Vending route bookkeeping: stock, commissions and machine parts against reader settlements and route cash
A vending route is paid through a cashless-reader processor and cash collected from machines; the costs are stock, location commissions, machine parts, fuel and insurance. The bank statement holds both.
Worked example: one October
The tool ships a synthetic statement for a vending route (fixtures/vending-checking.csv): four deposits and nine outgoing lines. Twelve of thirteen lines get a suggested account with no rules taught; the warehouse-club run is left for review. Check each one.
| October 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cashless-reader settlements (Cantaloupe, Nayax) | $4,096.15 |
| Route cash deposit | $820.00 |
| Money in | $4,916.15 |
| Restaurant-supply stock run | −$964.55 |
| Warehouse-club run (left for review) | −$512.30 |
| Reader service fee | −$79.50 |
| Location commission (rent) | −$310.00 |
| Machine parts | −$186.40 |
| Fuel | −$98.75 |
| Insurance | −$142.00 |
| State licence | −$60.00 |
| Costs | −$2,353.50 |
| Profit before draw | $2,562.65 |
The $1,000.00 Zelle to the owner is suggested as an owner draw (equity), not a cost. Stock is cost of goods for most routes; the tool files the restaurant-supply run as supplies and does not split stock from supplies. Machine depreciation, sales tax on vended items and state vending licences differ by state: ask an accountant.
Questions
Is vending stock cost of goods?
For most routes yes, but the tool cannot tell a warehouse-club run for stock from one for supplies. Restaurant-supply runs are suggested as supplies and warehouse-club runs are left for you to review; moving stock to cost of goods is your call, ask an accountant.
Is a transfer to myself a cost?
No. A transfer to the owner is suggested as an owner draw (equity), so it does not reduce profit.
Open AI Bookkeeper and import your bank statement. Rules are written from company names; no real vending operator's statement has been tried.