For vending operators, from first machine to full route

Find your next profitable vending location in 60 seconds.

For US vending operators. Type a ZIP and see the businesses near you that could host a machine, and who to ask for at each one. Free to start, no card.

  1. Search a ZIPFree
  2. Reveal contacts5 free credits, 1 per contact
  3. Need more? Plans from $49/moNo card to start. Cancel anytime

Credits unlock when you verify your email.

Free to start. 5 credits, no card.

See it work before you sign up.

How it works

From ZIP code to
signed contract.

One example, start to finish. The step that uses a credit is marked.

01

Search a ZIP code Free

Say you type 94107 and pick Warehouses. You get ranked businesses with employee counts, foot traffic and a revenue rating. Searching never uses a credit.

02

Reveal the facilities contact 1 credit

Open a warehouse with 120 employees. Use 1 credit to see the best contact we have on file, such as the facilities or operations manager, with the email and phone we can find.

03

Track your outreach Free to save and track

Save it to your pipeline, add notes and set a follow-up date. Check the numbers with the ROI calculator before you pitch.

Lead Finder, ZIP 94107

Example results. These businesses are made up to show the layout.

ZIP 94107  ·  Warehouses
High

Bay Area Industrial Supply Co.

120 employees on site · High foot traffic · Revenue rating: High

Contact: Operations Manager
Reveal contact: 1 credit
Medium

SoMa Tech Campus, Bldg C

180 employees · Medium foot traffic · Revenue rating: Medium

Contact: Facilities Director
Reveal contact: 1 credit
More results below, strongest revenue potential first

How this rating works. High, Medium or Low is our estimate of how well a machine could do there, based on the type of venue, how many people are on site and how much foot traffic it gets. Inside the app each rating also shows a monthly sales range for one machine, with the method next to it. Ranges are estimates to compare locations, not promises. Most machines earn less than the top of a range.

Want the mechanics before you sign up? How to find vending machine locations spells out exactly what the revenue-potential rating weighs and what each step costs. If you are comparing this against a route platform, vending management software shows which jobs we cover and which ones still need a telemetry vendor.
Built for operators, nationwide
50
states, every US ZIP covered
~60s
from ZIP to your first rated lead
Every US ZIP, backed by real demographic & business data
FAQ

Everything you might be
wondering.

Short, direct answers to the questions operators ask most before getting started.

What is VendBuddy?
VendBuddy is an all-in-one platform for vending machine operators. It has a US-wide lead finder, verified business contacts, a location product planner, margin analysis, machine recommendations, a placement contract creator, and a route dashboard. You can find, pitch, close, and operate vending locations from one tool instead of spreadsheets and cold calls.
What makes VendBuddy different from buying a lead list or using a generic CRM?
VendBuddy is built specifically for vending operators, not general B2B sales. It ranks locations using foot traffic, revenue estimates, and business density, and the platform bundles contracts, restock logs, and tax-ready P&L around a vending route. Pricing starts at $49 per month, versus $350 to $500 per meeting from traditional vending lead services.
How long does it take to find my first vending location with VendBuddy?
Entering a ZIP code returns ranked leads in under 3 minutes. Landing an actual placement typically takes 15 to 20 in-person pop-ins, which is the cadence the VendBuddy playbook recommends. The software shortens the prospecting phase; closing still depends on your outreach.
Do I need vending machine experience to use VendBuddy?
No. VendBuddy is built for first-time operators starting their first machine. It is also built for experienced operators scaling to 20+ machines. The built-in Growth Coach answers 185+ beginner questions. Every feature is designed so you can go from ZIP-code search to signed contract without prior industry experience.
How much does VendBuddy cost?
Two monthly plans: Starter at $49/month (150 contact credits, plus Verify Business and Growth Coach) and Pro at $79/month (300 credits, bulk verify, credit rollover and priority support). Annual billing saves 20% and adds 20 bonus credits every month. Every new account gets 5 free credits to start — no card required. Need more in a busy month? Credit packs start at $19 for 25.
How does the Lead Finder work?
Enter any US ZIP code and pick a location type — warehouse, office, apartment, school, gym, medical — or search all types. VendBuddy returns ranked prospects, each rated High, Medium or Low for revenue potential (or Limited data) with the reasons, plus employee count, foot traffic estimate, and the likely decision-maker's title. One credit reveals the best contact on file for that business, with email and phone where we can find them.
What's a credit and how do I use it?
Company data is free: search, filter and export every business in your area with its category, employee count, address, website and revenue potential. A credit unlocks the best contact we can find for one business (owner or manager when available), with whatever name, title, email and phone are on file. Verify a contact: 1 credit. Verify Business (open or closed, Google rating, website) is free for 5 businesses a day on every plan, then 1 credit each. Credits refill monthly on your plan. On Pro, unused credits roll over (4× cap). You can also buy credit packs on top of any plan.
How do I cancel my VendBuddy subscription?
Cancel anytime from the billing portal inside the app. Every plan is month-to-month with no contract, and you keep access through the end of your current billing period.
Does VendBuddy cover every US city?
Yes. Lead Finder works in every US ZIP code, and the Opportunity Map ranks any ZIP using live demographic and business-density data — so you can evaluate a market before you drive or cold-call.
What vending machines are best?
The best machine is the one that fits the property it sits in. An office crowd buys differently than a laundromat, a gym, or a family venue. The wrong pairing is the #1 reason machines underperform. Our free Machine Finder matches machine types to 15+ property types, with realistic revenue estimates for each. For most modern placements (offices, apartments, gyms, medical buildings), we recommend the SandStar AI smart cooler. It is small, fully cashless, and grab-and-go, with no keypad queue.
Is my market already saturated?
Almost never. Most new operators compete for the same handful of obvious spots — the gym on the main road, the biggest office park — while thousands of placement opportunities in the same market go unpitched: warehouses, apartment buildings, medical offices, trade shops, schools. Saturation is rarely about the market; it is about looking where everyone else looks. Once you know what to look for, any US ZIP has more qualified locations than one operator can service. Check yours:
How do I try it before I pay?
The free account is the try-before-you-pay. No credit card: every new account gets 5 credits to run real ZIP searches and reveal 5 contacts. When you want more, a plan starts the moment you enter a card — Starter is $49/mo and unlocks 150 credits right away. Cancel anytime in-app. Reply to any of our emails within 7 days of your first payment, before you use a credit, and we refund it in full.
What do I get when I subscribe to Starter?
You are charged $49 and all 150 credits unlock immediately — enough to run real ZIP searches and reveal 150 contacts this month. Credits refill every month. Cancel anytime in-app. Reply to any of our emails within 7 days of your first payment, before you use a credit, and we refund it in full.
Pricing

