Ancillary revenue in a laundry room is income earned outside the wash-and-dry cycle. It mainly comes from vending machines that sell snacks, drinks, and single-use laundry supplies like detergent and dryer sheets. For laundromat owners and apartment property managers, it is one of the simplest additions to a space that already exists, and it can add hundreds of dollars a month with almost no added labor.
Here is what the current data shows, and how to think about smart vending as part of a laundry room's bottom line.
What Counts as Ancillary Revenue
Ancillary revenue covers anything earned beyond the core service, whether that's washing and drying clothes or renting an apartment. In a laundry room, the most common sources are vending machines, ATM fees, arcade or game machines, and, increasingly, digital advertising screens. For apartment communities, laundry facilities are one line item inside a broader ancillary revenue category that also includes pet fees, parking, and premium amenity charges.
According to the Coin Laundry Association, about 35,000 coin-operated laundromats operate in the United States, generating nearly $5 billion in annual revenue. Vending is a small slice of that total, but it's a high-margin slice that requires little daily attention once it's set up.
Smart Vending vs. Older Coin Machines
The difference between a smart vending machine and an old coin-op box comes down to three things: connectivity, payment options, and data.
Smart machines use IoT connectivity to report inventory levels, sales, and machine health in real time to a central dashboard. That means an owner or operator knows a machine is low on stock or malfunctioning before a customer complains. Most also accept cashless payment, including NFC, QR codes, and mobile wallets, alongside traditional coins and bills.
That shift to cashless is already well underway. Cashless payments account for roughly 58 percent of vending transactions industrywide as of 2025, and the average cashless purchase runs $2.24 compared with $1.78 for cash. Industry surveys suggest 40 percent to 60 percent of laundromats in major metro areas have added some form of digital payment.
What the Numbers Show
A single vending machine in a laundromat can generate $900 to $2,200 in additional monthly income, with most owners recovering the equipment cost within one to three months. The Coin Laundry Association reports that 90 percent of U.S. laundromats already operate at least one vending machine, which leaves a meaningful gap for the remaining 10 percent still leaving that revenue on the table.
Snack and beverage vending typically makes up 3 percent to 5 percent of a laundromat's total revenue. When laundry supply vending, such as single-serve detergent and dryer sheets, is added in, total vending sales can reach about 8 percent of wash-and-dry revenue at some locations. Margins are strong across the board: snacks and drinks commonly carry a 100 percent markup, and dryer sheets can run as high as an 80 percent gross margin.
What to Stock
Two categories drive most laundry room vending revenue.
Laundry supplies fill an immediate need for customers who forgot something at home. The core lineup includes single-serve detergent, fabric softener singles, dryer sheets, stain remover packets, and laundry bags.
Snacks and drinks perform best in stores where customers wait longer, since dwell time drives impulse purchases.
Product mix matters less than placement, according to laundry industry sources. What separates a machine earning $150 a month from one earning $900 a month at the same location is not the brand of equipment. It's visibility, selection, payment flexibility, and where the machine sits in the room.
Laundry Rooms as an Amenity for Property Managers
For apartment communities, ancillary revenue programs, including laundry rooms, can add 4 percent to 5 percent to total property revenue, translating into tens of thousands of dollars a year on a mid-size property.
Most property managers don't operate vending equipment themselves. Instead, a vending operator installs, stocks, and maintains the machines and pays the property a commission or a share of revenue. That structure turns unused laundry room square footage into recurring income without adding to a maintenance team's workload.
Placement still matters here too. Machines located in laundry rooms, fitness centers, and main lobbies consistently outperform machines tucked into low-visibility hallways.
Getting Started
A few practical steps for owners and property managers weighing a vending upgrade:
Audit current laundry room traffic and dwell time before choosing a product mix. A laundromat with long wait times supports snacks and drinks better than a quick-turn facility.
Decide between self-operating vending equipment or partnering with a vending operator on a revenue-share basis. Self-operation keeps more margin but requires restocking and upkeep.
Prioritize cashless payment. It's now standard across the industry, and it tends to raise the average transaction size.
Match the supply mix to the customer base. A laundromat near a college campus has different needs than an apartment community full of families.
If you're weighing options for a laundry room, whether it's a standalone laundromat or a shared facility inside an apartment community, give us a call. We've spent more than 30 years helping owners and property managers across Ohio, Michigan, and western Pennsylvania get more out of the space they already have.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ancillary revenue in a laundry room?
Ancillary revenue is income earned outside the core wash-and-dry service. It mainly comes from vending machines selling snacks, drinks, and laundry supplies, along with smaller sources like ATM fees and arcade games.
How much money can a vending machine make in a laundromat?
A single vending machine typically generates $900 to $2,200 a month in additional income, with equipment costs usually recovered within one to three months.
Do property managers get paid for vending machines in apartment laundry rooms?
Yes. Most vending operators install and maintain the equipment themselves and pay the property a commission or a share of revenue, so the property earns income without taking on the operational work.
Are cashless payment systems worth it for laundry room vending?
Generally, yes. Cashless transactions now account for about 58 percent of vending sales industrywide, and the average cashless purchase is higher than the average cash purchase. Cashless systems also provide real-time sales and inventory data that coin-only machines can't.
Sources
- Coin Laundry Association: Industry Overview
- Coin Laundry Association: How to Value a Coin Laundry (white paper)
- PlanetLaundry: The Keys to Profitable Vending
- Speed Queen Commercial: Soap, Softener, and Snacks
- Vending.com: Why Every Laundromat Needs a Vending Machine
- Multifamily Executive: Apartment Operators Boost Operating Income With Ancillary-Revenue Programs
- Daedalus Distribution: The Benefits of Apartment Complex Vending Machines
- IoT Business News: Connected vending machines pass 8 million units as cashless payments accelerate adoption
- PayRange: Cashless Payment Solutions for Laundromats
-1.png?width=268&height=82&name=Logo_ALL_Full-Color_Extended%20(1)-1.png "Logo_ALL_Full-Color_Extended (1)-1"){kind=logo}