Keeping rolls of quarters on hand can be both inconvenient and cumbersome. Although quarters are the traditional method of payment for laundromats and other commercial laundry facilities, customers find them a nuisance and many business owners dislike banking and pricing with them. As prices have risen, customers are forced to carry around hefty sacks of coins each time they visit the laundromat (in addition to hampers, detergent, dryer sheets, etc), and change machines are often out of order. Luckily, there are alternate payment systems available.
Alternate Payment Systems
Although other options exist, most laundromats decide between two primary options when it comes to payments: coin systems and electronic card systems. In many ways, coin-operated systems are traditional and old-fashioned, while card-automated machines are modern and technologically advanced. Card-automated machines are also extremely beneficial:
The Benefits of Cards
- You can calculate your store’s cash on hand immediately and remotely.
- Customers will appreciate the ease and convenience (because quarters are heavy and sizable).
- Sales and specials can be easily put into action.
- Prices don’t have to be adjusted in 25-cent increments.
- Customers tend to spend more when they aren’t paying with physical money.
- You can utilize tracking software to make rewarding changes.
- You can choose between a debit card system and a smart card system.
- The system could incorporate loyalty cards.
The ideal solution, of course, is to use a system that accepts both cards and quarters. This flexible option allows laundromats to draw in more customers (after all, who doesn’t love having choices?) without overhauling their business model.
Although cash is still king in the world of laundromats, alternate payment methods are gaining popularity. According to the Coin Laundry Association president Brian Wallace, about 15% of American laundromats offer alternative payment systems, such as laundry cards, machine kiosks, and systems compatible with debit and credit cards. That’s about 29,000 laundromats in total.
To decide whether you ought to join their ranks, analyze your business model, gauge the interest of your customers, and research your competitors. If a nearby laundromat is stealing customers by offering convenient card-swiping machines, perhaps you should consider adding an alternate payment system to your store. You don’t have to remove coins altogether, and the variety may well be worth it.
Every laundromat is unique, so it is up to you to decide how to tackle your laundromat’s challenges and work toward a better future. Perhaps you’re fine working with quarters for the foreseeable future. Or, perhaps you’re ready to discover alternate payment systems. The choice is yours!
Are you ready to invest in a coin laundry business? If you’re looking for a reliable distributor, be sure to check out Laundry Solutions Company, a full-service provider of premium vended, on-premises, and multi-housing commercial laundry equipment. Since 1976, we have been providing exceptional sales support, laundry design services, commercial laundry equipment, repair services, and parts. Although headquartered in Springfield, MO, we also operate out of Tulsa, Kansas City, and St. Louis, and we’re proud to be the sole authorized distributor for Speed Queen equipment in the states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. To learn more about our products and services, please give us a call at 800-383-9274 or contact us online. We look forward to hearing from you!