{
  "slug": "atm-placement-revenue",
  "title": "ATM Placement Revenue Calculator",
  "heading": "ATM Placement Revenue Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/atm-placement-revenue",
  "summary": "Project monthly surcharge income and net profit for a placed ATM based on transaction volume.",
  "description": "Independent ATM placement income comes almost entirely from the surcharge fee charged to the cardholder, split between the ATM owner and sometimes the location owner as a per-transaction commission or flat rent. This calculator takes expected monthly transaction count, your surcharge fee, any commission owed to the location, processing cost per transaction, and cash-loading/armored-service cost, to compute net monthly profit per machine. Transaction volume is the single biggest variable and depends entirely on foot traffic and whether nearby bank-branch ATMs offer free withdrawals to the same crowd — a convenience store in a cash-heavy neighborhood with no nearby bank easily triples the volume of a suburban strip mall location.",
  "formula": "Gross surcharge revenue = transactions/month × surcharge fee. Net revenue = gross − location commission − processing cost − cash logistics cost.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=atm-placement-revenue",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "transactions",
      "label": "Transactions per month",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 350,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 10,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "surcharge",
      "label": "Surcharge fee per transaction",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0.5,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "locationCommission",
      "label": "Commission paid to location per transaction",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.5,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "processingCost",
      "label": "Network/processing cost per transaction",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.3,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "cashLogisticsCost",
      "label": "Monthly cash loading/armored service cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "netProfit",
      "label": "Monthly net profit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "grossRevenue",
      "label": "Gross surcharge revenue",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "commissionCost",
      "label": "Location commission paid",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "annualProfit",
      "label": "Annualized net profit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Transactions per month: 350",
      "Surcharge fee per transaction: 3 $",
      "Commission paid to location per transaction: 0.5 $",
      "Network/processing cost per transaction: 0.3 $",
      "Monthly cash loading/armored service cost: 150 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Monthly net profit: $620",
      "Gross surcharge revenue: $1,050",
      "Location commission paid: $175",
      "Annualized net profit: $7,440"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter transactions per month.",
      "Enter surcharge fee per transaction ($).",
      "Enter commission paid to location per transaction ($).",
      "Enter network/processing cost per transaction ($).",
      "Enter monthly cash loading/armored service cost ($).",
      "Read your monthly net profit on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "transactions": 210,
        "surcharge": 1.7999999999999998,
        "locationCommission": 0.3,
        "processingCost": 0.18,
        "cashLogisticsCost": 90
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "transactions": 350,
        "surcharge": 3,
        "locationCommission": 0.5,
        "processingCost": 0.3,
        "cashLogisticsCost": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "transactions": 560,
        "surcharge": 4.800000000000001,
        "locationCommission": 0.8,
        "processingCost": 0.48,
        "cashLogisticsCost": 240
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What's a typical surcharge fee in 2024-2025?",
      "a": "$2.50-$3.50 is standard for independent ATMs in the US, with some urban and nightlife/high-demand locations charging $4-5. Surcharge income has trended up over the past decade as cash usage declined but the remaining cash demand became less price-sensitive."
    },
    {
      "q": "How many transactions should I expect at a new location?",
      "a": "Bars, nightclubs, and cash-only ethnic grocery or convenience stores can see 300-600+ transactions monthly; a low-traffic office building or a location near multiple bank branches might see under 100. Ask about existing foot traffic and nearby free-ATM competition before committing to a placement."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who typically owns the ATM — me or the location?",
      "a": "Common models are: independent operator owns the machine and pays the location a per-transaction commission or flat monthly rent (most common for good locations), or the location buys the machine outright and contracts an ISO (independent sales organization) just for cash loading and processing."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the biggest hidden cost in ATM placement?",
      "a": "Cash logistics — either your own time and vehicle risk carrying cash, or paying an armored service $100-$300+/month per machine depending on load frequency and amount. Vault cash opportunity cost (money sitting idle in the machine instead of earning interest) is a secondary factor at higher cash-holding amounts."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/atm-cash-load-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/billboard-lease-revenue",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/vending-machine-route-profit"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — ATM Placement Revenue Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/atm-placement-revenue)"
}