How Many Slots Are in a Vending Machine? Based on Size, Type

If you’re going to have a vending machine business, you’ll probably need to know how many slots a vending machine has. Find out here!

Imagine you’re a small business owner who wants to add flavor to their newly-acquired business with a few vending machines.

You’ll surely be asking yourself questions like, how many vending machines do I need, what type of merchandise do I need, and

Most importantly, how many slots are in a vending machine?

An average vending machine has 360 slots (more or less), but that depends on a variety of factors such as: The vending machine size, Vending machine type, Brand, and budget.

If you want to find out the detailed answer to your question, you’ll need to be aware of a couple of facts (in addition to your business needs and financial capacity), so keep on reading!

1. Vending Machine Size

As you may know, vending machines come in varying shapes and sizes, and that’s one of the very first factors to consider when starting a vending machine business.

Here’s an idea of the capacity of different machine sizes.

Small Vending Machines

Typically, small vending machines have up to 152 slots, leaving you with a limited item selection of about 12 items.

These machines are ideal for start-up vending machine businesses. They’re also an excellent option for limited budgets, limited merchandise demand, small spaces, and ease of stocking.

Medium Vending Machines

Medium vending machines crank up the slot number to 312 (give or take), with a larger selection of 24 items.

If you still have a small space but higher demand, the compact size of medium vending machines is great for that purpose. You’ll also have the advantage of product variety.

Large Vending Machines

Saving the best for the last, large vending machines are the ideal product to go for if you’re going all the way.

Large Vending machines have 617 slots, and customers can pick from a variety of 40 to 60 items.

In addition, if you place them in a workplace, these vending machines will keep employees happy, as they can easily replace a small convenience store.

2. Type of Vending Machine

If you’re as obsessed as we are with vending machines, you’ll know that there are several types of vending machines out there for all sorts of purposes.

Naturally, this will affect the number of slots depending on which one is being used.

Snack Vending Machine

Vending machine snacks can hold between 300 and 800 slots inside, although that depends on the sizes we mentioned.

The size of snacks you stack inside the machine can also affect this number.

Beverage Vending Machine

The number of slots and the capacity of beverage vending machines are similar to that of snacks vending machines. Some business owners even stack their machines with commodities and use dual temperature.

Note that the slot number will change if you’re stocking cans instead of bottles.

For instance, your machine can hold up to 804 cans depending on its size.

Frozen Product Vending Machine

These vending machines normally come in a medium-size, so they’ll typically hold an average of 300 or more slots in them.

So if you’re selling frozen goods like pies, refrigerated meals, or wraps, this is the optimal option. Although these are a bit on the expensive side, they’re definitely worth the investment.

Ice Cream Vending Machine

Unlike frozen product vending machines, these machines hold ice cream treats, which are smaller than frozen goods, so you can expect an ice cream vending machine to hold an average of 500 slots or more, depending on its size.

Smart Vending Machine

If you’re going for a fancy product and capacity isn’t your top priority, smart vending machines offer just that.

With smart features such as automatic vending, digital payments, and touch screens, these are highly efficient wherever you place them!

Despite there being different sizes for smart vending machines, their capacities don’t go over 300 slots.

Coffee Vending Machine

Coffee vending machines don’t have slots like the other types mentioned above. Your main worry, in this case, will be the machine’s capacity for coffee cups and beans.

Smaller machines can produce over 50 cups per day, while larger ones can produce up to 900 cups.

3. Other Factors

These factors will change the number of slots in a vending machine by affecting your purchase decision.

Brand

There are hundreds of vending machine brands out there, and depending on the availability of the machine you’re looking for from a certain brand, you may or may not find the number of slots you’re looking for.

Budget

The vending machine size and price greatly correlate. Add to that the brand of vending machine you’re looking for, and you’ll find that your budget will affect the number of slots in a vending machine more than you could think.

Final Thoughts

With that said, you now have the necessary information to make an informed decision when choosing a vending machine.

Make sure to consider factors like the type of goods you’re selling, as that’ll affect the type of vending machine you’ll purchase.

The number of customers and the placement will also affect the size of your vending machine, so don’t forget to bear that in mind.

How Many Slots Are in a Vending Machine? Based on Size, Type