Does converting a laundromat to cards pay off?
Going cashless is one of the most common upgrades an owner considers, and it can genuinely lift revenue while cutting the grind of collecting and counting coins. But it is not free money. The processing fees on card payments are a permanent cost that coins never had, so the real question is whether the revenue lift and labor saved clear that fee and the upfront hardware. This tool puts a number on it.
Key takeaways
- Net benefit = revenue lift + labor saved − processing − software.
- The revenue-lift assumption makes or breaks the case.
- Processing fees are a real, recurring cost that coins never had.
- A payback under about two years is a strong result.
Coin vs card vs app
Each payment model has trade-offs. Cards and apps add convenience, pricing flexibility, and loyalty, at the cost of processing fees and some upfront hardware.
| Factor | Coin | Card | App |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | Medium | Low to medium |
| Processing fees | None | Yes | Yes |
| Price changes | Hard (physical) | Easy | Easy |
| Loyalty & promos | Limited | Good | Best |
| Coin handling / theft | High | Low | Low |
Where the revenue lift comes from
The lift is not magic, it comes from specific behaviors that cards and apps unlock. Price increases are painless when you do not have to swap coin mechs, so owners tend to keep prices current. Add-value bonuses nudge customers to load more and come back. And the data lets you run targeted promotions on slow days. Estimate a lift you can actually explain, then be conservative, because this one input drives the entire result.
The catch: processing fees
Every card and app payment carries a processing fee, usually a few percent. On a store doing several hundred thousand dollars a year, that adds up to a meaningful annual cost that coins never had. The system still often wins, but only if the lift and labor savings clear the fee. That is exactly the comparison this calculator makes, so you are not sold on the upside alone. Take the net benefit into the cash flow calculator to see how it changes the store's bottom line, and price the hardware with the equipment replacement calculator.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming a big revenue lift with nothing specific to back it up.
- Forgetting that processing fees apply to all card revenue, not just the lift.
- Ignoring the ongoing software or service fee some systems charge.
- Buying on convenience alone when the payback runs many years.