Sourcing and restocking: how to run a vending machine
31 October 2026
A vending machine kiosk is a shop unit in which several vending machines sell snacks, drinks and other goods around the clock without any staff on site. The model needs little floor space and no sales staff. In return, the location, the product range and the legal side have to be right from the start.
This guide shows what the machines cost, which registrations are required and why Sunday opening depends on the federal state. It describes the situation in Germany; other rules apply in Austria and Switzerland.
What is a vending machine kiosk?
In a vending machine kiosk, several vending machines stand in a freely accessible room. Customers choose at the machine, pay in cash or by card and take the goods with them. The operator refills and cleans the machines and monitors them remotely. Three to five machines are enough to start. In the cases decided by the courts in 2025, there were 11 and 15 machines in one room.
A vending machine kiosk is not a smart store. There, customers walk through a small supermarket and scan the goods themselves. The distinction matters because the shop opening laws treat the two formats differently in some respects.
What does a vending machine kiosk cost?
The machines are the largest item. The following prices are taken from the VendSpot shop and are net prices for new machines.
| Machine | Suitable for | Net price |
|---|---|---|
| Snack vending machine TCN-CSC-6G(H5) | Snacks, cans and PET bottles on a small footprint | €4,800 |
| Snack Vending Machine TCN-CSC-10G(H5) | Snacks and chilled drinks with a wider selection | €6,000 |
| Snack Vending Machine with Lift TCN-CEL-11G(H5) | Glass bottles and fragile goods | €6,500 |
| Vape Vending Machine with ID Scanner | E-cigarettes with age verification | €3,500 |
| Coffee vending machine TCN-NCF-7N(V22) | Coffee and hot drinks | €7,000 |
| Ice cream vending machine TCN-FEL-9C(V22) | Ice cream and frozen goods | €7,500 |
| Trading Card Vending Machine TCN-S800-10C(22SP) | Trading cards and accessories | €6,000 |
In addition, shipping costs €300 net per machine, plus a card terminal depending on the model. A small kiosk with two TCN-CSC-10G(H5) snack machines and one vape machine costs €15,500 net, or €16,400 including shipping. With a coffee machine and an ice cream machine added, the total is €30,000 net, or €31,500 including shipping.
Ongoing costs are shop rent, electricity, purchasing of goods, card payment fees, insurance, cleaning and the time for refilling. The guides How much does a vending machine cost? and Is a vending machine worth it?.
Which registrations and rules apply?
Registering the business and labelling the machines
Under German trade law, a vending machine kiosk counts as the installation of vending machines. You register the business under section 14 (3) of the Trade Regulation Code (Gewerbeordnung) with the authority at the place of your main establishment. Every machine must show your surname with one first name written out in full, an address at which you can be served and the address of your main establishment, and for registered companies also the company name.
Food, labelling and deposit
Anyone who sells food or drinks is a food business operator and registers the kiosk with the food control authority responsible for the location. Prepacked goods need the mandatory information in German on the pack. This applies in particular to imported sweets and drinks, which are part of the range in many vending machine kiosks.
Single-use cans and single-use bottles are subject to the deposit obligation under section 31 of the Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz), including imported goods. Returns do not have to be possible at the machine itself, but within a reasonable distance. Every item also needs a clearly visible final price including VAT. More on this in the guide Food hygiene at vending machines.
Protection of minors for e-cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol
A machine may only dispense e-cigarettes and tobacco products if a technical device or constant supervision prevents sales to minors (section 10 (2) of the Protection of Young Persons Act, Jugendschutzgesetz). In a vending machine kiosk, an ID scanner on the machine does this. The rules for alcohol are stricter: section 9 (3) of the Act allows sales from machines only in places that minors cannot enter, or in commercially used rooms with a technical lock or constant supervision. Always clarify alcohol with the public order office in advance.
Since 1 July 2026, every point of sale for e-cigarettes must also take back old devices and point this out with the uniform collection point logo. Ask your waste authority how to implement this in a kiosk without staff. The guide Youth protection at vending machines.
Lease, building law and neighbours
Have the purpose “vending machine kiosk operating around the clock” written into the lease. If the unit was not a shop before, a change of use may be required. Ask the building authority before you sign. The machines themselves do not require a permit procedure in many federal states, in Baden-Württemberg under the annex to section 50 of the State Building Code.
A kiosk that attracts customers at night quickly leads to complaints about noise and litter. Bins, good lighting, video surveillance and a daily check help to prevent this.
Cash, taxes and video surveillance
Vending machines do not need a technical security device; the German Cash Register Security Ordinance (Kassensicherungsverordnung) does not apply to them. However, the cash container counts as a cash register: each time it is emptied, you count and document the contents. Clarify VAT and record keeping with your tax adviser.
Video surveillance is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation. A sign at the entrance names the controller, the purpose and the storage period.
May a vending machine kiosk open on Sundays?
