Answer
How much does an ATM make per month?
There is one formula behind every ATM income claim you will read. Once you can apply it to your own foot traffic, the numbers stop being guesswork.
Most enquiries receive a response within 3 hours during business hours.
Short answer
How much does an ATM make per month?
An ATM's monthly income is the number of withdrawals multiplied by the surcharge charged per withdrawal, then split between the machine's operator and the venue according to the agreement. Withdrawal volume — not the machine, the brand or the location's prestige — is what decides the total. A venue hosting a machine under free placement receives its agreed share with no costs deducted, while an owner keeps a larger share but pays for cash, servicing and switch fees out of it.
How income is calculated
The formula, stated plainly
Monthly gross surcharge income equals withdrawals per month multiplied by the surcharge per withdrawal. If a site averages 300 withdrawals a month and the surcharge is $3, gross surcharge income is $900 for that month.
That gross figure is then divided. Under free placement, the venue receives its contracted share and the operator carries every cost. Under ownership, the owner receives all of the surcharge income but pays cash delivery, switch and transaction fees, telecommunications, consumables, insurance and maintenance from it.
Interchange arrangements and any operator rebates can add to gross income, but they do not change the shape of the calculation: volume is the lever that moves the result, and everything else is a percentage of it.
| Withdrawals / month | Gross surcharge | Nature of the site |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $300 | Small store, weekday trade only |
| 300 | $900 | Busy convenience store or cafe strip |
| 600 | $1,800 | Late-trading pub or club |
| 1,000 | $3,000 | Service station or shopping-centre entry |
The real variable
What drives withdrawal volume
Two venues with identical customer counts can differ several times over in withdrawals, because withdrawal demand depends on why people need cash at that moment, not simply how many walk past.
- Trading hours: late-night and 24-hour sites earn when bank branches and other ATMs are closed
- Cash-preferring trade: gaming rooms, markets, taxis, tradespeople, tipping and entry fees
- Distance to the nearest alternative ATM, and whether that machine is inside or outside
- Position within the venue: visible from the entry and the queue, or tucked away
- Day-of-week and seasonal peaks, including events, holidays and tourist seasons
- Whether the venue's own EFTPOS offers cash out, which substitutes for some withdrawals
Do the maths
Estimate your own site in four steps
Deliberately use a low withdrawal rate for the first estimate. A machine that beats a conservative forecast is a good decision; one that needs an optimistic forecast to pay for itself is a risk, particularly if you are buying the terminal.
Our ROI calculator on the buy page applies this same formula to purchase costs so you can see payback rather than only monthly income.
- Count average customers per week, then multiply by 4.3 for a month
- Apply a conservative withdrawal rate — a small single-digit percentage of customers for most retail sites, higher for late-trading venues
- Multiply the resulting withdrawals by the surcharge to get gross income
- Apply your model: your contracted share under placement or lease, or gross less running costs under ownership
Reading claims critically
Why quoted ATM incomes vary so widely
Published income figures often mix gross surcharge revenue with a venue's net share, or quote a peak month as if it were typical. When comparing offers, insist that every number is labelled: gross or net, per withdrawal or per transaction, typical month or best month.
We cannot guarantee any particular income for a site, because volume depends on trade conditions outside anyone's control. What we can do is estimate from comparable venues in the same category and state, and be explicit about the assumptions used.
FAQs
Questions people ask
Monthly income equals withdrawals multiplied by the surcharge per withdrawal, then split per the agreement. At a $3 surcharge, 300 withdrawals produce $900 gross for the month, divided between operator and venue.
The venue receives its contracted share of each withdrawal with no costs deducted, because the operator funds the machine, the cash and the servicing. The share and the volume together set the monthly figure.
For hosting, almost any steady volume is worthwhile since the venue has no outlay. For outright purchase, the machine has to cover cash, service and switch costs before it profits, so purchase generally suits sites well above a few hundred withdrawals a month.
The operator of the machine sets the surcharge, and it must be disclosed to the cardholder on screen before the withdrawal is completed so the customer can cancel at no cost.
Venues commonly report that cash withdrawn on site is partly spent on site, which is a secondary benefit alongside the surcharge share. Treat it as a plausible effect at your venue rather than a guaranteed amount.
Nearby competing ATMs, shorter trading hours, poor visibility, downtime from faults or empty cassettes, and customers using EFTPOS cash out instead. Uptime and position are the two the venue can most directly influence.
Keep reading
Related pages
- ATM revenue & profit shareHow the share works across placement, lease and purchase.
- ATM surcharge fees explainedWho sets the fee, and how disclosure works.
- 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.