The ATM Blueprint
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The Honest ATM Profit Calculator

Every other ATM calculator on the internet is owned by someone selling you a machine or a processing contract. This one was built by someone who has sold hundreds of machines — the defaults are how the business actually runs. Change anything to model your own situation.

Revenue

Typical independent machine after ramp-up: 250–400. Busy bars exceed 600. Dispensaries can pass 1,500.
US average operator surcharge: $3.22. Nightlife/tourist venues run $4–$5.
Almost always a flat per-transaction amount, not a percentage. Range is $0–$1: most bars, stores, and shops land between $0.25 and $0.75. Around $1 is dispensaries and casino-type locations.

Processing

~$0.15 is where most small contracts land. Market range is $0.04–$0.25 — negotiate this first.
Switch/network pass-throughs, if your processor bills them separately.

Cash & connectivity

Armored/carrier service runs $50–$200+ per load.
Wireless ATM modems run $99–$150.
SIM data plans for ATMs run as low as ~$6–$10/month. An ATM uses very little data.
A $60–$70 box of receipt paper lasts most operators a year; clean the card reader every couple of months. ~$6/mo covers it.

One-time investment

~$2,525 for a new machine, programmed and drop-shipped, through Blueprint supplier pricing. Retail runs $2,300–$3,500 post-tariff; used ~$1,800–$2,300.
If you'd rather pay someone: $250–$400 is the usual range.
Real starting floats: convenience store ~$800 · barbershop ~$1,000 · nightclub ~$1,600 · dispensary $4,000–$5,000. Weekly loading keeps floats small. Your money, not an expense — it cycles back.

Results — live estimate

$0
Net profit / month
Where each month's surcharge revenue goes
Interchange is not included. Most small operators receive $0 interchange until hitting ~3,000–5,000 monthly transactions network-wide. Anything you earn later is upside — anyone modeling interchange into a first machine is selling you something.

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