Vending Playbook covers the practical side of running vending machines: what machines and smart coolers cost, what each platform charges per month, who sells them, and what the tax and permit rules require.
It is written by people who operate vending machines in California.
What is on the site
- Prices and fees with a source. Where a seller publishes a number, the article links to it. Where they do not, it says “not published.”
- Rules from the rule itself. Tax and permit articles cite the regulation, the publication, or the fee schedule.
- Numbers from our own machines, marked “From our route.”
What is not on the site
There is no course and no coaching, and we do not sell machines.
How it is kept current
Every article shows the month it was last updated and lists its sources with the month they were checked. The methodology page explains how figures are worked out, and the disclosure page covers how the site makes money.