Most vending machine suppliers in Sydney look almost identical on their websites. Free machine, free delivery, free service, range of products, cashless payments. So how do you actually choose between them?

After 35+ years in the industry, we'll tell you the questions that actually separate a supplier you'll be happy with from one you'll be cancelling on inside six months. Use this as a checklist when you're comparing options including comparing us against anyone else.

1. Are the people who service your machine actually employed by the supplier?

This is the single biggest quality differentiator and almost no one asks. Many vending companies subcontract their restocking and servicing to third-party drivers and technicians. The subcontractors are paid per machine visited, so they're incentivised to rush and skip steps - sometimes including stock rotation, fault diagnosis, and cleaning.

Ask directly: "Do your own employees service the machine, or do you use subcontractors or franchises?" A supplier with employed, trained staff will answer that question with confidence. A supplier who uses contractors or franchises will usually deflect.

2. What's the contract length and exit clause?

Common patterns to watch for:

• 24-month rolling contracts - fair and standard if the renewal terms are clear.
  

Also check: what happens if you move office, get acquired, or simply aren't happy with the service?

3. How long has the company been operating?

Vending is an industry where machines, payment tech and supplier relationships compound over time. A company that's been operating in Sydney for 20–35 years has seen multiple equipment cycles, navigated the cashless transition, and built relationships with brands that newer entrants can't match.

Newer suppliers can be excellent - but check what they were doing before vending, and whether they own their machines outright or are reselling someone else's service.

4. Payment technology - what's actually installed?

Any machine installed in 2026 should support, as a minimum:

• Tap-to-pay contactless cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex).
• Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay.
• Coins and notes.
• Automatic refunds to card when a vend fails.

The Nayax cashless system is the de-facto standard for Australian vending - it handles all of the above and feeds telemetry back to the operator so empty machines and faults get flagged before you have to call them.

5. Service response time

Ask for it in writing. A reasonable benchmark:

• Restocking visits: weekly minimum for typical sites, more frequent for high-volume sites.
• Fault response: same business day or next business day.
• Refund processing: automatic via the card system, or within 24–48 hours for cash refunds.

6. Product range and flexibility

Some operators have a fixed product mix and won't change it. Others like us, work with the host site to dial in the right balance of healthy, treat, drinks, snacks and light meals based on actual sales over the first few months.

If you have specific requirements (school canteen guidelines, hospital nutritional standards, halal-only product), ask whether the supplier can actually accommodate them.

7. Public liability and product insurance

Both should be in place. Ask for the certificates of currency. Reputable suppliers will send them through without hesitation.

8. References and case studies

Ask for clients in similar industries. We've worked with everyone from Toyota Motor Corporation Australia to Star City to hundreds of small Sydney businesses. A supplier should be able to give you 2–3 reference contacts in similar verticals to yours.

9. Site assessment - do they actually look at your space?

A supplier who'll install a machine based on a phone call alone is a supplier who doesn't care whether it works for you. A proper site assessment looks at:

• Foot traffic patterns through the day.
• Physical fit and access for restocking.
• Power point location and circuit sharing.
• Existing amenities (coffee, fridge, nearby cafe) that affect product mix.
• After-hours access requirements.

10. What happens at the end of the relationship?

Ask: "If we cancel, how quickly is the machine removed, and at whose cost?" The answer should be: within a week or two, at the operator's cost. Anything else is a sign of an operator who's harder to leave than to join.

A note on us

We're not going to pretend Custom Vending is the only good option in Sydney. But here's where we're happy to be measured:

• 35+ years in the Sydney vending industry.
• Our own trained employees service every machine - no subcontractors.
• First company in the world to vend all manufacturers' products in one machine.
• Nayax cashless system with remote monitoring and auto-refunds on every machine.
• Free site assessment before we agree to install.

If you're comparing suppliers right now, call us on 02 9542 7522 and put us through the same checklist you're using on everyone else.