Considering Card Only Self Serve Car Wash

[AZcarwashman]

There are plenty of people who will swap your quarters for cash. I've run into three people at my bank who say they could use mine instead of deposit them.

Yup, I sell mine to other operators that vend quarters instead of tokens. Plus, the times that they don’t need em (rarely) the bank supplies me with bulk deposit bags (at no charge) for up to $1000 in quarters per bag for deposit. If you’re having issues with your bank taking coin, find another bank.

 

[Greg Pack]

There is no right or wrong answer to this, it depends on the individual and their goals. Once upon a time, SS washes were treated as investments, not businesses. But over the Years in the quest to make more money it seems they have require more and more time from the operator and more of a business.

My friend that has gone cashless treats the washes as investment properties. The operating company pays his real estate company rent, and as long as he gets his expected rent and goal ROI, he is happy and is not too worried about leaving a little money on the table. He uses the surplus funds in the operating company to aggressively maintain and upgrade the properties. His equipment rooms are dry, neat and clean and very simple. The walls are freshly painted. Everything is new. It makes them a pleasure to run.

Admittedly to me it's a lifestyle issue. You can run a couple of washes and do all the little items to add a little site revenue here and there. I had seven washes at one time with no management quality help. That will burn you out. Once you burn out you never regain that enthusiasm for the business you once had. When you tire of the day to day grind you can either sell, hire a good manger (good luck) or modify your business to make it easier to run.I could go card only, get rid of vending, and get rid of shampoo and fragrance machines. I'm 80% CC now, admittedly some cash customers will leave but those that elect to stay will use CC and the higher ticket average will help compensate. My guess is a 10% drop in revenue worst case scenario. I will recapture a day of my time a week and theft concerns become a non-issue. I could almost leave my doors unlocked if there's no cash to worry about. Many of the problem low-rent cash only customers and take their bulk of their problems with them. The wash becomes simpler to run and more attractive to an investor type when it comes time to eventually sell.

Along the same lines- For those that do go cashless, it's easier to run more washes efficiently and the time savings might mean adding a wash to your portfolio, which will negate the revenue loss and result in potentially higher net worth when time comes to sell. Would you rather own two washes grossing 150k each , or three washes grossing 135K each (paid for) at the end of your career?

 

[BubblesCarWashRH]

I moved to card only for my SS last August. I accept quarters if customers bring them. I do not have change machine on site. It is almost a year now. Overall, I do not think my revenue is impacted that much.. My current average ticket now around 12.25 vs around 10 before. My quarter collection (customer quarters) is 16% vs around 40% before.

Another benefit is that my least desired customers (that pay cash and spend less than $3) has been decreased significantly. I have a lot less to clean now!

My overall impression- I should have done it sooner.

BTW- I have Crypto sweeper and Tap in my bays.

Good Luck!

Just curious, why do you have both swiper and tap?

 

[BubblesCarWashRH]

But you have people you trust to make sure everything is running properly and fix what isn't?

Yes, there aren’t many folks I’d trust to handle cash/quarters without any type of supervision.

 

[KFPanda]

I know it's damn near impossible to build a new SS nowadays but I think a nice, clean, cashless SS with touchless IBA would do well in my area, but it's all booming with new development, homes shopping centers, soon more apartments... tons of express tunnels and gas station car washes but over 10 miles to a SS wash.

 

[AZcarwashman]

I know it's damn near impossible to build a new SS nowadays but I think a nice, clean, cashless SS with touchless IBA would do well in my area, but it's all booming with new development, homes shopping centers, soon more apartments... tons of express tunnels and gas station car washes but over 10 miles to a SS wash.

I agree, I’m of the same opinion. Unfortunately, land, utilities and build costs are so expensive where I am, it’d be a long time to recoup the investment. And that’s if the economy doesn’t take a crap. Curious, where are you located?

 

[KFPanda]

I agree, I’m of the same opinion. Unfortunately, land, utilities and build costs are so expensive where I am, it’d be a long time to recoup the investment. And that’s if the economy doesn’t take a crap. Curious, where are you located?

