How do I review a self-serve car wash’s coin and card machine collection records?

A self-serve wash takes cash and cards in many small amounts, so the records matter more than the owner’s memory. Ask who opens the coin boxes, how often, and whether two people are present. Request the log for each bay and the counter readings, where the machines keep them. Then trace a sample of collections to bank deposits, date by date.

Card income is easier to verify, because processor statements show every settlement. Compare card totals with what the owner reports, and check how card use compares with coin use across the bays. A shift toward cards changes the cash handling you inherit and may change the equipment you need to maintain.

Look at the machines themselves. Coin mechanisms, bill acceptors and card readers fail, and a bay that is often down earns less than the figures imply. Ask for repair records and check how many bays are working on your visit. Ask who has keys and who knows the codes, because you will want those changed at closing. Your accountant can check that the deposits tie to the reported revenue, and a technician can estimate what the payment hardware will cost to keep running.

Key takeaways

• Compare counter readings, collection logs and deposits so all three agree.
• Check processor statements to confirm card income independently.
• Plan to change keys and codes at closing, and ask about payment hardware repairs.