If you haven't raised your vend prices in the last 18 months, you've taken a pay cut. Utilities, labor, and supplies have all gone up. Your prices haven't. That gap is coming directly out of your cash flow.
The fear is always the same: "If I raise prices, customers will leave." The data says otherwise. A 5–10% vend increase typically results in 0–5% volume loss. Net revenue almost always goes up. The customers you lose were your least profitable anyway — choosing you purely on price.
The timing
Raise prices when any of these are true:
- It's been 18+ months since your last increase
- Your utility costs as a percentage of gross have climbed more than 2 points
- Minimum wage increased in your state
- Your competitors raised prices (you should have gone first)
- You're consistently at capacity during peak hours
How much to raise
Small, regular increases beat large, infrequent ones. A $0.50 increase every 18 months is nearly invisible. A $2.00 increase after five years of no changes feels like a shock.
Guidelines by machine size:
- 20–25lb washers: $0.25–0.50
- 40–50lb washers: $0.50–1.00
- 60–80lb washers: $0.75–1.50
- Dryers: Reduce time per quarter by 30–60 seconds. Going from 8 minutes to 7 minutes per quarter is a ~12% effective increase that nobody notices.
How to communicate it
Post a simple sign 2 weeks before the effective date:
"Effective [date], vend prices will be updated to reflect increased operating costs. We appreciate your business."
That's it. No apology. No paragraph of explanation. Customers understand that costs go up — they're paying more for everything else already.
What happens after
Week 1–2: A few regulars will comment. Most won't notice. One or two may complain loudly. These are rarely your best customers.
Week 3–4: Volume normalizes. The comments stop.
Month 2–3: You've forgotten there was ever a concern. Your cash flow is better. You wonder why you waited so long.
One action this week
Model the increase using the Vend Price Optimizer. Enter your current prices, set proposed prices, and adjust post-increase TPD conservatively. See the exact revenue impact before you commit.