Near Katy, TX

 

[KYwashywash]

I would suggest to not have a changer on site first. Let people bring the quarters to you. I stopped using my changer months ago. No decline in revenue on the self serves. However, still get tons of people bringing their own quarters. It doesn’t make sense to limit how people can pay to use your wash. Just make the change acceptor as big as possible at the wash. Unload it once or twice a week. Take to the bank. Most banks gladly take quarters and deposit them. Just limit how many you take at one time. To each their own

 

[MEP001]

My changer is its lifeblood. I would not remove it first. I would have whatever alternate payment method set up first and let the need for the changer die off.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You’re in the business to make money. That’s it. Why would you not always offer every way possible to earn that money? We may someday be a cashless society, but that’s a long ways off. Nearly 45% of my revenue at my washes are still cash and coin. These earnings are worth more as well since they come workout credit fees. In this business (self service) keep all options available to earn, never give away free services (vacs, air guns etc), and maintain a tidy ship with a well run fully optioned site and your bank account and customer count will grow leaps and bounds. Again, in the end it’s all about gross earnings.

Why?
1. Demographics may provide a much higher percentage of CC payments than you experience.
2. Savings in not having to accept cash - No coin or bill accepters to maintain, replace or collect from.
3. Eliminate pond scum costs - Theft and damage.
4. It is 'mostly about gross earnings. Elimination of aggravation has a value.

 

[KFPanda]

Why?
1. Demographics may provide a much higher percentage of CC payments than you experience.
2. Savings in not having to accept cash - No coin or bill accepters to maintain, replace or collect from.
3. Eliminate pond scum costs - Theft and damage.
4. It is 'mostly about gross earnings. Elimination of aggravation has a value.

#3 is huge. Torn up coin vaults can be costly to fix and you wouldn't dare file insurance over it with the way things on that end are so...

 

[soapy]

At one location my phone line has been down for the last week due to a wide spread outage. I was ab le to juggle phone lines and still accept CC in my SS bays. Otherwise I would be out 500 a day in CC sales. Most of my sales are CC but am glad I still have others methods of accepting payment.

 

[KFPanda]

At one location my phone line has been down for the last week due to a wide spread outage. I was ab le to juggle phone lines and still accept CC in my SS bays. Otherwise I would be out 500 a day in CC sales. Most of my sales are CC but am glad I still have others methods of accepting payment.

This was another plus for Monex when I was shopping around. Their router uses a 4G connection so no ISP/phone line as a weak link.

 

[soapy]

First time in 20 years for the phones to be down like this. Cell phone connections have their problems also. Cell phone in this location would be sketchy due to poor signal and close to airport cutting cell phone signals.

 

[Wash4Life]

The other day, my father and I had a conversation about going cashless. We take credit/debit as well. I'm against being cashless while he is for it. Here was our discussion:

Me: Bank tellers wash cars too.

Dad (scoffing): I don't care about bank tellers.

Me: Well, we're going to automate ourselves out of business.

Dad: What are you talking about?

Me: AI is going to kill jobs.

Dad: That has nothing to do with this.

Me: Yes, it does. It has to do with automation.

Dad: I don't care what AI does.

Me: If what the experts say it'll do to jobs is correct, you'll care. If people aren't working, they aren't driving. If people aren't driving, they aren't washing.

It was then I saw that look in his eye that indicated to me that he was thinking there was something to what I was saying.

Whether our four car washes become cashless or not is going to change the trajectory of the world. However, what I think a lot of people who are cashless or who are thinking about it like my dad do not realize that our industry is going to end up as a shell of its self in five, 10 years. This automation sounds great until it replaces oneself.

Right now, we're at the shoreline with an inch of water washing our feet. It feels nice. Little do we know the tsunami is coming.

