How to Make Money With Your Cash Management Strategy

This article is brought to you by Cash Depot.

For years, retailers relied on surcharge revenue from ATMs to turn a profit, said Doug Marquis, chief revenue officer for Cash Depot. But today, he said, financial kiosks can offer several ways for retailers to increase their profits, reduce cash management costs and bring more customers into the store.

“There is an evolution happening. Retailers are rethinking their traditional cash management strategy and moving from just using smart safes and ATMs to creating transaction ecosystems in their stores. They’re realizing their cash infrastructure can be more than an expense—it can be a profit center,” said Marquis.

Traditional ATMs are a beneficial amenity for consumers, but they also have downsides, Marquis said. “Smart safes and ATMs create stagnant back-office cash that doesn’t generate revenue for retailers; they incur operational fees or, in the case of smart safes, provisional credit that costs retailers money. And the ATMs usually have limited withdrawal capability, often only dispensing $20 bills.”

He said consumers are looking for self-service kiosks that allow them to pay bills, transfer money, perform a mobile top-up, purchase crypto and digital currencies and withdraw cash in the denominations of their choosing. Multi-denomination withdrawals increase transaction volumes by up to 3%, and consumer deposits can raise that number to 7%, according to data from Cash Depot and Visa.

“More services equals more monetization opportunities,” said Marquis. “Retailers that have added consumer-facing financial services have seen a strong boost in incremental revenue streams and greater customer engagement with increased dwell times, which can lead to bigger baskets. They’re attracting new customers, encouraging repeat visits and most importantly, they’re turning the everyday transactions consumers want into store and revenue growth.”

He also noted that according to Cash Depot’s analysis, combined financial service offerings consistently outperformed individual services, as consumers are looking for one-stop convenience for their financial transactions. “The real lift in profit comes when services work together. Each one reinforces the others,” he said.

BANK IN A BOX and its cash recycling capability make offering financial services not only easy, but more profitable, said Marquis. “Retailers often assume new services mean new vendors and complexity, but BANK IN A BOX can add revenue without adding operational burden,” he said.

Even better, BANK IN A BOX provides complete store cash services, recycling deposited store cash to fuel those consumer transactions, reducing idle cash in stores and lowering cash management costs, all through one provider with an integrated platform, Marquis described.

“Retailers who expand consumer services aren’t just adding features. They’re building a new revenue layer on top of their existing cash flow,” said Marquis. “It’s like having a bank in your store—the strongest performing locations aren’t just dispensing cash, they’re solving financial needs.”

This is part two of a two-part series brought to you by Cash Depot. Learn more about how smart safes can drive foot traffic in part one.