Best Locations for a Check Cashing Kiosk (Ranked by Revenue Potential)

Not all kiosk locations are created equal. A check cashing machine inside a busy scrap yard can generate three to four times the revenue of the same machine inside a quiet suburban laundromat. The hardware is identical — the difference is entirely about who walks through your door and what they're carrying in their pocket.

After placing hundreds of kiosks across dozens of business types, we've identified the patterns that separate $4,000/month locations from $1,200/month ones. Here's what the data says.

The #1 Factor: Proximity to Unbanked Populations

Everything else is secondary to this. If your business sits within a 2-mile radius of a high concentration of unbanked or underbanked households, you will do volume. Period.

The FDIC's 2023 Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services reports that 4.5% of U.S. households (approximately 5.6 million) are completely unbanked — no checking or savings account at any institution. Another 14.1% (roughly 17.2 million households) are underbanked, meaning they have a bank account but still rely on alternative financial services like check cashing, money orders, and payday lending.

These households cluster in predictable areas: lower-income urban neighborhoods, rural communities with limited bank branch access, and zones near large hourly-wage employers (warehouses, manufacturing plants, construction sites, meat processing facilities). Census tract data and FDIC maps can tell you exactly how dense the unbanked population is in your area.

A convenience store in an affluent suburb might see 10 check cashing requests per week. The same store format three miles away, near an industrial park with 2,000 hourly workers, will see 60–80. Location isn't a factor — it's the factor.

Ranked: Best Business Types for Kiosk Placement

1. Scrap Metal Yards and Recycling Centers

This is the top performer and it's not close. Scrap customers get paid in checks — often $300–$800 per visit — and many are unbanked. They want cash immediately, not a three-day bank hold. Average kiosk income at scrap locations: $3,500–$5,000/month. The check values are high, the volume is consistent, and the customer need is urgent. Read our full analysis of check cashing kiosks for scrap yards.

2. Convenience Stores and Gas Stations

C-stores in the right neighborhoods are the second-best placement. High foot traffic, extended hours (often 6 AM–midnight or 24/7), and a customer base that skews toward cash-dependent households. The average check value is lower than scrap yards ($250–$400) but the transaction count makes up for it. Average kiosk income: $2,200–$3,800/month. Our c-store placement guide covers the specifics.

3. Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

Mid-size grocery stores (5,000–15,000 sq ft) in working-class neighborhoods are strong performers. Customers already come in weekly for groceries and will cash their paycheck at the same time. The built-in foot traffic is massive — you don't need to attract new customers, just convert existing ones. Average kiosk income: $1,800–$3,200/month. See our grocery store kiosk guide for placement tips.

4. Laundromats

Laundromats serve a heavily cash-dependent demographic. Customers spend 45–90 minutes on-site with nothing to do — perfect conditions for completing a check cashing transaction. The limitation is lower foot traffic compared to c-stores and groceries. A laundromat might see 80–120 unique visitors per day versus 300+ at a busy c-store. Average kiosk income: $1,400–$2,400/month. Our laundromat kiosk guide has the full breakdown.

5. Pawn Shops

Pawn shop customers are almost universally cash-dependent. The overlap between "needs to pawn something" and "needs to cash a check" is enormous. Check volumes tend to be moderate (30–50/week) but the customer conversion rate is high — nearly everyone who walks into a pawn shop is a potential check cashing customer. Average kiosk income: $1,200–$2,200/month. Details in our pawn shop kiosk guide.

We serve all of these verticals and more. See the full list of industries where Cashman kiosks are deployed.

Physical Site Checklist

Beyond business type, the physical characteristics of your location matter. Here's what high-performing sites share:

• Foot traffic above 150 unique visitors/day. More feet = more potential transactions. Count your door swings on a typical Thursday or Friday to get a baseline.
• Operating hours that include Friday evening and Saturday morning. These are the two highest-volume check cashing windows. Payroll checks hit on Thursday/Friday, and customers want cash for the weekend. If you close at 5 PM on Friday, you're missing the rush.
• Visible kiosk placement near the entrance. The machine should be the first or second thing a customer sees when they walk in. Back corners, behind shelving, or inside a separate room all reduce usage by 25–40%.
• Adequate parking. Locations with no dedicated parking (urban storefronts on busy streets with no lot) underperform comparable locations with parking by about 15%. Customers carrying large checks prefer to park close and get in and out quickly.
• A standard 120V electrical outlet and internet connection within 6 feet of the planned kiosk location. Wi-Fi works but hardwired ethernet is more reliable.

Every item on this list is fixable except foot traffic. If you don't have the foot traffic, no amount of signage or positioning will close the gap. Learn more about how the kiosk installation process works.

Red Flags: Locations That Underperform

Some placements look good on paper but consistently disappoint. We've learned these lessons the hard way:

Affluent neighborhoods. If the median household income in your zip code is above $75,000, check cashing demand drops dramatically. These populations are fully banked and use mobile deposit for their checks. Don't install a kiosk in a Whole Foods parking lot.

Locations near multiple bank branches. If there are three or more bank branches within a half-mile radius, your potential customers already have convenient access to free check deposits. The kiosk's value proposition weakens significantly.

Businesses with limited hours. A store that's open 9 AM–5 PM Monday through Friday misses the two most important windows: Friday evening and Saturday. You'll capture some lunch-break transactions but miss the real volume.

Low-visibility placements. If the kiosk is in a back room, behind a counter, or requires asking an employee for access, usage drops by 30–50%. The machine needs to be self-service and obvious. People who need to cash a check don't want to ask permission.

Seasonal businesses. Tourist shops, holiday retailers, and businesses with dramatic seasonal swings create unpredictable check cashing volume. The kiosk economics work best with consistent year-round traffic.

How to Evaluate Your Specific Location

Here's a quick scoring framework. Give your location 1 point for each:

• Within 2 miles of a known unbanked/underbanked population cluster
• Within 1 mile of large hourly-wage employers (warehouses, factories, construction sites)
• Fewer than 2 bank branches within a half-mile radius
• 150+ unique visitors per day
• Open past 7 PM on Fridays
• Open on Saturdays
• Kiosk can be placed within 15 feet of the main entrance
• Dedicated parking available

6–8 points: Strong candidate. Expect to land in the upper half of income ranges for your business type.

4–5 points: Viable but not optimal. You'll likely fall in the lower-to-middle income range. Consider whether signage and extended hours could push you higher.

0–3 points: Weak fit. The kiosk will likely underperform and may not cover its operating costs in a reasonable timeframe. We'd rather tell you that upfront than sell you a machine that collects dust.

Want a more precise projection? Run your numbers through our ROI calculator — it factors in your business type, zip code demographics, and operating hours to give you a monthly income estimate.