Our business model
How ATMcash works
Where the money in an ATM transaction actually comes from, which fees come out of it, what we charge for, and how a venue earns from every withdrawal.
Most enquiries receive a response within 3 hours during business hours.
Short answer
How does ATMcash make money?
ATMcash earns from the surcharge paid on completed withdrawals, and from selling or renting terminals to businesses that would rather own or hire the machine. Under free placement we fund the ATM, the cash float, connectivity, servicing and insurance, then recover those costs from our share of the surcharge and pay the venue its agreed share of every withdrawal. The venue pays nothing at any stage — no purchase, no monthly fee, no cash-loading charge and no service call-out cost.
The transaction
How money moves through an ATM withdrawal
Five steps between a customer pressing confirm and a venue being paid.
- 1
A cardholder withdraws cash
The customer selects an amount, is shown the surcharge on screen before confirming, and can cancel at no cost. Nothing is charged unless the withdrawal completes.
- 2
The transaction is authorised through a payments switch
The machine sends the request to a licensed switch, which routes it to the cardholder's bank for authorisation. The switch charges a per-transaction fee for that routing.
- 3
The machine dispenses cash from its float
The notes come from a float that is funded, delivered and insured by the machine's operator, not by the venue's till.
- 4
The surcharge is collected and settled
The surcharge is settled to the operator, and the operator is separately reimbursed for the notes dispensed so the float can be replenished.
- 5
The venue's share is paid
Under free placement the venue receives its contracted share of the surcharge on a regular settlement cycle, with a statement showing withdrawals and amounts.
Fees
Every fee in an ATM transaction, and who pays it
These are the real costs behind a machine. The column that matters is who carries them under each model.
| Cost | What it covers | Free placement | Rental | Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The machine | Terminal hardware, compliance certification and installation | ATMcash | Included in the monthly rate | The buyer |
| Cash float | The notes in the machine, plus the working capital tied up in them | ATMcash | Usually the business, unless a managed float is agreed | The buyer |
| Cash-in-transit | Armoured delivery, replenishment runs and insurance of the float | ATMcash | Quoted separately or self-loaded | The buyer |
| Switching fees | Per-transaction routing to the cardholder's bank | ATMcash | The business | The business |
| Connectivity | SIM or fixed-line data for the terminal | ATMcash | Usually included — confirm in writing | The business |
| Maintenance | Servicing, parts, receipt paper and fault attendance | ATMcash | Included in the monthly rate | The business |
| Surcharge income | The fee the cardholder pays per withdrawal | Shared — venue's agreed share per withdrawal | The business keeps it | The business keeps it |
Operator economics
How an operator actually earns from ATM transactions
Gross income from a machine is simply withdrawals per month multiplied by the surcharge per withdrawal. A site averaging 300 withdrawals a month at a $3 surcharge produces $900 gross for that month. Nothing about the brand of machine, the size of the venue or the prestige of the location changes that arithmetic — only withdrawal volume does.
What differs between models is what comes out of that gross figure. An operator running a free-placement machine pays the switching fee on every transaction, the cash-in-transit run, the telecommunications, the consumables, the insurance and the maintenance, and amortises the terminal itself over its service life. The venue's contracted share is paid from the surcharge with none of those costs deducted from it.
That is why a deployer assesses trading days, hours and foot traffic before quoting a share. A machine carries a largely fixed cost base whether it does 80 withdrawals a month or 800, so volume is what decides whether a managed machine can be funded at all — and how much of the surcharge can be shared with the venue.
Where volume is genuinely low but a business still wants cash available on site for its own trade, renting or buying is the more honest answer than a free machine that never earns. We will say that at the assessment stage rather than install and hope.
Worked example
What the split looks like in practice
| Withdrawals / month | Gross at a $3 surcharge | What it means for the site |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $300 | Low volume — a managed machine is usually marginal; rental may fit better. |
| 250 | $750 | Workable for free placement at most venue types. |
| 500 | $1,500 | Strong site; supports a higher venue share. |
| 1,000 | $3,000 | High volume; ownership starts to compete with a shared model. |
These are gross surcharge figures before any split or costs, shown so you can sanity check any offer you receive. When comparing quotes, insist every number is labelled: gross or net, per withdrawal or per transaction, typical month or best month.
What we never charge for
Free placement means free
- No purchase price and no deposit for the terminal
- No monthly rental, licence or platform fee
- No cash-loading or cash-delivery charge
- No service call-out fee or parts cost
- No charge for connectivity or software updates
- No exit fee for reaching the end of an agreed term
What we ask of a site
The venue's side of the deal
Space and power
Roughly 60cm x 60cm of floor or wall space and a power point within a couple of metres.
Public access during trade
Customers need to reach the machine during your normal trading hours.
Honest volume expectations
Trading days and weekly foot traffic, so the share we quote is one we can actually hold to.
Enquire
Want the numbers for your own site?
Send your trading days and weekly foot traffic and we'll come back with the model that suits and the share we can commit to in writing.
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
FAQs
Questions about our model and fees
From the surcharge on completed withdrawals, and from the sale or rental of terminals where a business would rather own or hire the machine. Under free placement we fund the machine, cash, connectivity and servicing and recover those costs out of our share of the surcharge, which is why volume matters more to us than the venue's rent.
Nothing. There is no purchase price, no monthly fee, no cash-loading charge, no service call-out fee and no cost for the machine, its install or its connectivity. The venue supplies about 60cm x 60cm of floor space, a nearby power point and public access during trading hours.
The operator of the machine sets the surcharge, and it must be disclosed on screen before the withdrawal completes. Under free placement it is collected by the operator and shared with the venue per the agreement. Under rental or ownership the business keeps the surcharge and pays the running costs itself.
A per-transaction switching fee, telecommunications, cash-in-transit delivery and insurance for the float, maintenance and consumables, plus the cost of the machine itself amortised over its life. Under free placement all of those sit with ATMcash.
It is agreed in writing before installation and expressed per withdrawal, so it scales with volume rather than with turnover. Higher expected withdrawal volumes support a higher share, which is why we ask about trading days and foot traffic before quoting.
Yes. Settlement statements show withdrawal counts and the amounts paid for the period, so the share can be reconciled against actual activity rather than taken on trust.
That risk sits with us under free placement. If the volume does not support a fully managed machine we will say so at the assessment stage rather than install a machine that underperforms — and in that case rental or purchase may be the better fit.
Keep reading
Related pages
- ATM surcharge fees explainedWhat the surcharge is, who sets it and how it must be disclosed.
- EFTPOS surcharge rulesRBA cost-of-acceptance rules for card surcharging.
- ATM revenue and profit shareHow the split and settlement reporting work in detail.
- Free ATM placementThe no-cost model this page describes, and who qualifies.
- ATM rental in AustraliaFixed monthly cost and you keep the full surcharge.
- Trust and credentialsWho we are, our ABN and how to verify us.
Straight answers on the numbers, before anything is installed.
Ask us what your site would earn and what we would carry. Call 0412 025 552 — Mon–Fri 8:30am – 7:30pm AEST · Online enquiries 24/7.