, with a contract the owner is happy with. No power near the spot. An owner who is not the decision maker.
Do you verify traffic?
No. We record what the owner tells us. The deployer's site visit is where traffic and placement get checked in person.