Answer
How do I get an ATM for my business?
You do not have to buy one. Most Australian venues get an ATM through free placement, where the operator supplies, fills and services the machine and you take a share of the surcharge.
Most enquiries receive a response within 3 hours during business hours.
Short answer
How do I get an ATM for my business?
There are three routes. Under free placement an ATM operator installs, funds and services the machine at no cost to you and pays you a share of each withdrawal surcharge — this is how most Australian venues get one. Under rental you pay a fixed monthly fee with servicing included and keep a larger share. Under purchase you buy the terminal outright, fund the cash float and keep the most per transaction. To start, an operator will ask for your business type, trading hours, weekly foot traffic and location. A qualifying site is usually surveyed and installed within a few weeks.
The three routes
Free placement, rental or purchase
Every ATM in an Australian venue arrives by one of three commercial routes, and the difference is simply who funds the machine and the cash inside it. That decision then determines who carries the servicing, the compliance and the risk.
Free placement is the default answer for most single-site businesses because it requires no capital, no float and no staff time. Rental suits operators who want a bigger share and are comfortable with a fixed monthly cost. Purchase only makes commercial sense at consistently high withdrawal volume.
| Free placement | Rental | Purchase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost to you | None | None | Full machine cost |
| Monthly cost | None | Fixed monthly fee | Nil (owned) |
| Who funds the cash float | The operator | Operator or you | You |
| Servicing and repairs | Operator | Included | Your responsibility |
| Your share of the surcharge | Agreed share | Larger share | Largest share |
| Best suited to | Most single-site venues | Steady, proven volume | High-volume sites |
What a site needs
What makes a venue suitable for an ATM
- Regular foot traffic — a steady flow of customers matters more than floor area.
- Around 60cm x 60cm of floor space for a freestanding unit, or a suitable external wall for a through-the-wall install.
- A power point within a couple of metres and a workable data connection.
- A position in staff line of sight, clear of accessible paths of travel and emergency exits.
- Trading hours that give customers a reason to use it — long or late hours help considerably.
- Landlord or centre-management consent where the premises are leased.
The process
What actually happens after you enquire
The first conversation is a qualification conversation. An operator needs your business type, address, trading days and hours, and a rough weekly customer count to judge whether the site will produce enough withdrawals to fund a machine.
If the numbers work, a site survey confirms the position, the power and the install method. A placement agreement then sets out the revenue share, the term and who handles cash, servicing and signage. Installation and commissioning follow once the terminal is connected to a payments switch.
Choosing
Which route is right for your business
Choose free placement if
You want cash access on site with no capital, no float and no staff involvement, and you are comfortable with a shared surcharge rather than all of it.
Choose rental if
Your site already has proven withdrawal volume and you would rather pay a predictable monthly cost in exchange for a larger share of the revenue.
Choose purchase if
Volume is high and consistent, you can fund a cash float, and you have the appetite to manage servicing, cash logistics and compliance yourself.
Step by step
How to get an ATM for your business in Australia
- 1
Work out which route suits you
Free placement for no cost and no capital, rental for a larger share at a fixed monthly cost, purchase for high-volume sites.
- 2
Gather your site details
Business type, address, trading days and hours, and an estimate of weekly foot traffic.
- 3
Enquire and get qualified
An operator checks whether expected withdrawal volume supports a machine at your location.
- 4
Site survey
Position, power, connectivity and install method — freestanding or through-the-wall — are confirmed on site.
- 5
Agreement
The placement agreement sets the revenue share, the term, and who handles cash, servicing and signage.
- 6
Install and go live
The terminal is installed, connected to a payments switch, loaded with cash and commissioned.
FAQs
Questions people ask
Contact an ATM deployer with your business type, address, trading hours and weekly foot traffic. If the site is likely to produce enough withdrawals, the usual route is free placement: the operator supplies, installs, fills and services the machine at no cost to you and pays you a share of each withdrawal surcharge.
Under free placement, no. The operator funds the machine, the installation, the cash float and the ongoing servicing. Rental carries a fixed monthly fee with servicing included, and purchase means you fund the machine and the float yourself.
For a qualifying site, typically a few weeks from enquiry to going live. The time goes on the site survey, the agreement and scheduling the install and cash load rather than the installation itself.
There is no single threshold, because withdrawal rates vary by venue type. A pub, club or service station converts traffic to withdrawals at a very different rate to a suburban retail shop, so the assessment is based on expected withdrawals rather than headcount alone.
Hosting an operator-owned ATM under free placement does not require you to hold a licence. Owning and operating a machine yourself brings obligations around cash handling and reporting, which our licensing answer page covers.
Yes, with landlord or centre-management consent. Shopping-centre sites often have specific rules about position and signage, which the site survey works through before anything is installed.
Earnings come from a share of the withdrawal surcharge, so they track withdrawal volume rather than turnover. The share and the volume together set the figure, which is why an operator estimates it from your site details instead of quoting a flat number.
Get your numbers
Ask about an ATM for your business
What happens after you hit send
- 1You get an instant email confirming we've received your enquiry.
- 2We check your venue type, hours and foot traffic against the right ATM option.
- 3You get a call or email with a clear recommendation and pricing — your choice which.
Reply within 3 business hours
A real person reviews every enquiry. Mon–Fri 8:30am – 7:30pm AEST · Online enquiries 24/7, most venues hear back the same morning or afternoon.
Your details stay private
Sent over an encrypted connection, stored securely, and never sold or shared with third-party marketers.
No obligation, no pressure
You get honest advice on whether free placement, a lease or buying suits your site — walk away any time.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call 0412 025 552
Keep reading
Related pages
- Free ATM placementNo cost, no float, fully managed — with a share of every withdrawal.
- ATM rental AustraliaFixed monthly rental with servicing included and a larger revenue share.
- How to get an ATM machine for your businessThe full process guide — qualification, survey, agreement and install.
- Do you need a licence to own an ATM?Obligations that apply to owning and operating a machine yourself.
- Buy an ATM machineModels, pricing, payback and what ownership involves.
- Free ATM placementNo purchase, no running costs, a share of every withdrawal.
- ATM machine for businessCompare free placement, lease and purchase for your venue.
Want this answered for your venue specifically?
Tell us your site and volumes and we'll give you the real numbers. Or call 0412 025 552 — Mon–Fri 8:30am – 7:30pm AEST · Online enquiries 24/7.