How do I buy an existing ATM route?

The path to buying an ATM route is the usual one for a small business: find it, sign a confidentiality agreement, review records, negotiate, close. What differs is the paperwork. Many of the contracts are held by the seller, so ask your lawyer and accountant what can be moved into your name and what cannot.

Finding a seller

Routes come up through business brokers, listing sites like Deavo, equipment suppliers and other route owners who want to step back. Some owners will sell only part of a route. Be ready to say what size you can operate and how you will fund it. A seller who senses you are serious will usually share records sooner.

What to request first

Start with the records that show real activity: processor statements for each machine, the list of sites with the agreement for each, and the machine list with ownership and service history. Ask for the cash-supply arrangement in writing. Our page on checking location agreements on a vending route covers the same site questions, and they apply here.

How the pieces transfer

Each part moves differently. Machines may transfer by bill of sale; ask your lawyer how, and whether any are financed. Site agreements may need the site owner’s consent. The processor may need to approve you before it will set up or move accounts, which can take time. Cash loading has to work on day one, so plan it before closing, not after.

Closing and the first weeks

Ask your lawyer how to structure the purchase and what protections to put in the agreement if a site or the processor will not follow through. Your lawyer and accountant can tell you whether a staged payment or a short transition period with the seller suits the handover. Visit the sites with the seller if you can.