How do I check an ATM route’s transaction history before I buy it?

People ask whether ATM routes are profitable. You cannot answer that from a seller’s summary. The answer sits in the transaction record, machine by machine, and your job is to read that record yourself or have your accountant read it.

Processor statements, machine by machine

The processor reports each transaction, so its statements are the best evidence available. Ask for them directly, not as a seller’s spreadsheet, and for every machine. Cover a long enough stretch to include slow and busy seasons. Match each machine to a named site. A total with no breakdown hides the weak locations.

What each site keeps

Income to the owner is what is left after the processor and the site take their share. Read each site agreement and confirm the split used in the statements matches it. A site that was promised a bigger share, or a seller who absorbed costs personally, changes what you would earn. Compare this to how vending location agreements are checked.

Downtime, disputes and trends

Ask for service records. A machine that was often out of cash or out of service lost transactions, and the statements will show the gaps. Ask how disputed transactions were handled and whether any are open. Then look at each location over time. A site that is slipping, or a lease that is about to end, matters more than a strong average.

Check the cash side as well

• Reconcile cash loaded against cash dispensed for a sample of weeks.
• Ask who bears shortages and how they were recorded.
• Confirm the seller’s reported figures agree with the statements.