 

[edredtop]

It seems pretty well decided our culture has shifted to electronic payments as a preference and I have admittedly resisted the change.
The thought of not having to deal with high volumes of cash just to turn it around to pay the bills is very attractive.
However, the thought that I'm somehow responsible, in part, helping Uncle Sam move us to a digital currency where every single transaction is tracked makes me a little sick to my stomach. I do like the idea of being able to purchase something with cash even if it's a lunch at my favorite diner, and not having big brother know what I did that day. You have to have cash to do that. On every bill we take it says "For all debts, public and private", and I like that private part. You won't find that on the back of a debit or credit card.
*sigh*
Call me a Luddite, call me old, but that's the one thing that bothers me about the current trend.
With that said, I purchased a Cryptopay system last week for one of my washes.
I guess it's time to get the ol' feet wet.

 

[Greg Pack]

Just got some numbers from a friend. He has a 3/2 in a middle class fairly rural community area. It's big enough to have a walmart, but surrounded by lots of land. About five years ago he remodeled the wash and did a really nice job with all new equipment. About three years ago an express tunnel was built about a mile away. In January of this year he converted to cashless. He is card only in everything except an air machine out by the road.


He sent the P&L comparing the Jan-June 2022 to Jan-Jun 2023. Gross revenue is up 13% in 2023. In comparison I'm about 30 minutes away and up 18% in the same time period but in the last year I hired a very personable attendant that is onsite 32 hours per week (I'm on site about 8 hours) so that may have had a positive impact. I would say those numbers suggest that the change to cashless results in negligible income loss, if any.

 

[OurTown]

Just got some numbers from a friend. He has a 3/2 in a middle class fairly rural community area. It's big enough to have a walmart, but surrounded by lots of land. About five years ago he remodeled the wash and did a really nice job with all new equipment. About three years ago an express tunnel was built about a mile away. In January of this year he converted to cashless. He is card only in everything except an air machine out by the road.


He sent the P&L comparing the Jan-June 2022 to Jan-Jun 2023. Gross revenue is up 13% in 2023. In comparison I'm about 30 minutes away and up 18% in the same time period but in the last year I hired a very personable attendant that is onsite 32 hours per week (I'm on site about 8 hours) so that may have had a positive impact. I would say those numbers suggest that the change to cashless results in negligible income loss, if any.

Did he say what percentage was cash before going cashless?

 

[Roz]

Just got some numbers from a friend. He has a 3/2 in a middle class fairly rural community area. It's big enough to have a walmart, but surrounded by lots of land. About five years ago he remodeled the wash and did a really nice job with all new equipment. About three years ago an express tunnel was built about a mile away. In January of this year he converted to cashless. He is card only in everything except an air machine out by the road.


He sent the P&L comparing the Jan-June 2022 to Jan-Jun 2023. Gross revenue is up 13% in 2023. In comparison I'm about 30 minutes away and up 18% in the same time period but in the last year I hired a very personable attendant that is onsite 32 hours per week (I'm on site about 8 hours) so that may have had a positive impact. I would say those numbers suggest that the change to cashless results in negligible income loss, if any.

Travel to Europe or many parts of Asia. 90% plus is tap to pay and cashless. Even the street vendors playing music for tips, they replaced the jar or guitar case with a wireless credit card reader for tips. Many of the churches primarily accept donations via a tap of a CC, although they have a place for cash too......

Wait until the generation that is currently older than 75 to be gone and the illegal immigrant issue is resolved with some sort of guest worker program so people who are not citizens can work here legally (and pay taxes) and we will be cashless as the younger generations never have a dime in their pockets....

 

[Wash4Life]

Travel to Europe or many parts of Asia. 90% plus is tap to pay and cashless. Even the street vendors playing music for tips, they replaced the jar or guitar case with a wireless credit card reader for tips. Many of the churches primarily accept donations via a tap of a CC, although they have a place for cash too......

Wait until the generation that is currently older than 75 to be gone and the illegal immigrant issue is resolved with some sort of guest worker program so people who are not citizens can work here legally (and pay taxes) and we will be cashless as the younger generations never have a dime in their pockets....

If going cashless is dependent on illegal immigration being solve, cash is going to be around a long time. Both parties have dug their heels in, and I don't see that change happening any time soon.