Industry News
Cashless Is Now the Default: What It Means for Workplace Vending
4 August 2026 · 4 min read
Australia is one of the most cashless societies in the world, and the vending industry has felt that shift more than most. If your workplace machine still relies on coins, it's likely costing you sales — and frustrating your team.
The way Australia pays has changed
Australians have embraced tap-and-go cards, smartphones and smartwatches for everyday purchases. Carrying cash is increasingly rare, especially among younger workers. For vending machines, that change in behaviour is decisive: a machine that only takes coins is invisible to a growing share of potential customers.
What cashless readers unlock
Modern cashless payment systems do far more than accept a tap. They connect the machine to the internet, which opens up a range of benefits:
- Live sales data, so popular products are restocked before they run out.
- Remote monitoring that flags faults before anyone notices a problem.
- Faster, smoother transactions — no hunting for change.
- Better product decisions based on what people actually buy.
Should your machine still accept cash?
In some environments — such as sites with visiting contractors or older demographics — keeping a coin and note mechanism makes sense. Many modern machines accept both cash and cashless payments, so nobody is excluded. The key point is that cashless is no longer optional; it's the baseline expectation.
The bottom line for your workplace
If you're arranging a vending machine for your site, make cashless payment a non-negotiable. Every machine Crown Vending supplies comes equipped with modern cashless readers, so your team can pay the way they already pay everywhere else.