Cash & security
Keeping a dispensary ATM funded — and planning security sensibly.
An empty ATM helps nobody. Plan the cash around your real withdrawal pattern, and keep the security details between you, your provider and your compliance lead.
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Replenishment cadence
How often an ATM needs cash comes down to a few numbers you can get from processor reports:
- Withdrawals per day and the average amount.
- How much the machine holds — its cassette capacity and the denominations loaded.
- Your busy days. Weekends, paydays, holidays, local events and cannabis-specific peaks such as April 20 can be far busier than a normal day.
- Lead time for the person or company that loads it, including weekends.
A new store has no history, so start conservatively, review weekly for the first month, and adjust once real reports come in.
Cash-cover calculator
Who loads and monitors
Under most placements the provider or its cash-service partner loads the machine and watches its level. If you own the ATM, your staff or a cash-service company you hire does it, and the processor’s portal usually shows cash levels, errors and transaction history. Whatever the arrangement, put these in writing:
- Who watches cash levels, and the level that triggers a refill
- How quickly a refill or repair happens, including weekends and holidays
- Who is called when the machine is out of service, and how staff report it
- How cash records are reconciled and how differences are resolved
Security considerations
Some dispensary security points are general enough to share. Specific procedures are not — we discuss them privately, never on a website.
- Location within the premises. Where an ATM may stand, and what camera coverage it needs, can be set by your state’s cannabis rules. Start with the state rules resource and your compliance lead.
- Anchoring and placement. Discuss secure mounting with your provider and landlord.
- Access control. Keep the number of people with keys or combinations small, and record who has them.
- Loading out of public view. Avoid predictable, visible routines, and follow your own cash-handling procedures.
- Insurance. Confirm whose policy covers the cash in the machine and the equipment.
- An incident plan. Staff should know who to call if the machine is damaged, tampered with or out of service.
Next step
Talk through the ATM for your dispensary.
Tell us your state, your license status and what you have today. We’ll walk through placement, ownership or a processing review and confirm what is available for your location.