Simple plans. No surprises.
Start scaling.

Searching is free. One credit gets you the best contact we have for one business you pick.

Save 20%
Recommended
Starter
For operators finding their first locations.
$49$49$39/month
Save 20% ($118 a year)
150170 contacts a month
33¢23¢ per contact
Charged $49 today. Cancel anytime.Charged $470 today for the year. Cancel anytime.
7-day money-back guarantee if no credits used. Refund policy
See what you get
  • Lead Finder — any US ZIP
  • Verified email & phone contacts
  • Verify Business (open/closed, rating, website) — 5 free a day, then 1 credit
  • Pipeline CRM — unlimited deals
  • Route Dashboard — P&L, leaderboard, trends
  • Restock Log with photo uploads
  • Tax-Ready P&L PDF export
  • Route Valuation one-pager
  • Shareable performance reports
  • Contract Creator + Scope of Work
  • Flyers, Scripts & Machine Wraps
  • Hiring & Scaling guides
  • Growth Coach (185+ vending answers)
  • Weekly route digest email
  • Email support
  • Yearly adds 20 bonus credits every month

Refunds. Yes, once: on your first subscription payment, within 7 days of it, if you have not used a credit since. All three have to be true. Reply to any of our emails and we refund all of it. Otherwise you can cancel any time from the billing page and keep access to the end of the period you paid for. Renewals and credit packs are not refundable. Full policy

Need more in a busy month? See credit packs

For more credits
Pro
For bigger routes that need more contacts.
$79$79$63/month
Save 20% ($190 a year)
300320 contacts a month
26¢20¢ per contact
Charged $79 today. Cancel anytime.Charged $758 today for the year. Cancel anytime.
7-day money-back guarantee if no credits used. Refund policy
See what you get

Everything in Starter, plus:

  • Bulk Verify Business (10+ at once)
  • Priority support (24h response)
  • Early access to new features
  • Unused credits roll over, up to 4× your monthly credits
  • Yearly adds 20 bonus credits every month

Refunds. Yes, once: on your first subscription payment, within 7 days of it, if you have not used a credit since. All three have to be true. Reply to any of our emails and we refund all of it. Otherwise you can cancel any time from the billing page and keep access to the end of the period you paid for. Renewals and credit packs are not refundable. Full policy

Need more in a busy month? See credit packs

5 free credits to reveal contacts, no card.

Need more credits in a busy month? See credit packs.

Custom / Enterprise
Running a larger route, several operators, or need higher volume, team seats, or a tailored contract? Tell us what you need and we'll build a plan around it.
Contact us → or email us directly
Cancel anytime  ·  Pro credits roll over  ·  No contracts  ·  No-card account: 5 credits  ·  Starter: all 150 credits the moment you subscribe, 7-day money-back guarantee if no credits used

Free tools, no account needed

Guides, calculators and a market check you can use before you sign up.

The Ultimate Vending Guide
Launch plan, location scoring, pitch scripts, pricing and tax. One free PDF.
Opportunity Map
Rank any US ZIP on real demographic and business-density data.
Machine Finder
Match a machine to your budget, venue type and card-reader setup.
All free tools
ROI and margin calculators, contract templates, state law lookup.
Resources & financing
Resources

Financing and insurance, sorted before
you place your first machine.

Money is the #1 reason new operators stall. Real options for both, with the math of when each makes sense.