What Does a Vending Refill Visit Cost? Build Your Own Worksheet
The invoice for replacement snacks is only one part of a vending refill visit. Preparing the order, travelling, gaining access and completing the service also take resources. A simple worksheet helps an operator compare visits consistently without relying on an overseas “average refill cost” that may not fit an Irish route.
Separate stock from the service visit
Record the quantity and purchase cost of each product actually loaded. Keep returned, damaged and unused stock visible rather than counting every box placed on the van as sold stock. Use a consistent basis when comparing visits, and ask your accountant how tax and inventory should be treated in formal accounts.
Next, record the service inputs separately: preparation time, travel allocation, on-site time, consumables and any directly attributable access or parking charge. This is an operational planning worksheet, not a substitute for your accounts or a supplier quotation.
Measure a representative visit
Write down when preparation starts, when the visit begins and ends, and any delay. Note what was done: a quick top-up is different from a refill that includes cleaning, a stock count and a reported fault. Compare like-for-like visits before drawing conclusions about efficiency.
For a route serving several machines, document how you share travel time and vehicle cost between stops. There is no single allocation rule that suits every route. The useful feature is consistency, with exceptions recorded when a detour or access delay affects one location.
Use a clearly labelled example
Suppose, purely for illustration, a visit uses 45 minutes of allocated work at an assumed €24 per hour. That gives €18. Add assumed allocated travel and consumable costs of €7, and the service portion is €25. These are invented planning inputs, not Irish market rates, wage guidance or our prices.
If €80 of stock is loaded, the worksheet shows €80 of stock inputs and €25 of service inputs separately. Neither figure establishes profit: revenue, remaining stock, other overheads and the chosen accounting treatment still matter.
Look for a service improvement
Check whether preparation errors, missing access or unnecessary return trips explain high visit costs. Nayax’s inventory workflow describes picklists for planned replenishment; ask whether comparable tools suit your setup.
Do not reduce visits without checking availability, cleaning and product requirements. Use our refill handover checklist to keep the service scope clear. Ask our team about the service arrangement for your location and which responsibilities a proposal includes.