Short answer: a cashless vending machine suits most sites now, but not all. The Bank of Canada's 2025 Methods-of-Payment Survey found cash was used for 18% of point-of-sale transactions in 2025, down from above 20% in 2021–2024, while contactless cards made up more than 60% of in-person payments. Yet 76% of Canadians still carry cash, and those 55 and older use it for a larger share of purchases. Card-only is the right call for 24/7 and unstaffed sites; a card-plus-coin machine is worth asking for where older residents or visitors are the main buyers.
This guide is for business owners, property managers and care-home administrators choosing between card-only and card-plus-cash machines, and wondering what happens when a card payment goes wrong. The payment data is Canada-wide; the licence fees are Metro Vancouver examples.
What the 2025 payment data says
The Bank of Canada surveys how Canadians pay each year, combining a questionnaire with a payment diary. The 2025 report, published in August 2026:
| Measure (Canada, 2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Cash share of point-of-sale transactions | 18% (down 2 points from the 2021–2024 plateau) |
| Cash share of point-of-sale value | 10% |
| Contactless card share of in-person payments | More than 60%, by volume and value |
| Adults carrying cash when surveyed | About 76% (down 2.5 points from 2024) |
| Adults owning a debit card | 99% |
| Adults with no plans to stop using cash | 80% |
Two points matter for a vending machine. First, these are national figures across all purchases; the report doesn't break out vending, so a machine's own cash share can differ, and the operator's sales data for similar sites is the better guide. Second, the direction is clear: the report says contactless card payments "dominate in-person payments", with mobile wallets growing within that.
Who still uses cash: the report finds Canadians 55 and older are more likely than other age groups to hold cash and use it for a larger share of their transactions. That's the group at a seniors' residence, a care home's visitor lounge or a legion hall.
Card-only vs card-plus-coin, by site
| Site | Suggested setup | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 24/7 gym, warehouse night shift, hotel after hours | Card-only | No one to clear a coin jam or empty a full cash box overnight |
| Office, clinic waiting room, college | Card-only or card-plus-coin | Most buyers tap; coins are a courtesy |
| Seniors' residence, care-home visitor area | Card-plus-coin | Older buyers use cash more (Bank of Canada 2025) |
| Outdoor or public-facing spot | Card-only | A cash box is a reason to break in |
What cashless changes for the host
Fewer calls to your front desk. Coin jams and bill rejections are a common machine complaint. A card reader can still fail, but a failed card payment is refunded to the card by the operator, not from your till.
It needs signal. Many readers connect over a cellular modem. Test the actual spot, not the lobby, with a phone. If it's weak, ask about Wi-Fi or an antenna.
City licence fees can differ. Burnaby's Fees and Charges Bylaw charges $39 for a coin-operated vending machine and $112 for one that accepts cards (Schedule A2), rising to $41 and $117 from January 1, 2027 (Bylaw 14850). Surrey charges $41 a machine regardless (Business License By-law 13680). The operator normally holds and pays the licence, but it's one reason an operator might ask about coin-only in Burnaby. Full details are in our licence fees guide.
A tax footnote on coins. GST applies to food and drinks sold through vending machines (Excise Tax Act, Schedule VI, Part III, s.1(p)), with one old exception the CRA still describes: items sold for a single coin of 25 cents or less. It's a reminder that the tax rules were written for coin machines, and it covers almost nothing sold at today's prices.
Refunds: get it in writing
Whatever the payment setup, the refund process is what your staff will notice. Before install, get these in writing:
- A service number or QR code on the machine, so customers contact the operator directly.
- A turnaround for card refunds and for cash refunds, if the machine takes coins.
- Who to call when the reader is offline, and how long the machine may run cash-only or out of service.
Line 7 of our vending agreement checklist covers refunds, and line 9 covers card payment and weak signal. The space and power checklist covers the spot.
Where VendFynd fits
We're your vending advocate: we match the operator and the payment setup to who actually uses your site, and we're the one contact for refund complaints afterwards, replying within 1 business day. Placement is $0 to you: you provide the spot and an outlet (about $15–20 a month in power for a drink machine). It's month to month, with 30 days' notice and no-cost removal, under our host terms. See if your site qualifies.
Sources
- Bank of Canada, Felt, Pacouloute and Welte, "2025 Methods-of-Payment Survey Report: Cash in an Increasingly Digital and Mobile Economy", staff analytical paper 2026-36 (last updated August 20, 2026): https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2026/08/staff-analytical-paper-2026-36/, accessed 2026-09-29
- City of Burnaby, Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 14485, Schedule A2: https://bylaws.burnaby.ca/media/Consolidated/14485CC.pdf, accessed 2026-09-26
- City of Surrey, Business License By-law No. 13680, Schedule A: https://www.surrey.ca/city-government/bylaws/13680, accessed 2026-09-26
- CRA, GST/HST Memorandum 4.3, "Basic groceries": https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/4-3/basic-groceries.html, accessed 2026-09-26
- Excise Tax Act, Schedule VI, Part III: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-15/page-121.html, current to 2026-09-03