Short answer: Feel Good Snacks, a Canadian vending operator, reports that small offices and clinics often receive 0% commission, mid-size sites 5-15%, and large, high-traffic sites 15-25% (2026). Some operators pay flat rent instead, which the same source puts at $50-$300 a month in Canada. No operator in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia publishes its terms, so these are reference points, not a local rate card.
This post is for business owners and managers who have been offered a vending machine, or are thinking about asking for one, and want to know whether the terms are normal.
What is vending machine commission?
Commission is a share of the machine's sales that the operator pays the host, usually monthly or quarterly. Flat rent is a fixed amount the operator pays for the space, whatever the machine sells. Many placements, especially at small sites, involve neither: the host gets a stocked and serviced machine at no cost beyond the spot and an outlet (a machine draws roughly $15–20 a month in power), and that is the whole deal.
Commission and flat rent: the published numbers
Every number below names its source. None of them is a measured average for Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, because nobody publishes one.
| Model | Canada | United States | Who says so |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission, small offices and clinics | 0% | Luxury properties "often 5% or 0%" | Feel Good Snacks (Canadian operator); VendBuddy |
| Commission, mid-size sites | 5-15% | 10-15% called "standard" | Feel Good Snacks; VendBuddy |
| Commission, large high-traffic sites | 15-25% | Operators told to walk away at 20-30% | Feel Good Snacks; VendBuddy |
| Flat monthly rent | $50-$300 (CAD) | $50-$200 (USD) | Feel Good Snacks; VendBuddy |
Two cautions about the table. First, VendBuddy is a company that sells tools to vending operators, and its figures describe the US market in US dollars. Second, the Canadian figures come from a single operator's published guide. Both are useful for a sense of scale, and neither tells you what you will be offered. Holding an offer already? The vending commission reality check compares it with these ranges and flags the terms worth a second look.
Why do many small sites get 0%?
An operator's costs at your site are the machine, the product, the restocking trips, repairs and card-processing fees. At a small office or clinic, sales may only just cover those. Adding commission can turn a workable site into one the operator declines.
That's why Feel Good Snacks puts small offices and clinics at 0%. It is not a sign the operator is taking advantage. If a site is small, the question worth asking is whether the operator will stock what your people want and keep the machine working, not what percentage they pay.
What changes the rate?
The sources above tie commission to two things:
- Traffic. More people passing the machine every day means more sales, and more room for the operator to share them.
- Size and type of site. Large workplaces, big residential buildings and busy public sites sit at the top of the ranges. Small offices sit at the bottom.
Other things can move an offer, such as the length of the agreement, whether the site agrees to use one supplier only and how many machines are involved, but no source publishes numbers for them. One vendor-published residential case, for example, combined a $1,000 signing bonus with a 5% revenue share on a 5-year term across seven buildings. That is one deal described by a company that sells equipment to operators, not a norm.
Questions to ask about commission
If an operator offers commission, these questions tell you what it is actually worth:
- Is it a share of gross sales or net sales? Net can mean after card fees, taxes or product cost. The same percentage is worth much less on net.
- How often is it paid, and how? Monthly, quarterly, by cheque or transfer.
- Can you see the sales reports? Many card-enabled machines report sales remotely. Ask whether you get access or a statement.
- Is there a minimum before it's paid? Some agreements only pay above a sales threshold.
- Does the rate change over the term?
- What happens to commission if the machine is moved or removed?
We cover the rest of the agreement, such as term, service and removal, in questions to ask a vending company before you sign.
How VendFynd handles commission
VendFynd is your vending advocate: we find the right operator for your site and stay on your side after it's in. On commission, our stance is simple:
- Most locations receive a commission. The main benefit to a host is still a stocked, serviced machine for its people, and we set the commission only after we've seen the site.
- It's set per location and agreed in writing, before install, on your placement sheet.
- The rest of the terms: $0 to you (the operator covers the machine, install, stocking, service and removal), you provide the spot and an outlet, and a 30-day trial, then month to month with 30 days' notice and no-cost removal.
All of it is in the published host terms.
What we don't know
Metro Vancouver operators say commission is available or negotiable, but none that we found publishes rates or example terms. We haven't found an independent survey of Canadian host commissions either. Until someone publishes one, the honest answer to "what's normal in Vancouver?" is: ask two or three operators for written offers and compare them line by line.
If you want to understand the operator side of the same deal, our guide to free vending for businesses explains what the operator pays for. You can also check whether your site is in the range where commission is likely with the site-fit checklist.
Sources
- Feel Good Snacks, "Vending machine commission: how much to pay location owners" (Canada): https://feelgoodsnacks.ca/blog/vending-machine-commission-how-much-to-pay-location-owners/, accessed 2026-09-26
- VendBuddy, "Vending machine commission rates" (a company that sells to operators; US figures in USD): https://vendbuddy.io/blog/vending-machine-commission-rates, accessed 2026-09-26
- 365 Retail Markets / Micromart, "Delong Vending" case study (vendor-published): https://learn.micromart.com/case-studies/delong-vending, accessed 2026-09-26
Last updated: September 26, 2026. We review this post quarterly. This is general information, not financial advice.