For convenience stores and gas stations, ATM placement is not just about offering cash access. It can help drive in-store traffic, support impulse purchases, encourage cash payments, reduce fees for accepting cards, and creates a recurring revenue opportunity.

With free, full-service ATM placement from BFC Enterprises, merchants do not have to manage the machine themselves. The St. Louis-based company, handles installation, cash loading, maintenance, and ongoing support.

Cash is Part of Everyday Life

Digital payments may be growing, but cash is still widely used.

The 2025 Federal Reserve Diary of Consumer Payment Choice found that 83% of participants used cash in the last 30 days. More than 94% used cash as a primary payment method, backup payment method, or store of value. More than 90% said they had no plans to stop using cash.

For convenience store and gas station operators, that is not a small detail.

Customers still want convenient access to cash. Some use it to stay on budget. Some prefer it for small purchases. Some keep it as a backup. Others simply like having cash available.

An ATM on-site gives customers easy access to cash at the same place they are already stopping.

ATMs Can Drive In-Store Traffic

An ATM does more than serve customers who are already inside. It can give them a reason to come inside in the first place.

A recent intercept survey by Creative Consumer Research found that 70% of respondents visited a store primarily to use the ATM. That was a significant increase from a similar 2015 ATM intercept study, when 53% of ATM users said the ATM was their main reason for visiting the store.

That is traffic a convenience store can build a sale around.

A sign on the pump, door, or street sign that says “ATM Inside” can turn a fuel stop into an in-store visit. A customer may walk in for cash, but once inside, they are standing within reach of drinks, snacks, lottery tickets, tobacco, coffee, and other quick purchases.

That makes ATM placement a practical way to support both customer convenience and store sales.

Cash Supports Impulse Purchases

Convenience stores are impulse-buy businesses.

Customers may come in for one item and leave with three. They may withdraw cash from the ATM and decide to buy a coffee, candy bar, lottery ticket, or drink before they leave.

When customers have cash in hand, they are ready to spend.

An ATM in the stores keeps that opportunity inside your store. Customers do not have to leave the property to find cash. They can withdraw money and use it immediately, right where impulse items are already within reach.

For stores that depend on small-ticket purchases, add-on sales, and repeat visits, that matters.

ATMs Can Help Offset Card Fee Pressure

Card fees continue to squeeze convenience stores.

According to NACS, convenience stores paid $21 billion in swipe fees in 2024, up more than 80% since 2020. NACS also reports that swipe fees are the industry’s second-highest operating cost after labor. The average U.S. rate on Visa and Mastercard credit transactions is 2.36% of the transaction amount.

For convenience stores working with tight margins, those costs add up fast.

An on-site ATM will not eliminate card processing fees, but it gives customers an easy cash option. When more customers have cash available inside the store, merchants may be able to encourage more cash payments, especially for smaller purchases where card fees can cut into profit.

ATM Placement Can Create Recurring Revenue

An on-site ATM can also become a recurring revenue source.

Depending on the placement agreement, gas station and convenience store owners can earn revenue from ATM surcharge fees. That means the ATM can help generate income beyond regular store sales.

For high-traffic convenience stores and gas stations, this can be especially valuable. Customers are already coming and going throughout the day. Adding an ATM gives them another reason to stop and gives the business another way to earn.

Customers get the cash access they need. The store gets another chance to earn.

Good Locations Make a Difference

Not every business is the right fit for an ATM, but convenience stores and gas stations are strong candidates.

Locations with steady foot traffic, lottery and tobacco sales, late-night traffic, or limited bank access nearby benefit from on-site ATM placement.

Visibility also matters. A well-placed ATM should be easy to find, easy to access, and positioned where customers naturally move through the store.

BFC Enterprises helps merchants evaluate placement so the ATM supports customer convenience, store traffic, and transaction volume.

Full-Service ATM Placement = No Hassle for Merchants

Some store owners hesitate to add an ATM because they assume it will be one more thing to manage.

They worry about the cost of buying the machine and installation. As well as on-going tasks like cash loading, maintenance and services that take them away from helping customers.
 

With BFC Enterprises, ATM placement is designed to be simple and hassle-free. Merchants benefit from having an on-site ATM without taking on the day-to-day responsibility of managing it.

BFC handles it all.

•  ATM installation
• Cash loading
• Service and maintenance
• Ongoing support
• Placement guidance
• Revenue-sharing opportunities

The retailer simply provides space and power for the machine. That means no hassle and more opportunity.

Convenience That Pays

An ATM on-site gives customers a reason to come inside and gives the store another way to earn. It also supports impulse purchases, encourage cash payments, help offset card fee pressure, and create recurring ATM revenue.

With BFC Enterprises, merchants do not have to handle the hard part. BFC provides full-service ATM placement, including installation, cash loading, maintenance, and support.

Ready to Add ATM Revenue without managing the machine?

Contact BFC Enterprises to learn more about full-service ATM placement for your convenience store or gas station.