Short answer: there are five types of vending machines a BC host is usually offered: a snack machine, a cold drink machine, a combo machine, a smart cooler and a micro market. Which one fits depends on how many people are on site, who can reach the spot, whether you want fresh food, how much width and ceiling height you have, and whether your buyers pay cash. Answer eight questions below and the chooser explains which types fit and which don't. Nothing you enter leaves the page.
It's for office, warehouse, gym, clinic and building managers in British Columbia who've been offered one format and want to know whether another would suit them better. The rules it applies are written out below the tool.
The chooser needs JavaScript. Every rule it uses is in the tables below, so you can work it out on paper.
The five types, by the spec sheets
| Type | What it is | Height | Width | Rated current (115 V) | Payment | Fresh food |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snack machine | Spiral cabinet, item drops | 72" | 33–44" | 3 A | Card, coin or bill devices | No (ambient) |
| Cold drink machine | Refrigerated cabinet, item drops | 72" | 40–47" | 7.5 A | Card, coin or bill devices | No |
| Combo machine | Snacks and chilled drinks in one cabinet | 72" | 35–46" | 6 A | Card, coin or bill devices | Some chilled items |
| Smart cooler | Glass-door fridge, opens with a card tap; cameras or AI charge for what's taken | 78.5–82.6" | 28.6–31.5" | 2.35–3.4 A | Cashless only | Yes |
| Micro market | Open shelves and coolers, self-checkout kiosk | Varies | A wall or corner | Several outlets | Kiosk, mostly cashless | Yes |
Machines: Crane Merchant Ambient, Merchant Combo and BevMax MEDIA2 product pages (all list a standard MDB payment port and a lockable cash box option). Smart coolers: Vending.com Spectra Launch, Pro, Core and Elevate spec sheets (2026). Read 2026-10-12. Other brands differ.
Two things in that table surprise most hosts: a smart cooler is 6 to 10 inches taller than a standard machine, and it's narrower, so it can fit an alcove a drink machine can't but may not clear a low bulkhead.
The rules the chooser applies
| Question | What it changes |
|---|---|
| People on site | Under 20: small for any full-size format. 20–39: one combo machine or a smart cooler. 40–99: a snack and drink pair or a smart cooler. A micro market is our rule of thumb for about 100 or more people, and operators set their own minimums. |
| Who can reach it | Open to the public: a locked machine is safest. A smart cooler can work but most operators prefer it inside the fob line. A micro market needs a room with controlled access. |
| Fresh food | Points to a smart cooler or micro market, and adds the permit flag below. |
| Cash buyers | Many cash buyers rule out cashless-only formats (smart cooler, most micro markets). |
| Width | Under 30": only the narrowest smart coolers. 30–34": a smart cooler or a narrow snack machine. Two machines need about 80". A micro market needs a wall. |
| Height | Under 78": no smart cooler on the sheets we read fits. 78–82": only some do. Machines need 72" plus room to tilt them in. |
| Signal | Card readers, smart coolers and kiosks all need a connection. With weak signal, only a machine that also takes cash keeps selling. |
| Unstaffed hours | Fine for machines and smart coolers; a micro market left open to anyone at night is a loss risk. |
Worked examples
- Warehouse break room, 60 on the main shift, staff only, cash from a few, 80" of wall, good signal: a snack and drink pair fits; a smart cooler is a good alternative if people want fresh food.
- Clinic waiting room, 35 people a day, open to the public, many cash buyers, 40" spot: one combo machine with a coin and bill acceptor. A smart cooler or micro market isn't a fit.
- Strata gym, 250 units, fob access, fresh food wanted, 32" alcove, 80" bulkhead: a smart cooler only if the specific model clears 80", so measure first. Our strata lobby comparison covers that case in detail.
The BC rules behind the flags
Fresh food and permits. BC's Food Premises Regulation lists vending machines as food-premises equipment (s.1) and doesn't apply to premises selling only whole fresh fruit and vegetables or prepackaged, non-potentially hazardous food (s.2(e)). Sandwiches, salads and milk must be kept at 4°C or colder (s.14(2)), and food premises serving them may need a health officer's permit (s.8). The operator handles it; ask to see it.
PST and soda. The Ministry of Finance's Notice 2021-002 makes every drink in "a vending machine or similar equipment" taxable if it dispenses any soda. That's the operator's to collect, but it matters if a commission is calculated on gross sales.
Walkways. In a workplace, WorkSafeBC's OHS Regulation requires work areas arranged for the safe movement of people (s.4.33) and a safe way in and out (s.4.32). A wide micro market or a pair of machines mustn't narrow a corridor or exit.
Cash. The Bank of Canada's 2025 Methods-of-Payment Survey found cash was used for 18% of point-of-sale transactions, and older Canadians use it more. See our cashless vending post.
Not sure of your numbers
Use the people-on-site estimator for offices with hybrid staff, and the space and power checklist to measure the spot and the route in. For offices weighing a micro market, read micro market vs vending machine. Whichever type fits, placement should be $0 to you: the operator covers the equipment, install, stocking, service and removal, and you provide the spot and an outlet (about $15–20 a month in power for a drink machine). Your people choose the menu.
About this data
- Chooser: the rules in the table above, run in your browser. It stores and sends nothing.
- Dimensions, current and payment: manufacturer pages and spec sheets read on 2026-10-12. Models change; the operator should give you the exact sheet.
- Headcount bands: the 20 and 40 bands follow the size rule in VendFynd's own site-fit scoring code. The 100-person micro market band is our rule of thumb from placing machines across the Lower Mainland, not a published standard.
- General information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources
- Crane Payment Innovations, Merchant Ambient MEDIA2: https://www.cranepi.com/en/products/self-service-solutions/snack-and-food-vending-machines/merchant-ambient-media2
- Crane Payment Innovations, Merchant Combo MEDIA2: https://www.cranepi.com/en/products/self-service-solutions/snack-and-food-vending-machines/merchant-combo-media2
- Crane Payment Innovations, BevMax MEDIA2: https://www.cranepi.com/en/products/self-service-solutions/cold-beverage-vending-machines/bevmax-media2
- Vending.com, Spectra smart cooler spec sheets: Launch https://www.vending.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Launch-Vcom.pdf, Pro https://www.vending.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Pro-Vcom.pdf, Core https://www.vending.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Core-Vcom.pdf, Elevate https://www.vending.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Elevate-Vcom.pdf
- Food Premises Regulation, B.C. Reg. 210/99: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/11_210_99
- BC Ministry of Finance, Notice 2021-002: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/notice-2021-002-sellers-soda-beverages.pdf
- WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 4: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/ohs-regulation/part-04-general-conditions
- Bank of Canada, 2025 Methods-of-Payment Survey Report: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2026/08/staff-analytical-paper-2026-36/