A convenience store should have an ATM because customers already expect quick access to cash when they stop in. Convenience stores are built around fast purchases: coffee, drinks, snacks, lottery tickets, tobacco products, money orders, bill payments, and other everyday items. An ATM makes the store more convenient while also creating another revenue stream.
When you own the ATM, you earn surcharge income every time someone makes a withdrawal. At the same time, the ATM can help encourage more cash payments, which may reduce credit card processing fees on smaller purchases. For convenience store owners, an ATM is not just an added service. It can bring people inside, support impulse purchases, lower card costs, and help keep more customer spending in the store.

A convenience store ATM’s monthly income depends on customer traffic, visibility, surcharge amount, and how often customers need cash. Industry data shows that the average ATM can process around 300 transactions per month. Using the 2025 national average ATM-owner surcharge of $3.22 per transaction, that equals about $966 per month in surcharge revenue.
300 transactions × $3.22 = $966 per month
That number only reflects surcharge income. A convenience store ATM can also help increase in-store cash spending. If customers withdraw cash and then buy coffee, snacks, drinks, lottery tickets, or other items, the ATM is doing more than earning surcharge revenue. It is also helping drive store sales and reduce card processing costs.

Yes. An ATM can help increase sales because it gives customers cash while they are already inside the store. Convenience stores depend heavily on impulse purchases. A customer may come in for the ATM and leave with coffee, a drink, lottery tickets, snacks, cigarettes, or other quick-grab items.
In-store ATM data shows that 33% of ATM users made a purchase while inside the store, and about 52% of those purchases were paid for using cash withdrawn from the in-store ATM. That is exactly why ATMs work so well in convenience stores. The customer comes in for cash, but the store also has a chance to capture an additional sale.

Many customers do prefer convenience stores with ATMs because it saves them an extra stop. A convenience store is supposed to be convenient. When customers can get cash, buy what they need, and leave quickly, the store becomes more useful to them.
This matters even more for customers who use cash for lottery, tips, money orders, bill payments, small purchases, or budgeting. If they know your store has a reliable ATM, they have another reason to come back. An ATM can help turn a convenience store into a regular stop, not just a one-time visit.

Yes. An ATM can bring people into a convenience store who may not have planned to shop there. In one in-store ATM survey, 70% of respondents said they visited the store primarily to use the ATM. That is a major opportunity for a convenience store because once the customer is inside, they are surrounded by quick, impulse-friendly purchases.
Even if someone came in only for cash, they may still buy a drink, snack, coffee, lottery ticket, or other item before leaving. A visible ATM gives nearby customers another reason to walk through the door, and every ATM visit creates another chance for an in-store purchase.

An ATM improves customer spending behavior by giving customers cash at the exact moment they are ready to spend. Convenience stores are full of small add-on purchases, and cash access makes it easier for customers to say yes to those items.
Cash also encourages impulse spending. When a customer withdraws cash, they may buy more than they originally planned, especially if the ATM is close to high-demand items like drinks, snacks, coffee, lottery, tobacco products, or checkout items. ATM users are also habit-driven, so if they know your store has a convenient ATM, they may continue returning to the same location.

For most convenience store owners, buying an ATM is the better long-term option because you own the machine, control the surcharge, and keep the surcharge revenue from every transaction. In a convenience store, where customers may use the ATM regularly, that revenue can add up quickly.
With free ATM placement, the ATM is owned by another provider. That means the store usually receives only a small portion of the surcharge income and has limited control over cash loading, downtime, service response, and how quickly the machine is brought back online if there is an issue. In a convenience store, downtime matters. If the ATM is empty or out of service, the store can lose surcharge income, cash sales, and customer convenience. Owning the ATM gives the business more control over the machine, the cash, and the revenue.

To install an ATM in a convenience store, you need a safe indoor location, a standard power outlet, and a way for the ATM to communicate, such as internet, phone line, or wireless service. You will also need cash to load into the machine.
ATM Money Machine ships ATMs pre-programmed and ready for the customer’s location, so setup is simple once the machine arrives. For convenience stores, placement is important. A strong location is usually near the entrance, checkout counter, lottery area, or another visible spot where customers can easily see and use the ATM.

When you own the ATM, you load the cash and keep the surcharge revenue. Many convenience store owners use cash already circulating through the business to help stock the machine, which can reduce extra trips to the bank and keep cash moving inside the store.
Basic ATM management is usually simple. The main responsibility is keeping the ATM stocked with cash and checking it during normal store routines. Receipt paper typically only needs to be replaced every few months, depending on usage. ATM Money Machine ships ATMs pre-programmed and ready for the location, making ownership straightforward from the start.

No. ATMs are not difficult to manage in convenience stores when the machine is set up correctly from the start. Once the ATM is installed and loaded, daily management is usually simple. The main responsibility is keeping the machine stocked with cash and checking it during normal store routines.
For convenience store owners, the benefit is much bigger than the day-to-day management. An ATM can earn surcharge income, encourage more cash payments, reduce credit card processing fees, support impulse purchases, bring customers into the store, help keep more customer spending inside the business, and give people a convenient reason to keep coming back.