Thinking about buying (or selling) a vending machine route? Enter the route's real numbers and get its seller discretionary earnings, a fair price range, and your cash flow after financing — before you trust the asking price. No signup. No paywall.
VendBuddy tracks profit per machine and location, finds you NEW locations with decision-maker contacts, and generates the placement contracts — free to start, 10 credits, no card.
Vending routes sell on seller discretionary earnings (SDE) — what the route truly nets per year once product costs, commissions, vehicle, insurance, and the owner's own labor are counted. The market range in 2026 is 1.5x to 3.0x annual SDE (roughly 12–20x verified monthly net for a solid route, 8–12x for a risky one). Sellers anchor on gross revenue; buyers who pay on gross overpay by 30–50%.
| Pushes the price UP | Pushes the price DOWN |
|---|---|
| Written location contracts with 12+ months remaining | Handshake agreements a location can end tomorrow |
| Newer machines with cashless readers and telemetry | Old coil machines, cash-only, no sales data |
| Verified income: Nayax/Cantaloupe reports, bank deposits | A spreadsheet and the seller's word |
| Revenue spread across many locations | One location producing half the income |
The number this calculator needs — real monthly revenue — is the number sellers most often inflate. Demand 12 months of card-reader/telemetry reports, matching bank deposits, and product purchase receipts consistent with a 40–50% COGS. Visit every location. Our route due-diligence checklist covers the full verification process, and the negotiation guide shows how to convert findings into price reductions.
Most route deals close with seller financing (20–50% down, the rest paid from route cash flow) or an SBA loan — the full breakdown is in our vending financing guide. This calculator's buyer view models a 5-year loan at 7% so you can see cash flow after debt service, not just the sticker price.
Valuing a specific location instead of a whole route? Use the free location revenue calculator (projects income by property type) and the ROI & profit calculator (payback on any machine), and see what vending machines actually make per location tier.