How Do You Choose the Right Kiosk for Your Location?

For example, a car dealership with a rotating group of clientele and small group of on-site might benefit from a small, low-cost, cashless solution, while a corporate office needs a kiosk that handles cash and draws attention with a large screen.

Design Around the User Journey

Good kiosk placement is not just logistical—it’s psychological. The design, accessibility, and ease of use all influence how customers engage with your market.

• In high-frequency environments like gyms or car dealerships, frictionless checkout matters.
• For loyalty-driven spaces such as apartments or offices, a kiosk experience that encourages account creation can lead to higher basket sizes and repeat purchases.
• In highly regulated or diverse-access locations, ADA compliance and cash acceptance may be non-negotiable.

Don’t just think about the kiosk—think about how people interact with it. Is it easy to use? Does it slow people down or speed them up? Do they need a cash option for payment?

Think Beyond the Breakroom: Emerging Location Trends

Operators are rethinking kiosk placement entirely, finding opportunities outside of typical workplace breakrooms. With new kiosk options tailored for compact, mobile, and cashless deployments, the possibilities are expanding fast.

Here are a few fast-growing verticals:

• Gyms: Fitness centers are ideal for small, repeat-use markets. You can integrate member incentives (like vouchers or promotions for workout milestones) and benefit from health-conscious product preferences.
• Residential Communities: From luxury apartments to senior living, residents expect modern, convenient amenities. A sleek, quiet kiosk that fits into shared spaces can enhance property value and resident satisfaction.
• Car Dealerships: Service techs and sales teams don’t have time to leave the building, and customers often wait hours. Replacing vending machines with markets has shown 2–3x increases in average spend.
• Mobile & Event-Based Markets: Operators are now experimenting with mobile market setups using the Go Micro. Whether at youth sports tournaments or community events, temporary markets are becoming viable.

Avoid Common Mistakes: Match the Kiosk to the Risk Profile

Not every kiosk works in every environment—even if the size and specs look right. Thefts, damage, and lack of adoption are real risks when you don’t account for the human and environmental factors of a location.

Watch out for:

• High-theft areas: Skip cash-enabled kiosks in unsecured, unsupervised buildings.
• Low-traffic spaces: Even a small kiosk needs enough volume to justify restocking and maintenance.
• Mismatch between kiosk and audience: Don’t place a large-capacity kiosk in a 20-person office. It’s overkill and may feel intrusive.

If you want to succeed, you have to know you’re not just dropping down a kiosk — you’re solving for space, security, and sales potential.

Match the Kiosk Footprint to Your Environment

Cantaloupe’s lineup offers a range of kiosks designed with specific space requirements in mind:

• Go Micro: Ultra-compact and cashless, ideal for tight spaces like apartment lobbies, car dealerships, or satellite offices. Its low cost and minimal footprint allow for broader experimentation and expansion.
• Go MiniX: Mid-size, still compact, but includes more advanced features like fingerprint readers, and cameras. Suited for residential properties, gyms, and medium-sized offices.
• Go Plus100: A full-feature kiosk with a new, sleek redesign, available in cash and cashless models. Best for traditional breakrooms, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses.
• Go Max: A large-format, high-impact kiosk with a 43” screen and full ADA compliance. Designed for public-facing environments like hospitals, airports, courthouses, and luxury residential buildings.

Choosing the wrong size kiosk can disrupt the customer flow or diminish the perceived value of the market. Oversizing a kiosk in a small space adds clutter. Undersizing in a busy space means missed engagement opportunities.