That depends on the federal state. Shop opening laws are a matter for the states, and the courts take different views on whether a room full of vending machines is a sales outlet that has to close on Sundays and public holidays. As of November 2026, the situation is as follows:
| Federal state | Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| North Rhine-Westphalia | Vending machine kiosks may open on Sundays and public holidays because the Shop Opening Act does not cover vending machines. | Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia, order of 12 February 2025 (4 B 976/24); Cologne Administrative Court, judgment of 18 June 2025 (1 K 5563/24) |
| Lower Saxony | A vending machine shop with eleven machines does not fall under the Shop Opening Act and may stay open continuously for the time being. | Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony, order of 13 March 2025 (7 ME 7/25) |
| Schleswig-Holstein | In the view of the administrative court, vending machine kiosks do not fall under the Shop Opening Hours Act. | Schleswig Administrative Court, order of 14 March 2025 (7 B 20/25) |
| Bavaria | Since August 2025, unstaffed mini supermarkets of up to 150 m² may in principle also open on Sundays and public holidays. Municipalities may limit the hours, but at least eight consecutive hours must remain. Regensburg allows vending machine shops to open on Sundays only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Bavarian Shop Closing Act; Regensburg Administrative Court, orders of 22 and 24 July 2026 |
| Baden-Württemberg | Since 28 February 2026, fully automated sales outlets with up to 150 m² of sales area may open on Sundays and public holidays if they only stock everyday consumer goods. Sunday operation must be notified six weeks in advance. Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday and Christmas Day remain closed. | Section 2 (1a) and section 9 (1a) of the Baden-Württemberg Shop Opening Act |
Most of these decisions were made in interim proceedings and do not bind other courts. The Hamburg Administrative Court, by contrast, classified vending machine shops as sales outlets. In Baden-Württemberg it is still open how municipalities will classify kiosks that consist only of vending machines. The explanatory memorandum to the Act expressly mentions unstaffed sales outlets such as e-kiosks.
Before signing the lease, you should therefore ask the public order office in writing whether your kiosk may open on Sundays and public holidays and which hours apply.
Finding the right location
- Evening footfall: Residential areas without late-night shops, locations near stations, nightlife districts and universities bring customers when other shops are closed.
- Access and floor: A few square metres are enough. More important are step-free access, a shop window and a load-bearing floor, because a machine weighs several hundred kilograms.
- Electricity: Plan one socket per machine. Freezer machines and machines for hot food should have their own, adequately fused circuit.
- Network: Card payment and remote monitoring need a stable mobile network or Wi-Fi.
- Surroundings: With e-cigarettes in the range, you should avoid the immediate vicinity of schools and youth facilities.
Choosing the range and the machines
Plan the range from the location: what do people there lack in the evening and at the weekend?
- Snacks and chilled drinks: Snack Vending Machines and drinks vending machines
- Coffee and hot drinks: Coffee Vending Machines
- Ice cream and frozen goods: Ice Cream Vending Machines and Frozen food vending machines
- E-cigarettes with age verification: vape and cigarette vending machines
- Hot food: vending machines for hot food
- Trading cards: Trading Card Vending Machines
In Baden-Württemberg, according to the explanatory memorandum, only food, drink and tobacco, household goods and hygiene articles count as everyday consumer goods. Anyone who wants to open on Sundays there should clarify trading cards or toys with the municipality.
All machines can be wrapped in your own design and monitored remotely via telemetry. Suitable machines for this use are also shown on the page Vending machines for petrol stations, kiosks and 24/7 shops.
Ten steps to your vending machine kiosk
- Define the location and target group, and plan the range in outline.
- Clarify in writing with the public order office whether the kiosk may open on Sundays and public holidays.
- Clarify with the building authority whether the unit can be used without a change of use.
- Sign the lease with the purpose “vending machine kiosk operating around the clock”.
- Register the business and register the kiosk with the food control authority.
- Choose and order the machines, the payment system and the age verification.
- Set up power connections, internet, lighting and video surveillance.
- Attach the mandatory information to the machines, and check prices, labelling and deposit.
- Take out insurance against burglary, vandalism and liability claims.
- Organise refilling, cleaning and checks as a fixed weekly schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to open a vending machine kiosk?
A small kiosk with two snack machines and one vape machine costs €15,500 net at VendSpot, or €16,400 including shipping. With a coffee machine and an ice cream machine, it is €31,500 net including shipping. Rent, fitting out the unit, goods and running costs come on top.
May a vending machine kiosk be open on Sundays?
That depends on the federal state. In North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, courts ruled in favour of the operators in 2025. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have created their own rules with a limit of 150 m². Ask the public order office before you start.
Do I need a permit for a vending machine kiosk?
You need a business registration under section 14 (3) of the Trade Regulation Code and registration with the food control authority. The building authority clarifies whether the unit may be used without a change of use.
May I sell e-cigarettes in a vending machine kiosk?
Yes, if the machine verifies age by technical means, for example with an ID scanner. Since 1 July 2026, points of sale for e-cigarettes must also take back old devices.
How many machines does a vending machine kiosk need?
Three to five machines are enough to start if the range suits the location. Larger kiosks work with ten or more machines.
Advice from VendSpot
VendSpot delivers the machines for your kiosk throughout Europe and advises you on the range, the payment system and age verification. Talk to us before you sign the lease, and we will plan the floor space and power connections together. You can reach us Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on +49 176 63463646 or by e-mail at kontakt@vendspot.shop. The basics for each individual machine are in the guide Setting up a vending machine.
Sources
- Research Services of the German Bundestag: Vending machines, paper of 11 February 2026
- beck-aktuell on the order of the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia of 12 February 2025
- beck-aktuell on the judgment of the Cologne Administrative Court of 18 June 2025
- Rechtslupe on the order of the Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony of 13 March 2025
- beck-aktuell on the order of the Schleswig Administrative Court of 14 March 2025
- KOMMUNAL on the orders of the Regensburg Administrative Court of July 2026
- Baden-Württemberg Shop Opening Act, version of 10 February 2026
- City of Karlsruhe: information sheet on vending machines
- IHK Mittleres Ruhrgebiet: take-back obligations for e-cigarettes
As of November 2026. This overview does not replace legal or tax advice in individual cases.
